The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-06-12
THE NICKERSON SCANDAL.
The Equivocal Position in Which the Second
Wife Is Held.

Philadelphia Record.
The person who is placed in a very equivo-
cal position by the annulment of the decree
is the woman TO whom Major Nickerson was
welded after he broke his first matrimonial
Carter, who moved in the best society in
Baltimore She was a woman of graceful
form and attractive social accomplishment s
and had frequently been the recipient OF fat
tering offers. Her alliance with the majo
did not result in the social advancement
which had been calculated upon. An attempt
was made by her husband to introduce her
into the circle in which he had moved in
Washington before his separation from his
first wife, but the gilded aristocracy of the
capital gave her the cold shoulder and con-
signed her at once to Coventry. The strangest
part of the whole affair is the apparent abb
sence of any motive for the desire of Major
Nickerson to Sc parate himself from his first
wife. Mrs. Nickerson possesses unus-
ual charms for a woman of forty
years. She has also more than an average
amount of refinement, and was we'll received
in Washington society She was a frequent
guest of General Sherman and his family,
and husband and wife often formed part of
the most fashionable gatherings. Even to
his lawyers Major Nickerson has vouchsafed
no reason for his peculiar conduct. While
under cross-examination, last week. Mrs.
Nickerson admitted that just before her de-
parture for Europe she threatened, while
in pet" to leave her husband and go to rel
atives in Weimar, Germany. 1t was devel-
oped in the testimony, however that Maj or
NiCkerson purchased the tickets for her pas
sage in the German steamer Dorian, accom-
panied her to New York and, after remain
ing with her one night at the st. Denis
Hotel, took her aboard the ship on the fol-
lowing day, babe her goodbye in the most
affectionate manner, and as the vessel cast
loose from the moorngs threw her bouquet
from the wharves. He had previously intro
duced himself to a gentleman on board the
Dorian, and after presenting the stranger to
his wife, requested him to look after her
little on the voyage He obtained for her,
before leaving Washington, a passport from
the State Department and a letter from the
Acting Secretary of State, addressed to the
diplomatic and consular officers of the
United States in Europe officially commend
ing her to their protection and courteous at
tention.
Major Nickerson was present one day at
the taking OF dispositions at the office of At
orney-at-law George w. Biddle, but since
then his lawyers have had no knowledge of
his whereabouts He will now be compelled
to provide for Mrs. Nickerson and her child.
He owns house in Washington valued at
$4,000 and the annulment of the decree of
divorce restores to the wife all her rights
and interest in the property. An intimate
friend of the Major said yesterday that when
the decision of the court was made known to
him sit broke him all up" for it was totally
unexpected. He fondly imagined that the
matter would be compromised by his first
wife Withdrawing the application to set aside
the decree. Though he intensely regrets the
annulment of the decree, he evinces more
fear of the forthcoming trial by court mar
tial and his ultimate cashiering from the
army. Efforts made in Washington, yester-
day, to find any trace of Major Nickerson
were fruitless, and the Secretary of War in
structed the paymaster.general to withhold
his pay as a retired army officer.