Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-01-03

A SPECULATOR In WIVES.
"A Man With a Mania for Rich Widow
His Queer Matrimonial Venture.
From the Indianapolis Journal.
! A pretended speculator in real estat,
who visited our city last week for tn
announced purpose Of purchasing col
ner lots, has proved to be q real specr
lator in wives. Charles Waddell wa
his name, or at least he said so, and h
waddled about the country looking 70
rich widows, with view of conferrin
their goods and chattles to himself
He thought this good way of maxim
10th ends meet and making two heart
beat as one at the same time. AS
married man he seems to have been
success. "But leaves have their tim,
to fall," or words to that effect, and Mr.
! Waddle was at last detected. The
story of his last matrimonial ventur,
and exposure runs about in this way
Early last summer there came to the
thriving little village of Middletown, il
Wayne County, a finely clad individual
who made great pretenses to wealth
and who concluded to stay with the
Middletownians and engage in business
He represented himself to be 8
successful mining Spectator from
California, and astonished his
new associates with his lavish
display of the gold that glitters,
mining stocks, etc. He became &C.
qualnted with wealthy widow, a Mrs.
oummers, and at once began q sys-
tematic and persistent, and, as it
proved, successful courtship They
were married on the 23rd of November
last. Before the honeymoon was
fairly begun, the lady's friends began
to wonder why this wealthy Waddell
should SO eagerly seek to convert the
lady's chooses in action into cash and
into his own possession. And when at
last, after having gained her slow con-
sent, he offered some of her real estate
at price below its market value, their
suspicious were excited, and inquiry
followed suspicion. AS has been before
stated, Waddell came to Indianapolis
with his wife, and pretended to be on
the lookout for real estate specula-
ton. He told his wife that he had pur-
chased some lots, and that he would
pay half Of the purchase money and
she the other half. Through the rep
RESERVATIONS of a stranger, evidently
Waddell's accomplice, she advanced
81 600 toward the purchase of the lots.
While the newly-married pair were
here engaged in their real estate specu-
latlons, some one visiting Middle
town, on hearing of the Wad-
dell marriage, suggested that this
Waddell's real name was VIII
lis, and that he lived at Straughn's Sta
ton. Thither went at once Mrs. Sum-
mers' brother and learned that the sug.
gestlon was certainty, and that
Charles Waddell was Charles Waddell
Willis, and that he had divers and sum
dry wives, one among whom was q rich
lady living near Indianapolis. When
Waddell returned to Middletown from
Indianapolis ne was confronted by evil
dence of his rsscality, acknowledged
the soft impeachment and disgorged
nearly all of the property he had in his
possession belonging to Mrs. Summers.
The most unaccountable thing. how
ever, Is that the good people of Middle
town should have let the scoundrel get
away. He did, however, quickly de-
part. and probably by this time is en-
gagged in another courtship. This Wad-
dells's or Willis family at Straughn's
Station are said to be Of the highest re-
spectability. Mrs. Summers is lady
highly respected in Middletown, and is,
or was, the widow Of the late DR.. Sum
mers. She loses by the Vaccinations
of this scoundrel Waddell some $4,000.