Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-11-16
An EXTRAORDINARY STORY.

The name of the late Henry L. Durant i.
a very familiar one. He was years ago one
of the most eminent lawyers Of Boston. Latcl
he went into business and gained a wide rep
utation us shrewd and very successful mcr
chant. Finally he was the fouudrr of the
famous Wellesley college, to which he gave
prnccly sums in his life and which at hi:
death he made his rcsidulry lcgatcc. Mr.
Dirant was, moreover, a leading member
of the church and rcvvalist OF
power and persuasivcncss. But now
the surprising announcement is made
that his will is to be contested by Il
woman who claims that she was Lis wife
before his marriage with the lady who bears
his name, and who was his co-worker in es.
iabishing the college. The contestant is
Mrs Caroline L. Shelley and she claims a
widows dover for herself and the balance
for her daughter. Mrs. Shelley says that her
maiden name was Caroline L. Kcndrick ;
that she was the daughter Of Boston ply
stefan, and was born in Boston in 1884 that
at an early lge she went nnon the stage up-
der the name Of Clara Moroland, Playing at
the old National theatre 10 Boston, and else
where that in January, 1862, she m-t llr.
Durant, who induced her to 70 to New York
with him, aud that they boarded at the
Astor House as man and wife, after Solemn
~ pledgirg themselves to each other that
while stopping there she Introduced him 10 q
friend us her husband that subsequent
" she lived IN b ston in rooms provided by
MIR. Duraut that her daughter was born at
East Boston in August, 1853 that her fam
liar relations with Mr.. Duruut continued for
several years, and after his marriage with his
acknowledged wilc-which marriage took
place in 1854 ; that in 1850 he visited
with htr in Nova Scotia and there was intro
duced us her husband and that she did
not know he . was married to an
other woman until 1859 that upon making
this discovery she attempted Ito kill Mr..
Duranl with dagger, but he disarmed her :
that he then offered to give her $4,000 to
set her up in business, but she would not
accept it and would not keen the valuable
diamonds he had given her, though some of
them were afterwards gwen to her daughter.
) ,on after she went to New York and met
one Richard Shelley, then n law student, and
married hin oif-haud and lived with him
at different places. On the breaking out of
the war Shelley enlisted in n Kentucky rcgi-
mcn', Subsequently rising to the rank of Col
onel. In 1868 Col. and Mrs. Shelley went to
boston, and there younger sister of Mrs.
Shelley S fell IN love with the Colonel and in.
formed him .! his wifcs relation with Mr..
Duran'' Col. Shelley attempted to kill his
VIE, but the attempt was unsuccessful Tia
lett her, however and when Mrs Sbollev
took some kcepsakcs which she claimed as
icrs' which he had given another wo.
man, Sue was arrested, and she was sen.
fenced to the House of Correction from
winch, however, she was pardoncd before
me expiration of the sentence. Two wears
ialer she WAS divorced from Shelley, and she
says that after that her familiar relations with
MI. Dnrant were resumed for short Time
though she,at that time supposed his marriage
was prior to his acquaintance with herself
She received money from him for her dauab-
Ter until shor, time before his death, and
says she had reason to expect gift of fifty
thousand dollars from him. No such rift
was received, however, and after waiting
some time Mrs. Shelley determined to nc, for
hcrseii' She says: "An investigation was
Instituted, and as result we now have n
copy OF the record, showing conclusively
that Henry +. Durant was married in Bro,l--
lyn' by Rev. Mr.. Van Dyck, on May 90,
iooi' or more than two years after he had
married me. Then for the first time | awoke
to the cruel deceit of which had been the
victim, and saw that was the real wife in.
stead q the mistress With this evidence on
which@o base my claims, propose to es,ab.
lish my daughters legitimacy and secure to
her the property thai is rightful!y hers"
Such is an outline of Mrs. Shclcy's re-
markaole story. Coy. Butler is her lead
Ing counsel, aud he IS SAID to have assured
her that she had a good case. The approacb-
ins trlal promises to be a most sensational
one. i'H"
There is man in Pittsburg 80 fond NJ
nash literature that he won't read anvtbing
Dut powder magazine PHts5uyg Tsls'
graph, ' ANe-
81, Matihew Arnold said, sometime ago, that
nIrVF Ia.