The daily gazette., 1878-07-10
Singers Varied Wedlock.
His o Millions Divided Among
Five WOmen's Children.
ONLY ONE OF THE CLAIMANT WIVES
GETS ANYTHING-rHE MOST NO VEL
OF WILL CONTESTS ENDED AND
THE PRINCIPAL EXECUTOR
OFF FOR EUROPE
WEALTHY INvEN-
TORS vAGA-
RIEs, BTc.,

hSSo ohu uOOP-SCe kidy tytS, uIoSScu ell
tirely In black, soft-crowned hat resting
on abundant snow white hair. He was
evidently an experienced ocean traveller
his luggage being compact and handy TO
carry and stow away. Taking little IN
terest in the throngs on the pier and the
decks, he went direct TO his state room,
and remained there until just before the
steamship swung in the stream. Then
he stood apart from those waving hand
kerchiefs near the bridge, and folding his
arms across his breast, took q last look at
the city, turning his gaze occasionally
far up the river. His coat tails tapped
in the breeze around his thin legs, and
his long white hair danced behind He
paid no attention to anybody, and no.
body apparently paid ary attention to
him. On the passenger list he was des-
ignated as sd. Hawley," and to most of
his fellow voyagers he undoubtedly
would remain only D. Hawley during
the voyage, Yet David Hawley, lawyer,
of Yonkers, although not wealthy man
has distrib ibuted more than $1,000, 600
among twenty-five persons in tho past
two years. As the surviving executor of
the will of Isaac Merritt Singer, the mil
honare inventor of the Singer Sewing
machine, he offered the will for probate,
opposed a contest against 1t, made a sat
isfactory compromise, defended two suits
against him by legatees, settled all ac-
counts agai nst the estate, distributed the
bequests as directed in the will, and re-
Gently filed his final accounting in the
Surrogate's Court In White Plains, Win
chester county.
Still, much remains undone, and he
went abroad on Saturday to finish the
work left him when Isaac Merritt Singer
died. He, better than any one else liv-
ing, is acquainted with the very remark
able story of the lite of Mr.. Singer, some
parts of which was revealed in the con-
test against the will in the fall of 1875,yet
his strai ght-cut lips remain closed, and
probably always will. The most of his
time will be spent in arranging the ac-
counts against the estate inEng iand, valL-
cd at S5, 100, 600, and placing it under the
control of Mr.. Singers last wife or her
representatives. That done, his connec-
ton with most remarkable family COM
phcation will cease.
A connected history Of the peculiar
ritt Singer and those who shared his
bounty has all the elements of a romance.
Twonty-fOur children, who were recog-
nized by him, called him father, and five
women called him husband; yet only two
of the women were legally married to
him, and few of his recognized children
are the legitimate offspring Of his rela-
tions with their mothers. Isaac Merritt
Singer was q native OF the town of Scha-
ghticoke, Rensselaer, county, in N. Y.
In Palmyra, Wayne county, Cstharine
NJ. Haley, whose parents formerly lived
In Collaberg, now known as Croton
Landing, Westchester county, was mar
ried to him in December, 1880 1t was o
ceremonial marriage, the ceremony be-
ing performed by Justice of the Peace
Singer was then wood turner or me-
chanic Of .ome sort. He and his wife
moved to Port Gibson, near Palmyra,
AID In 1884 child was born. They lived
in Waterloo for short time.
Singer WAS shift less, yet capable Of
turning his hand to almost any kind of
work. His intimacy with the female
part of the population was severely COM
mennd UPON, and much sympathy was
OK expressed for his wife. His powers of
imitation made him attractive to the wo-
men, and his ability to drink lard cider
male him boon companion for the
mon. Later he moved to New YORK, and
in 1857 another child was born. He by
thu time neglected steady work and de-
voted his his spare time to ''spouting"
Shakespeare. Soon after coming to New
York he attached himself TO q company
of trolling players, his wife staying In
New York. The actors In their wander
ings vent to Baltimore and remained
bucsE SoNoIhi nOutiBs oiuk0k was nttkaC-
i've. In appearance and impressive With
the gentler Sex. In the audience that at
tended one Of th3 performances was q
has ,dsOrne young woman OF IL. Singer
Jaw hrr aud was attracted. He sought
her out at her EAther's house, represent
i.g hlnseh ~ single man aud a strang-
er. Mary Ann Sponslsr accepted his at
tentions. Singer, after a short aoquaint-
| ancs, asked her to marry him and she
Q, ilseuted. II returned to New York 20
make arrangements and to remove his
family ~ som otl1f place. He had q
quarrel W, th his wits and they separated.
Which was at fault was not known
Each accused the other of unfaithfulness
ant hard words were passed between
tsseui
S.nser Induced Miss Sponsler to follow
ma 10 New York to be married to HIM.
sc arrived IN September, 1885. He al
, Gr.c desired that she sh uld live with
a ,uu but she asked him to fulfil his
. pro5.ise to marry Ter. From time ~
S.n,e IA msde excuses, but finally told
her that he was in difficulty with aIoth-
er woman, who claimed to be- his wife.
He said that he had parted from her.
would never live with her again, aud
Ina, he had good cause for divorce
L. OH htr. Then he asked Miss Sponsle
to live with him as his wife, yin4 tina, /,
1 bbO u tAS uo was dUtc
,..eans. he would take legal M aSures to
i,a rcneved from his wife. Miss Spons-
iar consenCed, and thereafter assum d
tuw ward him the relation of a ife, "wi h
all that the name implies" rs Surrogate
Coffin once suggested 81 gers first
| wife lived with her first child, the Sec
ond being born after tho separation.
Sing still remained wit "a company of
| play rs. MISS Sp, nsler, to assist him,
| took lessons from him. They started on
| fog, ther. and for thi teen years they
Travelled over the country, for time
| playing temperance pieces in churches.
Singers stage name was Merritt (his mid
| dle name), and he was known every
where rs Mr. Merritt, and Miss Sponsler
| as Mrs. Merritt.
To strangers, however, it is said he in
troducedM Miss Sponsler as Mrs. Singer and
spoke of her as his "wife." She usually
| addressed him as "father." They were
very poor. The greater part Of those
thirteent years was spent in abject pow
erty, without local habitation or ade-
quate means of subsistence. They wan