Morning journal and courier., 1885-10-12
A SOCIAL SENSATION

I'm Washington County, New York
 State-Nr. Welles Formerly a Resi-
 dent On St. John treet, This City
 His Wife And Marital Infelicity.
 The New York papers of yesterday chron-
 icle social sensation in Cambridge, Wash ington county, New York State, the parties
 being MT. and Mrs. Harry B. Welles. They
 went to Cambridge from New York. MT. Welles is a nephew of the late Gideon Welles
 of Hartford, Ct., the well known ex-secreta- ry of the United States navy. Young MT.
 Welles received quite legacy from him, and
 resided when quite young man with his
 mother, who was dressmaker, at No. 139
 St. John street, in this city. He, after get
 ting his money, went west. This was ten years ago or more. He went out with the Hayden surveying party and few years ago returned and visited this city and some of
 the local papers contained lenghty detailed
 accounts of his experiences and adventures ip
 the 'EWild West" Yesterdays New York
 Times gives the following:
 Welles represented himself to be nephew
 of the late Gideon Welles, of Connecticut,
 from whom he said he inherited fortune.
 He bought the most costly dwelling in the
 town, paying for it $25, 900. Last Monday
 night this building was totally destroyed by
 fire. Welles published a notice in the vil- lage paper yesterday that ''all persons are
 hereby forbidden trusting Mrs. James Fen tress, ir., who has called herself my wife, as
 I shall pay no bills of her contracting after this date"
 The publication of this notice created con-
 sternation in the usually quiet village. The couple had moved freely in society, and had ~sa1~ best people of the county had attended. Al though they made no religious professions they entertained the clergy of all denocnina- tions. At the dedication of St. Patrick's church last summer Father McCanor induced Welles and the woman to subscribe to the memorial windows, which now adorn the edifce as the gifts of MT. and Mrs. H. B. Welles. It is certain that Welles introduced the woman to the community his wife, and that she in that capacity signed 8 mort gage. Welles, who is about thirty years old and looks like sporting man, made a verbal statement concerning his matrimonial experience. He said that while in New York in the month of February, 1884, he made | the acquaintance of a woman who gave her | name as Mrs. James Fentress, jr., who was then working ss bookkeeper on a salary of $7 a week. Welles was given to understand that she was divorced woman, and their acquaintance resulted into proposal of mar riage by Welles. He now alleges that she told him that if he had no objections she | was willing to live with him without any formal marriage ceremony. This proposi- | ton Welles says that he accepted For a while the couple lived in harmony until | Welles began to complain of the womans l bad temper and extravaganza.
 q bore with her," said Welles, "until pa | tience ceased to be virtue, and about six | weeks ago she and had a talk, in which l | informed her that I did not propose to en ! dure such treatment any longer. She prom | ised to do better, but after while noticed | that she became anxious for me to go away l from home. I afterward learned that during | my absence she would invite men to the | house, order up wine and make merry She | went to New York and purchased hundreds | of dollars worth of silk dresses, bric-a-b brac | and things she did not need, and had the | bills sent to me. I made uI my mind that I could not las | long if that continued, and I agair l took her to task. I told her that she mus ! on her own account should take measures | to compel her to leave. She spunked up and ! said she did not care for me and pretendec l to pack her effects. She was apparently about to start when she feigned sickness She was completely prostrated and wanted
 Dr. Hale. We'll, Dr. Hale was called and | treated her. I was not so blind but that could see that her illness was pretsnse, bu
 it prevented her going away. Very
 soon afterward I ascertained that he
 first husband, Fentress, was living
 in the Southwest, and I communicated | with him. He told me that he had left he on account of her unfaithfulness to her mar ! riage vows, and also on account of her com batitiveness. I made arrangements to nee him in New York last week, and did so Il From him procured his marriage certifi cate. They were married in Kentucky. also have in my possession letters which
 with the marriage certificate, will be all tn
 evidence need to rid myself of this woman.
 "On one occasion when ordered her to
 leave, she said she would if would give he 1 $1O,OOO. This I refused to do, and she cam down to $2, ,0O0 told her would give he
 what diamonds she had and $500 in cash
 She refused to accept my offer. I was o1 my way back from New York last Monday