Preservation of American Hellenic History
Preservation of American Hellenic History
by Jason C. Mavrovitis
Tsavalas' true reason for suing to quash the annulment of his marriage to Lily will never be known. Reasons given in the court records are difficult to accept. He claimed:
I am not interested, as I have stated before, of merely having the decree set aside so as to be left with a wife. And to be perfectly frank with this Court I would rather be single today, than married to one of her kind. But if to become single means that I must go through life with a blemish against my reputation, then I must of necessity remain married.
Tsavalas asked for no specific remedy other than:
that this Court grant me an order vacating and setting aside the judgment and Decree heretofore obtained by this plaintiff against me, and dismissing the proceedings and the plaintiff's complaint [. . .]
In his sworn deposition, Tsavalas substantially corroborated Lily's statements about his early meetings with her at parties and Greek dances. However, his version took a very different turn. Tsavalas asserted that Lily was aggressive in pursuing the early relationship, that she met him alone at a café, asked him for his picture, sent love letters to him, and gave him a farewell kiss when he left to start his new business in Detroit.
According to Tsavalas, he had warned Lily that he was just starting out in business and could not offer her any more than a basic life. He testified that she was willing to accept the condition. An engagement party was planned for 25 March, Lily's name day.(1) It never took place because according to Tsavalas his family cautioned him about Lily's questionable reputation.
He alleged that Lily on hearing the accusations against her tried to commit suicide by swallowing iodine. He said that later while in the hospital Lily telephoned him to tell him that if he did not marry her she would kill him and then herself.
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