The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-05-09
THE MUCH MARRIED MAN.
Mason, the Husband of Two Women
Interviews a Reporter for the
Argus.-His Statement.

Are you the ARGUS reporter enquired
a fine looking gentleman of the scribe last
evening. Sizing the gentleman up and
looking for a soft spot to fall on, we
replied that we were.
my name is Mason, you have seen me
| once or twice, believe" said the gentle
man. OF course we had seen him, and
! told him so: You were somewhat mis-
taken in your article about me and the
woman who claimed to be my wife the
other day. You got about all the main
facts-in fact all that was necessary for
you to know, but still you made one or
two statements that were not exactly true.
For instance, you said l was married
before | married the woman was not.
II she told you that, and guess she did,
| she told what was not true. Twas only a
mere boy, nineteen years old, when met
the woman, and as I thought, married
her. She was many years my senior.
was enamored of her, and she persuaded
me to marry her After we had been living
together for SIX or seven years,
| found she was not divorced from her
husband, consequently was not her hus-
band. We had two children. What was
| to doS did not wish to proclaim to the
world the fact that the woman called nv
wife was ho wife to me, only in name. l
did not wish to publish to the world the
fact that my children were illegitimate, so
lived on with her. We had a daughter
about grown 10 womanhood was de
sirious that she should keep good COM
pany, but her mother did not seem to
care whether she kept good company or
not. This was the cause of bitter quar-
rel on our part. This first quarrel led to
other quarrels, and finally, finding that
could not live with her in peace.
I left her and came to your beautiful city.
and while here met young lady very
respectable lady. too, and married her, as
I certainly had Alright to do When was
informed by your chief of police that I
was wanted on charge of bigamy, went
along with him quietly, knowing that |
was not criminal, neither in the sight of
the law, God or man | went 10 lawyer
in this city, it is not necessary to tell who,
Che went to see City Attorney Corbett we
are informed and he told me that could
not be convicted of bigamy, although
had acted in foolish manner, in manner
that he heartily condemned, but that in
no sense was criminal I mean to
help support my children, also their
mother, although / still mean to cleave
to my rightful wife, whom | esteem
very highly. She knows all about
this matter, snd she does not bla me
me, nor can you. for meant to do what
was right, and did it to the best of nv
knowledge. hope you will print what
lhave told you, for l think it is no more
than right that you give my side of the
story as you did the other side"
We told him we would do so, and when
he reads this tonight he will know that
the word of newspaper man Is as good
as any mans word. As We have said
before, this is one of the most peculiar
cases that We have ever met with, and all
the parties in it are more to be pitied
than blamed. 1t is mans fault, also
womsn's, too, for that matter, to err and
We are inclined to think that this has been
more of mistake-a sad mistake-than
| desire to commit sin.