The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-11-05
SINGER.
Curious Revelation Of the Domestic Life O
the Great Sewing Machine Millionaire.

the Great Sewing Machine Millionaire.
The Chicago Tribune says The de.
velopments made in the preliminary
hearing of the Singer will case constitute
a scandal of domesticity and phase OF
modern civilization which are almost
without parallel. We have already
alluded to the features of the will of this
polygamous patriarch, and the manner
In which it is sought to be broken by one
OF the divorced wives; but the domestic
features OF the case are so unique that
they are worthy of comment also. The
revelations made by Asmodeus, who
lifted the roofs of the houses to see what
was going on beneath them, were not
more singular, saddening, or mysterious
than those which have been made in the
lifting Of Mr.. Singers roof by the attor-
neys in this will case. Here is man
who has had twenty-eight children by
six different women, the most of the
children now living and married, and
heretofore moving III 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 greater part of his
property, although he publicly acknowl-
edged 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 in
England and America as the wife of the
great sewing machine millionaire. Three
other women whom he never acknowl-
edged as his wives have also borne him
children, and there children he recog-
nizes 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 every
thing, knew nothing of the harem which
Mr.. Singer had established until his will
came to the light and Mr.. Singer himself
was beyond the reach of scandal or gossip.
Rumor, with all hereye and ears and ton
CUES, had failed to see or hear anything
of this matter. Most singular of allisitt that
none of these many-divorced wives and
paramours, and no one of this large col
ony of children, ever let out the secret
through carelessness, envy, or malice.
We doubt whether any man before, Sc
cretly associated with six women, and
having children by all of them, has been
so successful in keeping those associ-
atoms hidden from the world. In any
other case, it would seem to be newt
able that jealousies and envies would
have led to immediate disclosures, if not
to more serious personal results to the
lord of the harem. 1t is astonishing
that blackmailers have not literally
swarmed about him. But apparently
nothing of the sort has happened. 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 affiuent style with his last osten-
sible wife, entertaining hosts of visitors,
his magnificent establishment being
known to thousands of travellers, and yet
not one of these women whom he had
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, 80 far as the
world knew, peculiarly-moral man, an
exemplary church-member, and a gener-
GUS and charitable man, who took delight
in aiding religious and philanthropic
enterprises. Wealth always brings power
and influence, and these attributes now
adays shields man from moral and legal
penalties, and too often, even in the
church, palliate offenses which would be
instantly condemned under other cir
cumstances. 1t was not so in this in
stance, however, as the church knew as
little of the real life of the man as the
world.