St. Mary's beacon., 1858-06-10
Weeks and His Twenty-Five wives.
LITERARY DEvELoPNENrs-A HIGH MORAL
TONE. ~


LITERARY DEvELoPNBNrs-A HIGH MORAL
A TONE. s<
We have rcceiYed sonle very curious devel-.
nptnehts in regard to George W. Weeks. the
late proprietor uf the Athenanm, Our infor-
nation Is entirely reliable, and wonderful as
the details prove TO be, they are nevertheless
strictly true. Weekes figured throughout the
United States, il the year eighteen hundred
and fifty-fcur, under the I,ame of "Went-
WORTH and his brilliant career Of swindliug
will be remembered by many of our readers.
Within space Of eight months lie saesEaT TTish-
ed'' newspapers in airnost every prominent
city of the Union-and had az many wives rs
ne had journals. lie first commenced his ca
rccr III the extreme east, and from thence pro-
ceeded to Philadelphia, where he gathered
t'gether, by means of a prospectus, sufficient
funds 10 take him West.
DESERVING his last wife, he proceeded tn Lex
ington, Ky and there married Miss Hunter.
Cincinnati next became his Headquarters. and
he quickly cscated a sensation by getting up
weekly" under the name of En-: lK7strorfit's 3
Jo'Tnw. His new wife canvasScl the CITY aud
State for subscribers, like the late Anna Co
IA, and The success of the project was COM
plcte. To add still more to the home treasury
a number of young girls were employed ;as
compocitors, and ''n association of ladies'' fis-
nred rs the editors. Finding that he had pret-
ty well CLEANED the place, Weeks bid aiiieu.
f,r the season. to Mrs. W., No 8, and with
Mrs. w, No. 4, journeyed To Plladelphia.
where another Eta Hen',rorst's Journal was
advcrtise1-placardcd and canvasscd for.
Taking large brick house in Fourth street.
he furnished it handsomely, and went to work
on still more extensive scale Finding that
! one "i.licn Wentworth" could obtain fifty sub
s"rberS per day. at one dollar each he multi
piled t!ie Elias by ten, and employed ten more
for the business rooms of the ''literary" iour-
nal, which was to elevate the tastes" and re-
form the morals of the city of Penn. Posters
and editorials from yerdant editors. announced
that An association of ladies would manage
/ the paper, and none but females would be en-
p!oyed in the printing department, counting
| room, etc. The young girls were selected with
great care, pretty face being absolutely nc
cessary for the purpose Of becoming Went
worth
| We do not in the least infringe on truth,
Ffwhen we state that Weeks at this time. pri-
sHatuk married six of these young lsyiioa, and
obtained a cnmplete ascendcncy over the others
| SO we'll was the viilainy managed, that no one
then dkJubtcd his truth and affection. He plan.
I
| Ella Wentworths in every direction to canvas:
and promise local pllrnal. while k J5as pub
I ffsf1rtf Tor ttsr ttre very neat aud creditabI,
weekly paper i'll PHILADELPHIA
| Wife No. 5 in Cincinnati, who still rcposeC
| perfect trust in Weeks. having sod ont thc
/ paper there, made her appearance in Philadel
| phia, and stopped at one Of the leading hotels
Here the walters were mystifed by fimdins
| three Ellen Wentwurths' were already regis
sercI-one haiiing from Harrisburg one fIom
York, aud one Pottsvlllc-they having con
GUIDED to visit the city and learned what Ge
t..incci Their Mr.. ". Exposure could not b,
avoided. Weekes took the Cincinnati wife
late Miss Hunter. pocketed the grand cash, re-
ccivci from tie other twenty, suddenly de
campcd, and left a s.ene Of hcart-rcndin.
misery behind him, which pen cannot tell
I The Sheriff took possession Of the furniture
the paper of course was mo where aud tht
poor girls found themselves destitute and be-
| traycd.
The next operations Of Weekcs were il
| Charleston, S. c. Under another name. will
another paper and his female Canvasser, b,
was enabled in few weeks to acquire a large
sum. With this lie abscunded to Eagland
leaving Miss Hunter with infant and com
! plctely pcnnilcSs. After numerous escape.
from officers, arrests for higamy, and with :
dozen warrants for swindling ready to pounct
upon him, he wisely concluded to 20 abroaC
but, in his usual provident manner, lac pro
vidcd himself with Mrs. w. No. Is. Wha
his career was in England, up II tie end oflas
year, we have no means Of knowing, prcscn
information being obtained from late rcsidcn
of Philadelphia, who was victinIized by tht
fellow, and who, in legal proceedings agains
..C
| of his infarny.
The arrival Of our informant in this city j
supposed to have been the cause Of the sudlcG
departure of Mrs. Anna Cora's husband. A.
! Anna is ali English woman, it is most proLa
bic that she was the last acquisition previous
! to hurried departure for the United States
{ Nearly four years having elapsed since ihc
! fight from Charleston, Weckes, Oil his return
:ro,n England. boldly commenced his swindline
| operations in Texas and New Orleans. under
lis real name. \ few weeks suficed in thai
! region, and consequently, in January last, tile
pair clandestinely left the Crescent city and
! sailed Californiawards.
''Preslming on flush times in this latitude
| Mrs. Anna Cora was told to raise the tariff
10 SIS. sum Cheerfully surrendered to the fair
| pirate by ou7 gallant citizens. Another chap
! ter of this evcntfnl history has closed. and a
new one will doubtless, he commenced in
Australia To tie press of the interior, which
So valgiantly defended her against the assaults
"f several of the San Francisco county papers
no doubt Hiss Anna CI!a returns her sincere
! thanks As she is half seas over, however, il
| is impossible TO say to what extent her graft
! tude can lie depende.i upon. Il is sufficient to
know that wi.i!c in that position on lind, she
! fully appreciated AL kindness rendered her, as
! shown 10y the columns of the .4sheJIeam
Ai!G California. ...