The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-02-11
MISS TILBIE INGERS0LL
nEFUrEs THE STORY OF WILLIS
Regarding their Love AnAir-Tho Account
of their Engagement as Given by the
PIaInun-Miss lille Interviewed by
the IutSlligoncsr Correspondent.


| special DHpdtch 10 Ne IhteHlgtiLetf'
WASHINGTON, Pa, Feb. lO.-The Pitts
burgh Times OF this morning contains ar
interview with Mr.. K. s. Willis in reGart
to his suit for breach OF promise by Mis-
Tillie Iugsrsoll, OF this place. In thil
article Willis asserts that beyond fierce
filtration" with Lille (the younger OF the
two sisters,) there was no tender ties be-
tween himself and any member OF the
Ingersoll family. He goes on to say that
Lille inflicted herself unlimited upon the
hospitality OF his sister, aud remained for
four months. Bat he acknowledges that
he said some things which q man would
not say in large city; but he he'd to do
something while here 10 pasa the time.
He further atates that for the past four
montha both sisters have psstered him for
money.
The INTKLLIdENCER correspondent visit
ed Miss Ingersoll to-day and handed her
the Times report for her perusAi. The re-
suit was complete refutstion Of almost
the entire article, excepting the first part,
whicn relates to her meeting Mr.. Willis in
Brooklyn, in 1858 OF this mseting Miss
Ingersoll gave fall and detailed account.
The meeting occurred on Sunday, as they
were returningfroD DR.. TalmRge's church,
and on two occasions Willis walked home
with Tillie, and asked to be allowed to
call. In reference to Miss L;llie's visit to
Willis sister, both young lHdies were very
emphatic in denouncing his statements as
ABSOLUTELY UNTRUE.
Miss Lille has and can produce num-
ber Of letters from her in which she (Lil-
lie) is repeatedly urged to pay them q
visit, and it would seem that Willis him
self was not averss to this arrangement.
Furthermore, Miss Lille went to Brook.
lyn on September %, 1885, and left there
on the 22d Of the December tollowiug<
This is not four months. The anonymous
letter referred to was written by Miss
Lille al the request OF sister Of Willis,
who had become alsrmsd OF the extent Of
her brothers. dissipation, and thought
such letter might have q beneficial in.
huence upon him. This letter WAS simply
friendly piece oil advice. Tho other let.
ter spoken OF as "iull OF endearing terms"
was never written by either OF the sisters.
Tillie was always the object OF his
affections. No box Of flowers was ever
sent to him, As he ssys. But q
Testament was sent as supple
ment to Lilies letter, she thinking
that he was much In need OF suCh an arti-
Gle. He denies that he was ever engaged
TO Tillie and yet was continually address
ing her as "My dear wife," &c. In 1884,
while at tho Fulton House, in Washing.
ton, Willis wrote a note to Tiliie. He
commenced: my dear wife," and goes
on to Say that be is as true as true can be
to her, and only her. In this letter he re-
grets that the time Is approaching when
he must leave for home, but Bays:
"IoU ARE MY WIFE IN CONTRACT"
which is "just as binding as a legal csre-
mony." He goes on to say that although
he must leave her, yet in his heart che
will be as near him as though they were
under the same roof, and much more in
the same strain. Miss Ingersoll says that
she positively became engaged to Willis
on the 20Eh OF June, 1884. This state
ment she reatiirmed frequently. In De.
Cember, 1885, the engagement was broken
by Willis. In May Of 1887, Tillie wrote
to him, asking for q aettlement and claim.
ing $4,000 or $4,000. This was the only
time he was asked for money. There
seems to be no doubt among the citizens
that Miss TilIie IngeTsoll hiss suffered great
injury at the hands Of her fAithless lover.
She has abundance OF letters to prove
that an engagement existed between them,
and alsoto show that.he broke the.engsge.
ment unprovoked and without cause.