San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1881-09-29
FOsfEa's TEN WIVES.
The rhilalsIphis Rival = the Richmond Biss.ist.
from The Phlladelphia Press.

in Lynn, Mass and the arraignmen
Yesterday in Boston OF Arthur Merritt
or Foster, bigamist and forger. with
dozen other names 10 found in the cas-
Of John 81. Foster, who was proof-read
or in this city in 1873, and who hat
been sentenced to o years imprisonment
on October IL, 1876, by Judge Finlettel
on the charge Of Bigamy. SO strikingii,
similar are the two cases that it wouIt
almost seem that Foster and the willy
swindler entrapped on Thursday were
one and the same person. Foster, who
was married in February, 1876, to Laurs
@. Fall, under the name Of John Hogan
by the Rev. w. @. Robinson OF the
Wharton street NJ. E. church, admitted
during the course of his trial to having
been married twice before, but after
serving his term Of imprisonment re-
lated an astonishing story Of his matri.
monial adventures, covering period Of
eighteen years, during which time he
had married no less than ten women-a
fact supported by documentary evi.
dence. Merritt is said to have married
the same number of women.
A CHECKERED CAREER. ~
Foster, or as he then called himself,
Hogan, was born in New York city, and
made his first marriage in Baltimore in
1858, when he was twenty years OF age.
He was an engaging, attractive young
fellow, Of pleasing address, and made
friends rapidly samong all classes OF
people. During the annual fair of the
Maryland institute in Baltimore he
formed the acquaintance of Amelia
Hartman, the daughter of well-to-do
merchant, and after an acquaintance OF
seven months he married her and q
moderate fortune. For three months
everything run smoothly enough, until
Foster, who was an ardent devotee OF
the faro table, began losing heavily,
and his small salary as clerk proving
insufficient to meet the demand of the
"tiger, he was forced to draw on his
wife's fortune in the hope of retrieving
his losses, but discovery followed and
then divorce. The amiable father-in.
law generously gave Foster seventy.fve
dollars to begin life anew, which he did
by emigrating to Augusta, Georgia, in
the autumn of 1860, where he immedi-
ately fell in love with Miss Holmes,
q literary lady of strong secession pro-
clivities, who induced him to join
confederate military company then
forming, and he took part in capturing
The United States arsenal at Augusta.
In March, 1861, he entered into the
welded state second time. After the
fell of Sumter Fosters company was
ordered away to Fort Pulaski. and upon
to Augusta he received an
note to the effect that his
wife had been carrying on desperate
Irritation during his absence with sur
geon in the rebel service. He obtained
leave of absence three days later, when
his company was ordered to Savannah,
and remained at home to verify the
,lander. He alleges to have discovered
enough of his wife's infidelity to justify
him in deserving her. He succeeded in
obtaining furlough and went to Mont
yomery, Ala, and received a challenge
70 mortal combat from the surgeon, but
declined to become tar
get for the doctors bullets and set
about obtaining employment. Thewar
nad just begun and excitement ran high.
was filed with an enthu-
,iastic populace, all anxious to take to
he field to protect their institutions,
out Fosters patriotism had oozed out
Turing the attack on the Georgia State
lrsenal, and he managed, by pretending
o be lame, to be incapacitated for mil
tary service. He obtained letter of
to Howell Cobb and was
,iven clerkship in the commissary de-
,artment.
ANOTHER MARRIAGE.
His fondness for female society
brought him in contact with many
brilliant women, and before he had been
n Montgomery a month he was en-
aged to be married to dashing widow
famed Mrs. Clara Gordon Clayton, the
elict of well-known citizen of Vicks-
'urg, Miss. A brilliant wedding, the
Expense of which was borne by the
rides father, followed, and the pair
a pass through the lines to
Va. where Foster presented
lis credentials and was again installed
s q government clerk under the stars
nd bars. He lived happily with his
bird wife, and when child was born
% determined to abandon his former
ad habits and settle down as a good
itizen. This seemed to have been the
urning point in the mans life. His
1ife died suddenly and the babe fol-
owed her three weeks latter. Foster
IGNORED his third wife's. memory for
hree years. In 1866, when the back
one Of the confederacy seemed to be
roken, Foster was forced to give up
is situation and seek living else
here. He went to Louisville, with a
ew dollars in his pocket, and repre-
ented himself to be man who had lost
is fortune on the result of the war.
thio r,1oa fox,p1 rnopu ovr,pafb, zaro and