St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-03-01
JUDGE NETHAWAY,s SAY.
Rich Said TO Have Been Unfortunately
Jealous OF His Wife.

John G. Nethaway, judge of the muni-
cipal court at Saltwater formerly of Cobles-
kill, n. Y, and well acquainted with all
the parties concerned in the murder and
suicide, came to st. Paul yesterday imme-
diately after reading the GLOBES account
of the affair. Judge Nethaway was seen at
the Astoria hotel yesterday afternoon where
he had gone to see DR.. Gale. and talked
very freely with GLOBE reporter concern
ing the two victims of the crime, the fam
lily of Mrs. Rich and the history of DR..
Gale. Judge Nethaway resided at Cobles-
vile for many years, and knew Mrs. Rich
from childhood. He has been in the Yves
since 1873, but has made frequent visits to
the East, his father now being resident of
Albany. The judges interesting account
is as follows:
1 have known Mrs. Rich, the dead woman,
from the time she was q child, and / knew
her whole family. The last time / saw her
alive was in 49, at Cobleskin. Her history
published in the GLOBE this morning and re-
lated by DR.. Gale, is very correct. Mrs. Rich
was the daughter of Henry Smith, who was
one of the most prominent attorneys in New
York state, and was a very intelligent ledy of
very friendly, affable and pleasant d sposi-
ton, q good conversationalist and of consid-
cradle experience in society. Her fathers
wealth and position and her own attractive
ness placed ler III Lu0 very DeSL society OF
Albany. After her divorce from Trimble, which
was obtained for her by her father in a quiet
way, she met Rich in New York city and was
married TO him there. BY the way, Trimble
does not live in Cobleskill. as stated in the
GLOBE, but in Albany, where he was for
merly the manager of the Trimble opera
house, which is now the Leland. Mrs. Rich,
so far as j knew before / came West. pos
sessed good reputation for chastity, she
was very fond of society and mingled
much in it. OF course she was what is
| called q grass widow when she
married Rich, but never heard anything bad
about her. l had known Rich six or seven
years. but not intimately. Since / have
known him he was clerk in q hardware store
at Cobleskill for Col Ferguson, and he was
dependent on his wife and her relatives for
situations. When 1 was there in 1883 / dis
covered, both from observation and report,
that he was OF
VERY JEALOUS DISPOSITION.
he would follow his wife around on the
streets and would stand on the steps of the
store and watch her. About a weeek after
DIR. Gale and Mrs. Rich left Cobleskill re-
celved from my father copy of the Albany
Evening Journal containing an acco INT of
| their eiopement, and have also received let
ters from my father saying that Rich was
very much agitated over the affair, and that
be was hunting them high and low. NV
father was an intimate fliend of Mrs. Ric,is
father. i also received COPY OF the Cobles-
kill Index containing the announcement that
Miss Shaver had seen them in a Photograph
gallery in st. Paul, corresponding exactly 10
the account of the clue in this mornings
| GLOBE. Mrs. Rich's father, as stated. was
| one of the most prominent lawyers in the
state and was the law partner of Nathaniel a.
Moak the well-known legal writer. Smith
was attorney for the Delaware g. Hudson Ca.
nal Railroad; he was employed in the Tilton.
Beecher trial and was leading attorney for
the state in the impeachment case of De Wit,
Q. Ellis, canal commissioner, about 1871. Hs