Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1875-11-05
A Curious Domestic Revelation.

ner in which it is sought to be brok-
Ell by one of the divorced wives !;
but the domestic features of the case
are so unique that they are worthy
of comment also The revelation
made by Asmodeus, who lifted the
roofs of the houses to see what was
going OH beneath them, were not
more singular, saddening, or mysteri-
Gus than those which have been
made in the lifting of Mr. Singers
roof by the attorneys in this will
case. Here is a man who has had
twenty-eight children by six. DIFF
ferent women, the most of them
now living and married, and hereto
fore moving in good society, as their
father did before them, without any
apparent stain upon their names.
He was divorced from two of these
women, and he was not married to
the one to whom he has left the
greaterpar of his property, although
he publicly acknowledged her as his
wife, acknowledges her, as such in
his will, and she has always borne
his name, likewise her children, and
has moved in the best society of
England and America as the wife of
the great sewing-machine million
aire. Three other women whom he
never acknowledged as wives have
also borne him children, and these
children he recognizes as his own by
giving them his name and amply
providing for them in his will.
The most mysterious feature of all
this sorry business is the fact that
the world, which presumes to know
everything, knew nothing of the
harem which NJ. Singer had establish
ed until his will came to the light
and NJ. Singer himself was hey ond
the reach of scandal or gossip.
Rumor, with all her eyes, and ears,
and tongues, had failed to see OF
hear anything of this matter. Most
singular of all is it that none of
these many-divorced wives and par.
amours, and no one of this large
colony of children, ever let out the
secret through carlessness, envy, OF
malice. We doubt whether any
man before, secretly associated with
six women, and having children by
all of them, has been so successful
IN keeping those associations hidden
from the world In any other case,
it would seem to be inevitable that
jealousies and envies would have led
to immediate disclosures, if not tc
more seriOs personal results to the
lord of the harem. 1t is astonish.
ing that blackmailers have not lit.
orally swarmed about him and made
his life a torment to him. But ap
parently nothing of the sort has hap
pened. He passed along through
life quietly, easily, and happily. He
rolled in wealth, and he had every
luxury that wealth could procure
During the past eight or ten years
he lived in London and Paris in the
most affluert style with his last
ostensible wife, entertaining hosts Of
visitors, his magnificent establish.
ment being known to thousands Of
travellers, and yet not one of these
women whom hehad left behind him
ever breathed the secret which they
held, not one of the children liSped
it, and the world looked upon the
millionaire as a model man, enjoying
in his old age and retirement from
business the profits of his ingenuity
and industry. More than this, he
was, so far as the world knew, g
peculiarly-moral man, an exemplary
church member, and a generous ard
charitable man, who took delight in
aiding religious and philanthropic
enterprises. Wealth always brings
power and influence, and these at.
tributes nowadays shield a man from
moral and legal penalties, and too
often, even in the Church, palliate
offenses which would be instantly
condemned under other circumstan-
ces. 1t was not so in this instance,
however, as the Church knew as
little of the real life of the man as
the world.
The peculiarities of the case tend
to show that Mr.. Singer did not re-
gard his conduct as immoral, or even
out of keeping with the practices of
modern civilization, or the pretences
of religion and morality. There
must have been, however, some
twinges of conscience, and there was
silent concession to the usages of
society in the fact that he kept his
secret to himslf during life. When
called upon to leave life, however,
he gave his secret to the world with
out any prevarication or subterfuges.
He sought to shIrk no responsibility
or cover up anything. He recogniz-
ed legitimate and illegitimate child
rem as his own by comforting his
name upon them, and providing for
them beyond the possibility OF want.
Whatever we may think of his
course of life, and however sternly
we may condemn his practices, as
calulated to undermine society
morals and break down the sanctity
of home, his honorable conduct in
this particular is to be. commended
as that of a courageous and fair-mind-
ed man, and his example one that
should be followed by many another
men of wealth. Strict justice would
compel man by law to do what Mr..
Singer has done, and that he has
done it without compulsion speaks
we'll for his memory, whatever view
we may take of his course of life.
striped Stockings in Georgia.