Ishmael S. Dennis finds wife remarried

COLORED ENOCH ARDEN.

The Woman in the Case Must Secure an Abso-
lute Divorce to Keep Her Present Husband.

A CURIOUS SCENE IN A BROOKLYN COURT.

BROOKLYN, N. Y., Nov. 30.---Ish-
mael S. Dennis is one of the handsom-
est of the colored waiters at the Man-
sion House, on Hicks street. There is
a romance connected with Dennis' life
which makes him a veritable Enoch
Arden, though without Arden's adven-
turous career. Dennis is nearly six
feet high, is broad shouldered and ath-
letic in appearance and has a face full
of good nature and intelligence. He
was married at Macon, Ga., in 1870, to
a pretty mulatto girl.
Mrs. Dennis' relatives did not like
the young husband and as a result of
their intermeddling the young couple
quarreled. Dennis went to Augusta,
Ga., in 1872, leaving his wife at Macon.
After a time he wrote to her to come to
him, but she failed to do so. In 1874
she came to Brooklyn, and husband
and wife heard no more of each other
until 1885, when Dennis, in coming to
Brooklyn, learned that his wife was
married to Major A. La Mott, a young
colored man residing at 42 Fleet street.
He made no complaint, as his
wife protested that she thought
he was dead and had the right to
marry again. Mr. La Mott also told
Dennis that he believed he was dead or
he would not have led Mrs. Dennis to
the altar. Dennis began in the City
Court a suit for an absolute divorce and
the action was tried before Chief Judge
Clement yesterday morning. Dudley
W. [indecipherable] appeared for Mr. Dennis. Mrs.
Dennis and Mr. La Mott were in court.
They made no defense but were repre-
sented by R. Burnham Moffatt.
Mr. Dennis testified that he had not
seen his wife from 1872 until his arrival
in Brooklyn. He discovered in 1886
that she had married La Mott.
Other witnesses testified to the good
character of the woman and the purity
of her nature, and after hearing other
witnesses, Chief Judge Clement granted
the plaintiff an absolute divorce and
directed Mr. Bain to draw the decree so
that it should state that Mrs. Dennis
and Mr. La Mott married by advice of
counsel.
Mrs. Dennis and Mr. La Mott left the
court room arm in arm. It is said that
they will go to New Jersey and be mar-
ried again. The plaintiff is tired of
living alone, and smilingly admitted to
a reporter that he was contemplating
matrimony. He wouldn't say when the
ceremony was to be performed.