The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-07-31
A BTGAMY CASE.
An ex-Navy Omcer with n wife In Com
neoaicut and One In WashIngtOn-Re-
.unntnhIa Families Involved.


| .pectabIe Families Involved.
| F,-o0l The Washington Evening BrpresS, July 30.
! For some weeks past, Detectives Bigley and
Kelly have been working up an interesting
! case of bigamy, and this morning the matter
! was made public.
1t appears that Nathaniel S. Morgan formerly
| Commander in the United States navy and
at one time Captain of the United States
steamer Ascutney, did, on the 10th day of July
! 1885, marry in Chis city Miss Martha Wroe
daughter of Samuel Wroe, ESQ. (the we'll
known livery stable proprietor), of this city
The marriage ceremony was performed by the
Rev. B. Sunderland. Morgan married under
the name of Sinclair Morgan, emitting his first
name. The marriage was published in the daily
in the vicinity of the Navy Yard, on account of
his being attached to the service and the conve-
nience of being near by. Miss Wroe was con-
graduated by all her friends-the match was n
good one, ana she was happy in her love: her
husband was kind and attentive, and was a
fayorite with all who knew him,
II appears, however, that in the spring OF
1851 Morgan, in his full name, married Miss
Emma 10. Kellogg, OF Hartford, Conn. This
lady is also of respectable family, and her
match was also pronounced good one by her
many friends. Morgan had her living with
some of her relatives in Hartford. and always
visited her during his trips to Northern cities
which were very frequent Thus matters pro-
Conn.,, and another one in Washington. By
his first wife he had two children, aud his
second wlte is elcteIlte. In September last his
first Wife, by some means or other heard he had
married young lady in this city, but would
uOJ CTeulJ Jne story, nor u1Q she make any in
yestigation OF the report at that time. Mr.
Mroe, father of the second wife, and her uncle
Or. Wroe, heard some four months since that
Morgan had wife in the North, and they Sc
10 work TO ferret out the matter. They sue
ceeded in ascertaining that the report was bu
too true, In the meantime (some three month
since) Miss Wroe returned to the home of he
father, where she remains and Morgan went
no one knew whittier He left The naval SER
vice incontinently stating to Mr. Wroe that he
had difhculty with an officer in the Navy
Yard and left
Thus nnattars stood ,pba, tho caSa vuou rlaoad
In the hands of Detectives Bigley and Kelly.
Mr.. M. e. Merrill, attorney at law, of Hartford,
Conn, came TO this city. and as attorney for
Mrs. Morgan, the first wife, swore out war
rant before Justice Hazard, charging Morgan
with bigamy After q weeks hunt the accused
was captured this morning in Georgetown,
where he was employed as clerk by Cooley,
the ice dealer he there passed by the name
OF Matson, registered this name at the Fountain
Hotel, and Mr.. Cooley only knew him by such
q name.
The accused was arraigned before Justice
Hazard, in the room of Major Richards at the
police headquarters. He was accompanied by
his father, who resides in Connecticut, and his
lawyer, John Il. Norris, Esq. Mr.. Merrill and
his nrst vile, Mr.. WrOe ana his daughter, DIR.
Wroe and Others, were present as prosecuting
witnesses. Judge Hughes was retained by Mr.,
Merrill as the attorney for the prosecution on
the part of the first wife, and he appeared as
such. Mr.. Norris informed the magistrate that
he would waive all examination of the case
and was prepared to enter bail for his client,
to appear at the December term of the criminal
court, and hoped the magistrate would name q
moderate sum as the required bail, as the pri-
SOner was without property, and consequently
unable to give a large bond. Mr.. Hughes re-
marked that he did not dispute the right to
bail but thought the sum ought to be good and
sufficient to warrant the attendance of the ac-
cused at the Decemcer term of the Court.
Mr.. Norris replied that the bail should be
reasonably small; he had not denied or con-
fessed the guilt of his client; it was merely q
charge, not yet proven; conviction OF the
charge called for Imprisonment of from two to
seven years, while assaults with intent to kill,
and many other offenses, called for longer
term of imprisonment, and yet bail was ire,
N npa aaf To
a moderate figure He thought that $500 good
and sufficient bail was enough.
Judge Hughes did not agree with the gentle
man-there was probability of conviction-he
was ready to swear and examine witnesses in
while his first wife was living; they were both
in the city and ready TO testify to the guilt of
the prisoner; he did not think a mere nominal
Justice Hazard said the charge was serious
one, and he would place the amount of bail re-
Ali the witnesses were held in their recogni-
zances to appear at the December term OF the
bail for the prisoner, and he was accordingly
| released from custody,
age, of the medium height, and evidently good
temperament; indeed, for his affabiliJy of man
ner he is noted among his acquaintances. He
assumed an air OF nOnchaLdnce during the ar
raign1ng of the case before the magistrate that
| The ladies who have been made his dupes are
! both quite young, and In their respective homes
have hosts of friends who can but sympathize
/
The father of the accused, who was present
| during the examination, is a venerable-looking
| old gentleman, who appeared very much agi-
tated while the matter of bail was being dis
cussed by the lawyers.
FURTHER PARTICULARS.
From the Hartford Times Of Monday evening.
A few years since, Mr.. Morgan married a
daughter of the late William kellogg, Esq. OF
East Hactford and the lady was very much
attached to him They have two bright children
now living Mr. Morgan, in the meantime, was
| promoted rapidly in the navy, was finally APP
| pointed a commander of large war ship, and
his prospects in life were most tlattering. While
| his ship was lying at the Washington Navy
| Yard, year or more since, he became attached
| 10 Miss Wroe, an only daughter, and of q
highly respectable family of Washington-heI
| father being man of wealth Strange as II
| may seem, and shocking as the fact was to his
| trends and relatives here, he married Miss
| Wroe. She is now about to become a mother
There are Two or three facts that make this
case aggravating. Last spring Miss Wroe, who
came to Hartford to see Mrs. Morgan and ascer
tain personally with regard to her marriage
She had an interview with her. saw her children
and learned all the facts. She went back to hel
fathers in Washington Soon after Morgan
came on, and said he had separated from his
second wife forever, or had given her up, anC
that heDceforth repudiating his errors, he
| should cling TO his first and only Legitimate
! wife. Mrs. Morgan received him only as
wife who loved her husband could receivC
| him; and she was quite happy. HI
remained with her a short time less than
month, when one morning he coolly informed