The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-07-10
brown AND HIS WIVES.
How the Champion Bigamist
Has Deceived % Women.
PERSISTENT MRS. BENJAMIN,
Who Tracked Him Until She Landed
Him In Jnil-An Unparalleled
Rccord-A Partial List ofHis
Victims-work of No. 10.

ington Aldrich Brown, the champion
bigamist Of America, il not Of the world
who was arrested In Chicago last Satur
day, will be given his hearing next Fri
day and is now in Jail here where he il
waiting to be tried for the polygamoui
marriage Of Miss May A. Benjamin, o.
this city. Brown has married no less
than twenty-three women, and his Gu
reer is more than remarkable. He has
married young girls and old women,
some OF them with small fortunes and
some who were earning quiet living
some who had never tried matrimony
before and others who were widows.
The curious marital record of Brown is
in many respects unparalleled. He
developed his polygamous tendencies
many years ago, and has pursued mar
riage seemingly as a profession. By in
dustriously plying this unique trade he
has managed to live comfortably, always
having home at his BRIDES expense.
He once fell into the grasp OF the law
and served nine months in u Michigan
Jail for bigamy. The little experience
apparently had no effect upon him, for q
few weeks after he had left prison he
turned up with new wife. It was not
long before he left her and married again,
and he has kept this sort OF thing up
until the time OF his arrest last week in
Chicago.
PARTIAL LIST OF THE VICTIMS.
The police, aided by Miss Benjamin,
who is known as wife No. 10, have been
investigating the names and numbers of
the bigamist's victims. There are sew
eral wives in distant States that have
not been reached yet. Brown is known
to have grass widow in Bangor, Me-,
one in some part Of Massachusetts,, one
in New York, another across the river
in Brooklyn; one in New Jersey and
one in Niagara Falls, n. Y, and others
in different town in the Middle States.
Beginning with No. Is the police are
able to give complete table Of the
wives up to No. %, who is Mrs. Kate
Santelle, OF Chicago, the last matrimo-
nial venture. This is the list from No.
l5 to No. %:
Miss Ida Kelly, who lived on Jefferson
avenue, Detroit, and married Brown in
the fall OF 1885.
Unknown lady OF Muskegon, Mich,
for whose sake Brown forsook Miss
Kelly, and whom he married in Janu.
ary, 1885.
Annie NJ. Hagel, OF Pontiac, Mich,
who married Brown at Pontiac, Jan. 20,
1887.
Miss Belle Burnell, of Aurora, H.,
who was united to the prisoner ut Chi
cago in August, 1887.
May A. benjamin, OF Detroit, who fell
victim OF Browns fascinations Aug.
81, 1887.
Mary Kiel, of Marine City, whom he
met in the latter part of September and
married in October.
Mrs. Robinson, widow with little
fortune, which he ran away with soon
after their wedding in December.
Anna Winters, also Of Detroit, for
whose sake and purse he forsook Mrs.
hODlubOu' 1e uliIIlcu Auuu III hhICui
1883.
Mrs. Kate Santelle, the last Chicago
wife, whom Brown took to Englewood
to live with him. On hearing OF his ac-
tions she shut up her house and took
refuge with friend in the city.
THE TRUE WIFE.
Brown is native OF New York State,
and it is probable that the legal Mrs.
Brown lives in Rochester, with her four
Legitimate children. He is forty.five
years old, OF handsome and intelligent
appearance and stands @ feet . inches in
his stocking feet. After many con-
quests, Brown first attracted the eyes OF
the police in 1885, when he deserted
Miss Ida Kelly, ayoung lady living on
JeffeIson avenue, Detioit. Miss Kelly
discovered that her husband had at
least one wife living, but when she ac-
cused him he fled to Muskegon, where
she traced him, and found him some
months later married to another woman.
Brown was arrested for bigamy and was
taken to Saginaw, where he was tried
and sentenced TO nine months impris-
onment in the penitentiary at Jackson.
On his way to prison he attempted 10
cut his throat with O razor. He sue
ceeded in cutting bad cash on the side
OF his neck, but his life was saved. After
serving his term Brown went TO Pontiac,
Mich, and married Annie NJ. Hagel, with
whom he lived but short time before
his wiie's brother, eighteen years Of age,
discovered his past record. The boy
was mad with rage, and threatened To
kill Brown on sight, but the gay biga.
mist heard OF Hagel's threat and left
town, taking with him about $500 which
belonged to his wife. From Pontiac he
went TO Ohio, and then to Chicago,
where he located just about n year ago
in the family Of D. N. Flanders, a gro
Ger, at 1853 West Madison street. For q
time Brown seemed content with single
blessedness, and boarded in Mr.. Fland,
ers' family. Then he furnished a fiat
and advertised for a house!eeper. From
the applicants for the position he Sc.
lected May Burnell, q handsome girl
from Auburn, III. She had few hun.
dred dollars saved up, but when Brown
muTTIeu LtI, bnICC uu1b lhteIt uG VOOh
charge OF 1t, and five weeks afterwards
he ran away with the money, leaving
his deienseless grass widow behind
She could find no trace OF him and
finally gave up tho search.
PLuCKY LITTLE WOMAN.
In the meantime Brown went back t.
Detroit, and a few days after his arriva
married Mary A. Benjamin, who had /,
neat little dressmaking business. She
supported him well and he lived Will
her several weeks. Then he left anC
Mary found he had taken with him al
her hard-earned savings. Her housC
and stock he had mortgaged, and sh,
was completely ruined. This was whert
the polygamist made serious mistak,
and his performances with Dressmake
BENJAMIN will land him in Jail for eithe
bigamy or theft, il not for both. Mis-
Benjamin was content to pay her hus
bands running expense out Of the prof
| NJ hcr little Rhon and had he foraker