Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1884-01-24

OLD HAN PAIGE'S MILLIONS.
A Romance, the Result OF Which Is Pending In
the Law Courts.

several years ago the wife of Simon
range, millionair lumberman, receiv-
ed such injuries in hotel fire at 0sh-
kosh that she died. Mr.. Paige soon
afterward mrrried young woman in
Brooklyn, n Y, and one month there
after killed himself in a Davenport,
(lowa) hotel. At the time of his death
his business affairs were thought to be
hopelessly involved, and there was no
expectation that much would be saved
from his estate. Under the manage
ment of brother of Mr.. Paige, now
resident of Oshkosh, the dead mans
property has appreciated in value, diff
ficulties have been cleared away, assets
previously thought worthless have been
realized upon. and it is found that there
are several millions of dollars to be di.
vided among the heirs,
Coincident with the announcement OF
this fact comes highly colored story
to the effect that the young Mrs. Paige,
the widow is an adventures. 1t is al
legged that her parents were miserably
poor, that she aud her sister once sold
pop and candies in Davenport, Iowa,
and that later on, under the name OF
Pierrepont sisters, they appeared as
ballet girls in Cincinnati. In the fur
ther development of the narrative it is
related that Mary Pierrepont married a
man named Pagan, by whom she had
two children, who deserted her; that
she read in the papers of Mr..
PAIGE widowerhood, and wrote him
letters pretending that she was an ac-
quaintance of his dead wife; that Mr..
Paige finally called on her, presuming
her to be a widow; that they were en-
gagged to be married, and that under
one pretext and another Mrs. Pagan
put him off until she could get di-
vorce from her husband, which fact
was concealed from Paige Having
secured the decree, it is stated, she re-
moved with her mother to Brooklyn,
furnished house on credit, and, an
nouncing her readiness to fulfill her
part OF the compact with Paige, the old
man proceeded to that city and the
wedding took place. He killed him
self thirty days later, owing, as it was
then said, to business troubles, and q
hasty Investigations of his affairs SEEM
ed to warrent the inference that they
were in very depiorable condition.
The attack upon his widow. now made
for the first time, doubtless has some
connection with the discovery that there
is a million or so of dollars rightfully
belonging to her.
The story of Mr.. Paige's relatives has
gained wide circulation and will no
doubt be generally believed. 1t has
been put in sensational and there
fore an attractive form. Showing the
rise of ballet girl to be the wife of a
millionaire, it reads like romance
The allegation that she accomplished it
all through trickery gives the narrative
plot. AS the case stands it may be
zald to look rather dubious for the
young widow, but it should be remem-
bered that but one side of the story has
been told-that of the interested parties.
Paige's relatives will undertake to de-
prive her of any interest in the estate
by showing that she was never legally
divorsed from Pagan. If they fail in
that, as they probably will, for they
admit that she has properly certified
decree, they will have gone into the
newspaper sensation business to no
profit. The pop peddler, the ballet
girl, the grass widow, of whom they
speak so contemptuously, was never
theless the lawful wife of Simon Paige,
and. if he left anything, she is entitled
to her share and will get it. The
whole affair looks on its face like a
very mean attack on woman for self
fish purposes.