Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-07-09
MAJOR NICKERSON'S AMOURs.
The Second Wife Tells Her Story in a
Legal Fight Over a House.

" ASHINGTON, July THE case of
Emma c. D. Nickerson against Major
NickersOn, W. B. Matthews and Lena
Dlllls Carter Nickerson, was before the
Equity Court to-day. In this case suit
was brought for the appointment of a re-
celYer to take the rents of house No. :.
Dupont Circle, and for an Injunction to
prevent the sale or other disposition of
the property pending a hearing. A tenn
porarY restraining order had been issued.
and the motion before the court to-day
was whether this should be dissolved
or made permanent. Lena d. Carter
filed a long affidavit in answer
to the original bill, accompanied bv
the atidavits of several other persons.
corrObOrating the main allegations. In
her answer, she declares at the outset
That from March 3lst last, the date on
which the Philadelphia court granted
Major NickersOn a divorce. until june
9TH, when the divorce was annulled, the
complainant was not the lawful wife of
Major NickersOn. She relates how her
mother rented a portion of Major Nicker-
sons house, Major NickerSon retaining
two rooms and boarding with the family.
She declares that she never went out
with him alone, refers to the complain
times between the first of September, 1882,
and the third day of April, 1888, commit
ted adultery with the defendant. Major
Nlckerson, and declares them willfully
and maliciOuSly false, and saws that they
exhibit a reYengeful malice on the part
OF the complainant toward the affiant.
who, believing and cOntiding in the same
man IN whom the complainant believed
and cOntided, and with whom she lived
for nearly ten years, having in all that
time trust, belief and confidence in him,
has been equally deceived with the com
plalnant by the fraud and deception prac-
ticed by Major Nickerson on the affiant as
well as the complainant, and the affiant has
suffered, still suffers, and during her whole
life will suffer more than the complainant
from the fraud and deceit. She relates
the circumstances Of her marriage with
Major NickersOn, that he showed her a
certificate of the decree of divorce and
urged her to marry him Immediately,
that he was going West and she must
marry HIM at once, because when the
divorce was made public her family
would never consent to it. On April 3.
1888, she met Major Nickerson at a drug
store, they went to Baltimore, and were
married. AS soon as the affiant became
convinced that there was doubt as
to the prOpriety or legality of
the divorce proceedings she
Informed Major NickersOn that thev must
separate until the matter was decided by
the court, and if the court declared the
divorce proceedings irregular the sepa-
ration must be final. On the Both of NAV
last he removed his trunks from her house
and has not stayed in the house since. The
atfiant again denies charges of adultery.
She relates the circumstances of the trans
fer of his property to her and admits that
she was most imprOvident and indiscreet
and acted improperly in consenting to
marry Major NickersOn so soon after his
divorce and without the knowledge of her
family, that she accepted the prop
erty in good faith, because
being married in good faith he was NOR
ally bound to provide for her, that it was
small step toward reparation for the
injury he had done her, and because she
was advised and is still advised that the |
complainant had and has no right therein. |
She again denies having been guilty of |
adultery and submits that it is enough |
that her whole life has been blighted, her |
peace destroyed and she and her family |
made wretched, that at a time when she |
was watching the last moments of adying |
sister, the complainant and her friends |
were spreading broadcast through |
out the public press ISLANDERS |
and falsehOOds against her. She further !
submits that if Major NickersOn was able |
to deceive person of the mature age of |
the complainant, who had lived with him |
as his wife for ten years, if he was able |
to deceive his counsel in Philadel- |
phia, was it improbable that he |
could and did deceive the affiant, who is |
young enough to be his daughter. The |
will be heard Monday.