Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1877-06-02

Westinghouse on Franklin Avenue, .
portion of which was occupied by John
Gay, river man, and his wife. Gay
was dissipated and improvident, and his
wife sometimes practised the art of for
tune-teiling as means of earning liv-
ing. One day, when Judge Thomas
called to collect the rent of the Gays,
he found Mrs. Gay in tears and COM
planning of sickness. The husband had
sold the furniture and left the wife in
destitute circumstances. Her story
melted the heart of the Judge, and he
took the woman to his house in Bridge
ton, where she remained about month
as a boarder. She returned to the
city, and we next find her living in a
couple of rooms near Heitkamp's Ho-
tel, with her son, Is years of age, as a
companion, and Judge Thomas fire.
quent visitor. The Judge had hired the
rooms and paid the rent, and was in the
habit of passing one or two nights every
week with the lady. Gay, the husband,
did not modest them, If, indeed, he
knew what was going on. After spending
eight or nine months ut this coy retreat,
the lovers removed further down town
A house on Ninth Street was rented Of
Kraft, the baker, and about this time
Gay appeared on the scene. He made
this house his home, and was recognized
as the husband of the woman. Judge
Thomas repeated his visits and was
represented As the uncle of Mrs. Gay.
THE CHILD ROsALIE
k<,- l,A, v...<
ter Of course, Gay was believed by the
neighbOrs to be her father. The lady
made several changes of residence, and
"Uncle Thomas twas always a regular
visitor at every place she moved to.
The birth Of the child, of which he
never doubted that he was the father,
had wonderful effect upon the moral
constitution of the old man. He saw
the error of the course he had for years
been pursuing, and determined to re-
pent and make such PREPARATION As lay
in his power. Gay was dead and out
of the way, and the Judge thought the
best thing he could do was to
MARRY THE WIDOW.
He had all along confided the secret of
his amour to his bosom friend, George
Robinson, of Bridgeton, and he now told
Robinson that for the sake of the child
he would marry the mother. He took
the blushing bride to the Office of JUS
tice Picker, and, in the presence of Rob-
insOn, they were pronounced man and
wife on the 4th of February, 1873. The
old man did not dare to take his bride
home to brave the anger of Miss Polly,
but continued to maintain her in hired
apartments in the city. Matters went
on in this way for year or two, when
one day the Judge was taken sick at his
Bridgeton home, and was thought to be
dying. His wife fastened to Bridgeton,
but when she presented herself to Miss
Polly as the wife of her brother, that
spirited spinster refused to credit the
statement, and would not allow her to
see the sick man. When, however, Miss
Polly had it from Davy's own lips that
he was married man and a father, she
became partially reconciled, and for a
while the parties lived together at the
Bridgeton homestead.
In August, 1874, Judge Thomas died.
He left will, attested by Messrs. Geo.
H. Stelle and d. NJ. Houser, by which
he made ample provision for his sister
May Miss Polly, and gave the bulk of
his estate to his wife and child. The
breaking of this will is the object of the
suit. The plaintiffs are the children and
grandchildren of VIM. Thomas, LrOth-
er of the testator. Miss Polly died
about year after her brother. Mrs.
Thomas is now the wife of DIR. Hinck-
ley.
Considerable evidence was offered on
both sides,and the jury by their verdict
sustained the will. Counsel for plain
tiffs gave notice of an appeal.
Uh H. H.