Daily Republican., 1879-12-04
THIRD EDITION.
TuE powE,.L DIFFICULTY
Two wives In the Case-The Pro.
perty OF Mr.. POWELL Given to the
FIRST Wife's Children-The Last
Wife and enid Left Pcnniless.

The new developments that have
grown out OF the marital relationship
that existed between Mr.. George W.
Powell and his reputed wife have as
sumed auite romantic feature. The
main facts in the case were in our pos
session yesterday but We RETAINED from
their publication because of several
inaccuracies which could not be cor
reeted pntil this morning.
Upon calling upon several parties we
learned the correct account relating to
the marriage. sour citizens wellknoW
Mr.. Powell died of hydrophobia il the
,sarlv part of October. Atew days after
the funeral in this city letters of admin
istration on his estate were granted to
MIR. Charles n. Clifton, a son OF the re-
puted wife of Mr.. Powell by a former
marfiageiMr. Clifton served twoor three
weeks when he was removed on his own
petition. 1t was after his removal that
Two strangers alleging to be children
Of Mr.. Powell by aformer marriage, ,coh-
tracted in England came to this city
from Pittsburg.
They secured the services OF Henry C..
Conrad, ESQ, and laid the claim, sup
plemented by several incontrovertible
facts, before him. On these Mr.. Conrad
acted. An immediate application was
made to tne Registrar at New Castle,
for letters of administration. As Mr..
Conrad had the legal matter in hand,
it was thought advisable by the claim
ants to have the letters granted to Mr..
Conrad as their administrator.
Mr.. Biggs, the Registrar, would not
grant the letters at that time claiming
that by custom the widow of the de-
cedent had prior right to administer.
But he made rule on Mrs. Powell the
widow to show cause why letters should
not be granted to Mr.. Conrad. On No
v-lnber 18th the rule was heard before
tn. Registrar, and at the hearing Mrs.
Powell produced marriage certificate
dated Pittsbu December 4th, 1862.
John II. Hofiecker, Esq, appeared as
counsel for those against the rule, and
Henry C. Conrad Esq. ,as counsel for the
rule The only testimony adducsd for
those against the rule was the marriage
certificate before stated and the admis-
sion that they had been living together
as man and wife from the signing there
of.
On the other side a certificate was
shown proving that Mr.. Geo. w. Powell
had been married in England to a Miss
Mary Watkins in lS49. Further tfsti-
mony shows that these two had lived
together ten or twelvs years in England;
that Geo. w. Powell had come to Amer
lea in 1861, had returned to England in
few months, and then come again to
America. About the time he came to
America on his second trip it is pre-
sumed ne was married to the second
wife, Miss Rebecca Temple by name,
the certificate being dated Pitts6urg,
1862.
Three years afterward or in 1864
the frst wife came to America to Join
her husband, bringing with her Two
children of Mr.. Powell, Evargeline and
George Henry, the former nine years
old and the latter three years. She
found him in Pi.tsburg, Pa, living
with his second wife. She applied to
him but he refused to join her.
She brought action against him for
bigamy, and his arrest followed pre-
sumabiy on the complaint of his first
wife. MIR. Powell was soon after releas-
ed and escaped, joining his second wife
somewhere in New York, and continu
ing to live with her both in New York
and Philadelphia. About eight years
ago they came and settled in Whining
ton.
After this Mr.. Powells first wife made
no attempt to live With him or obtain
support in any way. She went 10 house
keeping with her two children and con-
tinued to so live until 1877 when her
health failing she went to live with her
daughter who had in the meantime
become married to a mgn named Evans,
and was living at Opolo, Armstrong
county, Pa. Here she died on Noven-
Der llth, 1878.
After her death her daughter informed
Mr.. Powell by registered letters, which
as evidence shows, was received by
hiu, but no com municaton passed be-
tween them. Matters rested in this
way until the daughter accidentally
read of the death of Mr.. Powell in the
newspapers. She wrote at once to re-
lations in this city and a short time
afterwards. in company with her brother
appeared in Wilmington and began
legal proceedings as above stated.
1t comes out in evidence that a
child was born to the reported wife
of Mr. Powell bnt the absence
of material facts raised the
question of the child being an
offspring of Mr.. Powell. Ths mar
rage OF Mr.. Powell with the alleged
wife took place in 1862, and the age
of the child is now II years with his
eighteenth birthday coming in April.
There being statement that there
was divorce existing between Mr..
Powell and his first wife, Mr.. H0lT-cker
counsel for the presumed second wife,
asked for time to search out the mater.
On Monday of last week Mr.. lIofeGkrr
waived all further objection to the
granting Of letters of administration to-
Mr.. Conrad thus virtually disinhert-
ing the relatives in this CITY. The pro-
perty is worth about $5,0 goo.
Mr. Powell made no will. Before bis
sickness he had often been approa he'd
by his relatives who tried to induce !
him to re-marry after the death Of his
first wife which would have validated
the second marriage. This he refused
to do.
Had hs done this the result wopld |
have been different as far as the Mrs.
Powell No. is concel ned hut it would not