The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-20
AN IRREGULAR MARRIAGE.
Alice 0'Keefe Tells the Story of Her
Connection with Ross r. Winans.
Their Life Together, Both in England and in
the United States-Specimen Letters
from the PseudO-Husband.

referee appointed to take testimony in the
divorce suit Of Alice OiKeefe against Mr..
Winans, the Baltimore millionaire, began the
hearing Of the case at his Office on Wall street at
noon to-day. The plaintiff, a handsome woman,
elegantly attired, was accompanied by a younger
sister and a HRS. Thorne, a middle-aged woman,
who is sid to be an important witness for Mrs.
OKeefe- Ex-Judge Porter, counsel for the
plaintiff, was with the ladies. Mr.. Winans, the
defendant, was present with his lawyers. The
parties to the action sat opposite each other, but
Winans gave no sign of recognition, but stroked
his beard nervously from time to time, while his
alleged wife leisurely and gracefully famed her
self. The table of the referee was strewn with
photographs of Winans, taken at various times
in England. On the back Of one picture, where
the defendant appears as a swell, in a loud
Astrakan coat, the following is written: 'To
Miss Sarlfeld, as a help for the remembrance of
Ross r. Winans." On the other is inscribed:
ITO Allie, from Rosy, with the sweetest of
Kisses and 1.-THE best Of $50 from Rosy to
his little devil, Alice"
The first witness examined was the complain
ant. She testified that she first met Mr.. Winans
at the Langham Hotel, in London, in 1871. She
was introduced to him and he sent her gifts Of
books and flowers. She left the hotel soon after
because Mrs. Hunt, by whom she was employed
as a governess, failed to pay her salary. She
subsequently obtained a position in the same
capacity with Lady Dukes, of Lewis, England.
When she departed for Lewis, Winans went to
the depot with her. He told her he was fond of
her, and asked her to correspond with him.
He wrote to her frequently. She came to
London; had lunch and a drive with him.
Winans proposed marriage to her, but she said
she could not wed him, as her mother and family
wers not there. When he asked her a second
time to marry him she consented, but insisted
that the ceremony take place in church. Winans
said he was an American, and that in his country
a church ceremony was not altogether necessary,
and that a man and woman who agreed to live
together were regarded as husband and wife.
He finally induced her to acquiesce, and they
went to the Grosvenor Hotel. in London,
EMMY pledged her to take her as
his wife. She wore the ring on her finger. They
lived at the hotel as man and wife, and she was
known to the servants in the house as his wife.
They then went to Cambridge, where his studies
were not completed. There he called her his
VIE DeTOro the servants ana OCDerS. Inc couple
journeyed back to London, and went thence to
Spa, Germany, where they remained five or six
weeks. Articles shipped to the plaintiff while
at Spa were addressed to Mrs. Winans. The de-
PENDANT spoke of her as his wife, and he
| introduced her to Mr.. Latrobe and to his
(Winans's) own brother as Mrs. Winans.
The plaintiff and defendant came to this country
on the steamer Scotia, which arrived here May
80, 1876. They were booked on the passenger
list as Gross r. Winans and lady" They put
ny az fha RroyoOrt H01Yca uhnrp tho pnSpoOdept
registered in his own handwriting. "R. r. Winans
and wife," Upon her arrival, Mrs. Winans, So
called, found that her mother was living in Chi
cago. She wanted a public wedding, but he de-
INJURED, alleging that his father was very i'll, and
he did not want to break the news of his marriage
to him. The defendant consented to a repetition
| of the ceremony gone through in London, just to
ease her mind. She went to Chicago to see
her mother, while he journeyed to his fathers
| bedside at Baltimore. He wrote to her every
| day while she was in Chicago. They met again
in this city, after an interval of a couple of
weeks, and went to the st. James House, but
fourth street In addition to her wedding ring,
he had given her a ring which he said had be-
| Ionged to his mother. A number of letters from
defendant to plaintiff were here put in evidence.
The following letter was written from Balti-
| more, while plaintiff was in Chicago, June 4, the
day after arriving:
my Own Sweet Ducky-I suppose by this
time my poor little pet is pretty near home.
What a long, tiresome, lonely, dusty, hot jour
ney she must have had. Ny poor little darling,
if you had seen Rossy, as he was going home on
the ferry-boat, you would have pitied him much
more than yourself. He went to the
outside Of the boat, and cried like a
regular baby, and would have been
ashamed of myself If it had not been
because he had been SO good; so l excused my
| self, and tears came as fast as they would, which
was freely, l can tell you. l swear that / regu-
larly boo,hooed so loud that an old niger came
- o~S e%ouoI OF M I orrivad IN po1tironpa
| and found my brother in the station. My sister
| waited in the carriage while Bill and I walked to
the carriage, if you like. My Dear Ducky must
not expect a very long letter if write every
cago as it is here. l am half dead with the heat.
Do you know that / never knew how fond
was of my little devil till now, that | am
| parted from her2 But be at rest; Rosy will not
be away longer than he can possibly help. l am
so anxious for a letter. I hope to goodness l
| shall get one tomorrow. l must get up now for
breakfast. Oh, how lonely it is in this big bed,
all by myself! Well, my little darling, must
say goodbye, with as many kisses as will last
you till tomorrow, and believe me to be your
loving and sad Rosy"
Counsel for plaintiff read the following letter
for all it was worth:
THURSDAY.
my Little Darling-I have received no letter
| ular with the posts. You said some gentleman
| asked you to go to the theater. My dear little
| girl. how in the world did you ever allow your
| self to lose your good sense SO far as to get &C
| auainted so intimately with any of them as to
| give them the right to dare to ask such a thing2
| My God, you ought to have got as mad as hell
! at his presumption, to ask a married lady, on a
short acquaintance at that, such an insolent
question. Have nothing to do with
the damned blackguard, or he will
want to visit your bed, room next
My darling, / can't imagine how you ever al
lowed him to suggest such a thing, and only say
back that you did not feel well enough to go
anywhere. Why. hell, what he must have
thought Of you! Be careful; have little to do
| with my of them. / have no time for more
now, b1e must continue my lecture to- morrow.
| Many, many kisses from your loving old boy.
'RossY.n
Joseph Schoatc, OF counsel for Winans, 10 his
| cross examination, elected the facts that Mrs.