Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-11-16
Revival Of q Mystery.

COL. BABcoCK's ALLEGED MARRIAGE AND HIS
UNEXPLAINED MURDER.
Chicago Special to the n Y Herald
The great mystery Of many months past in
Chicago has been the identity Of the woman
who killed Col Walter s. Babcock, the wealthy
lumberman, and whether he was married or
not. BabcOck went to Gardner, small town a
few miles from Chicago, to see woman named
Sarah Dodge. While ct her home he was mys-
teriously shot, and died few days afterward
at the house of his brother here This was
year ago last August. Miss Dodge was ar
rested, but nothing could be proven against
her, and she was released. A woman named
Naomi Pairchild, sixty years of age, and almost
old enough to be Babcook's mother, began pro-
ceedings three months ago to obtain a portion
OF the dead mans property, claiming that she
was his widow.
ALLEGED ADMISSION OF MARRIAaR.
1t was always understood that Babcock was
unmarried, but to-day q woman named ga
mantha F. Willett, Of No. 1854 Butterfeld street,
was put on the stand in Judge Nickerbocksrs
court, who swore Babcock nine or ten years
ago had told her he was married to Mrs. Fair
child, though he had never lived with her.
Mrs. Farchlld, whose memory is not very
good, says she and Baboock were married Oc-
tobe 2, 1871, near midnight, by Rev. w, II.
Burns, now pastor Of the North Halsted street
Methodist church. She had $4,000 or 30 at
TIC Siiucy DdDcOCk TOOK, 6n0 says, and
she has not seen 1t or any part Of il since.
Mrs. Wiilett said Col. Babcock told her he had
put this money into his lumber business
The Rev. Mr.. Burns on the stand to-day re-
membered having married the claimant in q
house somewhere near Wabash avenue and 18th
street, at about II p. M, one or two evenings
before the great fire, to q man whose name he
believed was BabcOck. Since Mrs. Farchild
had applied to him he had refreshed his memo
~ as much as possible, and made every effort,
but in vain, to find the church records Of that
time and record OF the return Of the license.
photograph Of Babcock, he thought, but
could not swear, was that Of the man to whom
he married Mrs. Fairchild. He said he was
taken to the house where he performed the
ceremony by the groom and Samuel Gettings.
and Mr.. Bland, whom he met by appointment
on State street. He would not swear positive
ly, however, that the parties were Col Babcock
and Mrs. Fairchild.
STRANGE MARRIAGE
That is all the light this clerical witness
threw upon the strange midnight marriage
when the aged bride, too i'll to stand lay ON
| lounge while the preacher pronounced the
words which, as she declares. made her BABE
cocks wife. She says she did not know that
10 take her out riding the night the ceremony
was performed. He frequently took her out
| riding, and often asked her to marry him. but
she said she had refused him because she was
an invalid. She had known Babcock for many
years in Milwaukee before her first husband
whom she married in 1847, died.
THE MYSTERIOUS MURDER
Miss Dodge, the woman in whose house Bab-
cock WAS shot, now lives in Meade county, Kan,
and will not hold communication with any one
She will not talk Of the murder at all Mrs
Fairchild has intimated that Babcock was shot
| by some woman who followed him from Chi
cago, called him to the door OF the Dodge
woman's house and fired the bullet that caused
Ms death and she has limited that the muir
deress Is woman in good social standing.
hving in the southern part of the city Bah
COX seemed to have great attraction toward
women. Though his friends thought him a man
! OF most exemplary life Mrs. Fairchild said
babcock told her he would recognize her as
ms wife as soon as he had sown his wild oats
Crowded. Rooms and Cholera