Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-12-22
ISAAC SINGERS FORTUNE.
SHIT Involving the Many Wives and
Dollars Of the Sewing Machine In
VenrOr.


| vent0r.
| Mr.. David Hawiey has fled in the surrogate q
court of Westchester. White Plains, says the
| New York Sun, accounts and a report of his
work as executor of the will of Isaac NJ. Singer,
| inventor, millionaire, father of twenty four
| children and head of five separate families
MIR. Singers estate was inventoried at about
SS.WO,oo0, but it proved to amount to about
twice that sum. Mr.. Singer was a poor man
when he first intrusted his confidential business
| to Mr.. Hawley, who never gave security for the
faithful performance or his task as executor of
the estate. He could not. and there are not
many persons ia the country who could. All
the heirs have been paid except the children Of
the last of the Mrs. Singer She had six chill
dren. and all except one are living with her in
| Paris That one, Adam Mortimer Singer will
| soon become of age.
| Mr.. Singer was born in Schaghticoke, In New
| York state, and In early manhood lived from
hand to mouth as woOd-turner and general
| mechanic. In 1880 he was married By country
squire to Miss Catharine N. Haley. His first
| Child was born in 1884 Then they lived In
| Waterloo, and he was shftless fellow, capable
OF turning his hand to any sort of work, but not
doing well at anything. He was given to con-
sorting with other women besides his wife.
From New York he started out as strelling
prayer. aiu. III BditiiH0Te one night, saw q
beautiful young woman eighteen years Old. He
became enamOred of her, sought her fathers
house, introduced himself, proposed in time
and was accepted.
This was Mary Ann Sponsler, wife or compan-
ion number two. Singer hurried to New York
to get wife number one and her family out of
the way. and he and she Quarreled and sepa-
rated He brought Mary Ann Sponsler to this
city. and when she insisted that he must marry
her he told her he was in trouble with another
l yUnyn hn hoI f,,cx
and after he got 1t he would have their relation
ship legalized. Miss Sponsler had to share
great deal of poverty with him, even more in
deed. than Mrs. Singer had endured. Miss
SpOnser took lessons to fit herself for the stage,
| and with her husband. under the names of Mr..
| and Mrs. Merritt, played temperance pieces in
churches all over the country. For thirteen
years they followed this life. She called him
father" and he called her wife" They were
wretchedly poor. Everything they had in the
world was In the One-hOrse wagon In which they
wandered about, and time and time again they
had to pawn that and its contents and their
horse, to get food. While they were in Chicago
he invented reaping machine, and later on a
machine for carving type. He began to have
money in consequence. In 1850 he had completed
the inventions that make up the Singer sewing
machine, from which he was in time to accumu-
late the colossal fortune he finally left
behind him. Again he came to New York, and
set up stylish establishment at IA Fifth avenue
The first and only true Mrs. Singer seems then
to have been forgotten. Number two was every
where regarded as the inventors wife Her
visiting cards and invitations to parties that she
gave bore the name Mrs. 1. NJ. Singer She
bore him ten children. Catharine Haley had
borne HIM two children. He used to boast that
boys and girls came alternately to him. He had
a huge and gaudy vehicle capable of seating
twenty-five persons, and in this, with Miss
in the park every day In 1860, twenty -four
years after he had left the first companion of his
poverty. Mrs. Catharine Haley Singer, he got q
divorce from her.
Seven months afterward Miss sponsler, riding
In her own carriage, saw him in his carriage
with Mary Ann McGonigal. She screamed until
he saw her. He came home and beat her and
she had him arrested. Then he went to Europe,
and IN the year that he was away the fact was
revealed that he had been living with two other
women In this city who thought themselves his
only companions at the same time that he was
getting his divorce from his first wife and call
ing Mary Ann Sponsler his second one. Mary
McGonigal, for instance. had borne him five
chiioreh. ne and she lived together as Mr.
and Mrs. Matthews. Miss Mary f. Walter who
lived with him under the name of Merritt. had
added one other child to the list. Mary Ann
Sponsler began suit for divorce and was
awarded $4,000 alimony-then the largest
amount ever obtained. Singer tried to compro-
mise with her. She accepted round sum of
money and the valuable house 1S9 west 3Sth
street. But within a month after she was di-
vorced she had secretly married John E. Foster
She hurt herself by tall from chair, and, be-
daughters of tho marriage. Her daughters hus
band, a Mr.. Proctor. was an officer of the Singer
Company. Mr.. Singer speedily learned about
the wedding and caused his divorced wife to re-
lnquish all claims upon him. and to vacate the
house in 2Sth street, for which he had not yet
given a deed to her. She went to live with
Foster.
On June 49, 1865, seven weeks after number
two had renowned her claims upon him. he was
married in New York to Isabelle Eugene
Boyer. and with her he went to Paris to live
In 1873 he bought nobleman's fine estate in Old
town, Paignton, Devonshre, England, and
began the construction of an enormous castle.
to be called "the wigwam," and to contain a
theater, riding hall .banqueting halls, and all
the conveniences his money commanded. 1t
was not finished when, in July, 1875. he died on
that estate. These were the families he lett
behind him:
BY, Mrs C:tharine Haley Singer (the me-
chanic's wife,:
William A. Singer.
Lillian G. Singer.
BY Mary Ann Sponser Uhe actors wife):
Isaac Augustus.
VOulettic Theresa.
John Albert
Fanny Elizabeth.
Jasper Hamct.
Mary Olive.
Julia Ann.
virginia.
Two others died.
BY Mrs. Matthews 0he wife under an as
sumed nance:
Florence A. Matthew'S
Mary A. Matthews.
Charles A. Matthews.
Two others died.
By Mrs Merritt 0he wife under his middle
name)
Miss a. Alice Merritt, afterward Mrs. La
By Mrs. Isabelle Eugene Singer (the third
legal wife):
Adam Mortimer
Winnaretta Eugene.
Washington Merritt Grant
Paris Eugene.
Isabella Blanche
Franklin Morse.
These last are the only ones not paid They
will get their money as fast as they come of age.
Their mother married baron in Paris and he
has since become the Duke de Camposelice. Ali
her children, except the eldest, lived in Paris
with her. They are worth 81, 100000 EACH
Mr.. Singers will was contested by Mrs. Spons-
Ter Singer, who proved marriage with Singer
from the time he was divorced from Mrs. Haley
Singer until she married Foster-a period of less
than one year. This made her last child Caro-
line Virginia, a legitimate daughter All the
other children by her thus became illegitimate
Her eight children received 81, $50, 600. Mrs.
Matthews five children received about 81, $780,
OOO Mrs. Merritt's child got about $4O0, 600.