The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-01-16
STRANGE DISCOVERY.
TWO COMPANIONS IN INFELIcITY.
Unfortunate Matrimonial Complications
A Blgamous Teutonlc Female.
IN. Y, Herald

two men, total strangers to each other,
who casually met there, made the start
ling discovery, few evenings ago, that
both were married to the same woman.
The men were Louis Tiemer, sailor, and
John Frederick Meier, a butcher. Tiemer
was sitting in the saloon drinking at q
table when friend Of his introduced the
butcher to him. At first the conversation
was about Germany, from which country
both men had come to America when they
were boys. Then they talked about what
they had done in the United States and
how each had prospered. In speaking Of
his past Tiemer said his greatest regret
was an unfortunate marriage, contracted
twelve years ago. He had lived with his
wife just four months, he said, and was
then forced by her loose conduct to leave
her.
"That is strange" said Meier. 81, too,
was unhappily married about three years
ago, and could only endure my wife two
months. We then divided our household
effects and have since lived apart.n
The two newly made friends, becoming
sympathetic by their mutually unfortunate
marital experiences, drank together, and
Tiemer said: "By the way, Mr.. Meier,
what was the name Of your wifep
"Sophie Otte," replied Meier.
"Whatp cried Tiemer, "Sophie Ottesn
"Yes, Sophie otte; do you know herp
"Do II Why, that was the name Of my
wife,"
at wasp exclaimed Meier, in astonish.
ment "Did you ever get divorce from
her"
"No; she is still my wife,"
"Then, Mr.. Tiemer," said Meier, "as
she married you twelve years ago and me
three years ago, she must be guilty of big
amy. She never told me she had hus-
band. We ought to punish her.
To this Mr.. Tiemer agreed, and In his
complaint yesterday Polce-Justice Smith
granted warrant for the woman's arrest.
Roundsman Cruise found her living as a
domestic at No. 90 Elizabeth street. She
was afterward confronted by two angry
looking men in the Tombs Police Court,
each Of whom swore she was his wife.
Two marriage certificates were produced,
the husbands having obtained copies OF
them from the Bureau of Vital Statistics.
The first certificate was dated June 7,
1871, and stated that Sophie 0tte, single,
twenty-eight years old, Of 217 William
street, was married by Rev. J. f. Busche
to Louis Tiemer, sailor, Of No. 21s Will
lam street.
According to the second certificate Sophie
Otte, single, Of No. 298 Mott street, was
married on February s, 1880, by Rev.
Francis ]. Schneider, TO John Frederick
Meier, butcher, of No. 0S James street.
Miss Otte, 1t seems, had In the nine years
grown only four years older, for her age
at the last marriage was given by her as
thirty-two years. Justice Smith charitably
remarked that perhaps the coldness Of the
winter Of 1880 would account for the con-
traction In the woman's age. She said
yesterday she was forty years old.
As the prisoner, who is short, ordinary.
looking German woman, of obviously un.
certain age, answered the questions of the
court, Tiemer, who is tall and swarthy,
glared at her, and Meier, a thick-set, jolly.
looking man, curled his lip and breathed
hard. The woman admitted having mar.
ried both men. She thought, however,
that she was divorced from Temer when
she took Meier for q husband. She had
gone TO lawyer with Tiemer, and both
had signed what she supposed was a di.
vorce. The lawyer, Miss Otte (as she
called herselD thought. gave them TO un.
derstand that they were no longer husband
and wife. This story was denied by ITEM
er, who asserted that he had never been
divorced in any way from the woman;
they had simply separated without cere.
mony. But Meier said he had been to
lawyers Office with his wife and had
signed paper with her which set forth
their determination to live apart and the
conditions under which they were to sep
arate. 1t was only a written agreement,
Meier said, and was not understood to be
a divorce.
This mixing up Of the husbands, as to
which Of them had gone through the al.
legged proceedings with her in the lawyers
office, completed the woman's confusion.
She could only murmur that she had the
divorce at home and would go there for it.
Justice Smith told her she would have TO
send for the important paper, as she was
held In one thousand dollars bail for big.
amy. The examination was set down for
this morning, and the woman was taken
TO jail. Tiemer and Meier have become
close friends. They left the courtroom
arm.in-arm.