Sacramento daily record-union., 1882-01-16
A BARD CASE.

An account mas SlIeauy DScn gwen VI e-'S
desertion by Dennis Nearny Of his wife and
FIVE children at Oakland. leaving them in q
destitute condition his elopement with
young woman from Vallejo; their arrest at
Bakersfield and return to this city; bis denial
that he had wife at Oakland: the voluntary
return Of the girl with her mother from here
to her home; Nearny's being sent TO Vallejo
for trial ; Mrs. Nearny's coming here after
she had gone to see whether it was really her
husband, and her following him to Vallejo:
Chief Karcher was present when she arrived
there, and after hearing her statement ac-
companied her and her little girl, who IS
about two and a half years old, to the jail
where Nearny was. The Chief states that
when the cell DIOR was opened and the little
girl saw her father, she threw up her hands
in delight and started orun toward him. call
ing him Papa, Papa" but he turned imrne-
diately and walked away to some other prison
ers, and pretended that he did not know
either his wife or little girl and had never
seen them before. Mrs. Nearny was very
much broker-down fron this baseness and
informed the Chief that she had the certih'
cate Of their marriage at her house in Oak
land.
After having the examination set for
Saturday, he paid the deserted wife's fare to
her home, as she is left penniless, and accom-
panied her to procure the certificate of mar
rage as evidence in the case. Arriving at
Oakland they first went to house where
four Of her children had been left during her
absence, and as soon as they saw their
mother they exclaimed, "It is not papa
"Yes, it is," and throwing photo
graph of him down upon table said,
.'There IS is your father" The oldest girl
caught it up and was about to tear it Ia two,
when the Chief stopped her, as it might
be needed hereafter. They then went
TO the place which they call their home.
1t is low, one-room howell, about 10x12 feat
dimensions, and located in the tide marsh.
The Chief described it as the worst looking
specimen of poverty he ever saw for the home
of q man, or the family of man who
made himself as public as Nearny did during
his leadership in that city of the "sandlot
element. The only furnishings in the house
were small cook stove (which she had neatly
blacked), dilapidated small table, and an
old chair without back. Upon one side
of the room was bunk, about five feet wide,
built against the wall, and over it another
about three feet wide These were the Sleep
ing apartments for the seven--betore Nearny
subtracted himself from the number. The en-
tire housekeeping outfit was completed by q
small cupboard on the wall, where were few
dishes.
Upon looking for the marriage certificate
she found it was missing, aud exclaimed as
with new surprise, and as if she had discov
cred deeper plans of his guilt, my husband
has taken that before he left!" She stated,
however, that she could procure evidence of
their marriage by writing to England, and
arrangements to so procure evidence upon the
subject were made.
The Chief then, finding that the family
were destitute Of even morsel of food, gave
them sufficient money to procure the necessi-
ties of the day, and then went, accompanied
by Captain Fletcher, to the Chairman of the
Board Of Supervisors OF the county,
who promised to examine the case
and bring it before the Board to-day. The
Chief then returned to this city, and having
procured warrant for Nearny's arrest for
adultery, sent officer Arlington to Vallejo on
Saturday morning. Nearny was brought be-
fore q magistrate at 10 A. M. FOR examination
upon charge Of bigamy, but was released
upon motion of Assistant District ATTORNEY
Lambert, as there was no evidence of is
having again married. Immediately upon
his being discharged he was arrested by eff er
Arlington for adultery, and brought to this
city for trial, as he came here and put up att
hotel Immediately after their elopement.
birs. Nearny informed Chief Karcher, while
at Oakland. that Nearnv had 100 shares of Cal
ifornia mining stock. When he was brought
here on Saturday evening he was searched
for it, but it was not found, and he claimed
to have left it ct Oakland. Yesterday an
other search was made, and it was found in
his hat under the lining. The shares are
worth about $40 at present. When found
the Chief asked him if he knew what he was
going to do with it, and receiving no reply,
told him he was going to send it to his wife
to buy bread for his children. This made
him very angry. and he replied to the Chief
that if he did he would hold him responsible
and make him suffer the consequences. Mrs.
Nearny says her husband has not purchased
her dress in ten years, and has only let her
have $40 for support of her family in four
months. He is said to be q first-class nachin-
ist, and could have steady employ either
with the railroad or elsewhere, at from So TO
81 per day, and does have such wages when
ever he will work, but that he is constitu-
tionally lazy and prefers sand-lot politics to
labor and devotes his energies accordingly.
He had letter in his possession when ar
rested from Congressman III. F. Page, written
few days since from Washington, by which
it appears that Nearny has been promised
and is expecting through him the appoint
ment of foreman of the Government boiler
works at Mare Island, and in which Nearny
is informed that he (Page) can do nothing for
him until che new Secretary OF the Navy has
been appointed.