The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1881-09-08
FOSTERS TEN WIVES.

-.Te-sEga EN- y EN- w v OSO er
Tyse Philadolphia Rival Of tho Richmond
B1G1mist-HOw He cOurtsd His Numerous
Partners In Various Sections Of the Coun-
ty-Is He the Man Recently Arrested?
From the Philadelph,a Press.
A most remarkable coincidence in con-
rnection with the arrest on Thursday in
Lynn, Mass, and the arraignment yester-
day in Boston Of Arthur Merritt or Foster,
the bigamist and forger, WITH y dozen other
names, is found in the case OF John d. Fos-
ter. who was a proof reader in this city IN
1873, and who had been sentenced to q
.yeaIs i"mprisonment on Octol er II, 1870
by Judge Finletter on the charhe OF bigamy.
so strickingly similar are the two cases
chat it would almost seem that Foster and
sthe willy swindler entrapped on Thursday
we're one and the same person. Foster who
was married in February, 1875, to Laura ..
Fall, under the name, of John Hogan, by
the Rev. w. C. Robinson of the Warton-
street NJ. E. church. admitted during the
course of his trial to having been married
twice before, but after serving his term OF
I'm risonment related al astonishing story
of his matrimonial adventures, covering a
period o. eighteen years, during which time
lie had married no less than ten women-as
net supported by documentary evidence.
-AAASAA 10 ooAN w ASsS
number Of women.
~ A CHECKERED CAREER. -u.
Foster, or a !; he then called himself, Ho-
gan. Was born in New York city, and made
bis first marriage in Baltimore in 1858, when
ha Was 20 years Of age He was an engag-
ing, attractive young fellow, of pleasing
address, and made friends rapidly among
all classes Of people. During the annual
fuir OF the Maryland institution in Balti-
more he formed the acquaintance OF Amelia
Hartman, the daughter of q wel-to-do
Merc uant, and after an acquaintance OF
seven months he married her and a moder-
ate fortune. For three months everything
smoothly enough, until Foster, who
~uas au ardent devUtee of the faro table,
began losing heavily, and his small salary
asa clelk proving insufficient to meet the de-
mands~ Of the tiger, " he was forced to draw
ON his wite's fortune in the hope OF. retrieving
his losses, but discovery followed, and
then divorce. The amiable fa~ther-in-law
generously gave Foster $75 to begin life
anew, which~he did by emlgratlng to
Augusta, Georgia, in the autumn OF 1850,
where he Immediately fell in love with q
Miss Holmes, a literary ledy Of strong Sc
+ce8sNn procliyities, who induded him to
Join . confederate military company then
forming, aud he took part in capturing the
United States arsenel at Augusta. In
March, 1861, he entered into the welded
state second time. After the fall OF
Sumter Fosters company was Odered
away to Fort Pulaski, and upon reasurning
to Augusta he received an anonymous
note to the effect that his wife had bee1i
carrying on q desperate filtration during
his absence with a, surgeon in the rebel
service. He obtained a leave of absence
three days later when his company was
or1arad RI .I Savannah d and f- " ra.
manned at home to verify the
Islander. He alleges to have discovered
enough Of mis- wife's %infdelity to justify
thim in deserving her. He succeeded IN OBJ
staanlng q furlough and went to Montgomery,
Alabama, and received a challenge to NOR
GaI combat from the surgeon, but respect
fully declined to become a target for the
doctors bullets and sc; about obtaining
employment. The war had just begun and
sthe excitement ran high, Montgomery was
Nflied with an enthusiastic populace, all
anxious to take the field to protect theil
institutions. but Fosters patriotism had
oozed out during the attack on the Georgia
state arsenal, and he managed, by pretend
ing to be lame. to be incapacitated for mill
tary service. He obtained q letter of intro
duction to Howell COBB and was given
cIerkship in the commissary department.
ANOTHER MARRIAGE.
His fondness for female society brough
him in contact with many brilliant women
and before he had benin Montgomery
asnonth he was engaged to be married to
+dxshing widow named Mrs. CLARA Gordol
Clayton. the reict OF a well-known citize]
Of Vicksburg, MISS. A brilliant wedding
the expense of which was borne by tn
brides father. followed. and the pal
obtained a pass through the lines to Rich
.mond, Va, where Foster presented hi
credentials and was again installed as
government clerk under the stars and bars
He lived happily with his third wife, an
when Il child was born he determined t
abandon his former bad habits an
settle down as a good citizen. Thi
seems to have been the turning point in hi
mans life. His wife died suddenly an
cfae babe followed her three weeks late
Foster honored his third wife's memory fc
three years. In 1865. when the backbor
OF the confederacy seemed to be broker
Foster was forced to give up his situatio
and seek a living elsewhere. He went
louisville, with a few dollars in his poke
and represented himself to be a man WI
hal l. st his fortune on the result of Il
war. The plea found many sympathizel
aud offers OF assistance were numerou
Foster was then a handsome man and flour
no difficulty in gaining entrance into Il
best society. One Of his newly-four
extends volunteered to introduce hi
to a maiden lady named Sarah Campbe
of IS years. who was estimated to
worth $50, 900, and who had been anglil
FOR a husband for years. Foster jumped
the idea of betteriug his fortunes, and
introduction followed. A four mont
scourtship and the bigamist and widow
had entered upon his fourth alliance. ]
obtained position IN a banking house al
salary of 1925 per month, aud the brid'
father furnished aluxuriant home for t
newly-wedded pair. and after a bridal to
ahro ugh the western states they settl
down to enjoy life. Again did Foste
EAST. for the gaming table assert itself, a
before six months of welded life he was
debt to tn extent Of $4,7OO. To satli
lhis creditors Foster, as in o former ca
made heavy drafts on his wife's purse, a
q quarrel ensued, during which she accus
him of having married her for money. !!
scamp cody acknowledged thesfact, and
divorce followed shortly after. Eos
compromised with his creditor, and, wit
capital of 50, 100, started for Cincinns
where in five days he squandered $1,000
the card-tabls and then began heire
hunting.
# 80. - ia - Ny EL q L n an ALI -.