Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1888-07-04
BABCOCK'S DOUBLE LIFE.
Strange and Romantic Story Jekyu and
Hyde in Reality


CHICAGO, III June 29.-The claim of
Naomi Fairchild, made in the pro-
bate court, to one-third of the estate of
the late Col. Walter S. Babcock, on the
ground that she is the lawful widow of
the deceased causes a pro ound sensa-
ton in business and social circles where
the dead man WAS known. 1t seems in
credible that the aristocratic, fastidious
Col Babcock could have been the hus-
band of the elderly, haggard woman
whose bent form and wrinkIed face testi-
fy to years of toll and suffering; but
the story told in court to-day by the
woman seems to bear out her claim.
Mrs. Babcock's statement is strange
and romantic. Her childhood, youth
and early womanhood, she says, were
spent in Milwaukee. Her parents and
the Babcock family were neighbors,
and when child she knew Walter
Babcock; they were playmates and
strongly attached. She married Mil
waukee man named Fairchild, who
died few years later, leaving her
large sum of money. In the meantime
Babcock had come to Chicago. She
followed him here, and week
before the big fire Of 1871 they
we're married. She says he importuned
her to marry him, and having received
$4,000 from her-which he never re-
turned-began to seek to destroy evil
dences of their relationship. He re-
Trained from introducing her as his wife,
though there are several instances to the
contrary. Only a few weeks before his
fatal trip to Gardner she says he asked
her for all his letters to her. She still
mad confidence in him, and thought she
had complied with the request. Re-
Gently other letters were discov-
cred. Tho ugh he never publicly ac-
knowledged her to be his wife he lived
with her as such up to within year or
two when she became partial invalid.
He boarded alone with his partner,
keeping her. meanwhile, in some out
of-the-way place where he could visit
her at will without the fact becoming
known to his friends.
Mrs. Babcock underwenta keen cross
examination in Judge Knickerbock-
was married. she said, to Col.
Babcock in October, 1871. The wedding
took place between Fourteenth and
Fifteenth Streets, on Wabash Avenue;
minister, w. II. Burns, now residing
at 10 North Halsted Street, performed
the ceremony; she had been seriously
i'll for some time prior to this, and one
of the witnesses lifted her to
her feet and held her up .while Col.
Babcock took her hand; the ceremony
was half over before she realized what
was going on; after that time Col. Bab-
cock called her his WIFI; she first
formed his acquaintance thlrty-fve
years ago, in Milwaukee, Wis. her
maiden name was Naomi Smith; she was
born on a plantation IN North
Carolina, and came North with
her father, adam Smith, who
settled at Berlin, Wis. She claimed to
nave been married three times. Her
first husband, she said, was William
Sweet, whom she welded when but
IA years old, at st. Joe, Mich,
He died ten months afterward, and
their onl ychild died. The next matri-
monial adventure was with W. E.
Fairchild, in August 1917. They
were joined in Milwaukee. He
died in February, 1871, in Albion, Mich.
Three children resulted from this
union, all of whom are dead. She lived
with Mr.. Babcock at several places in
this city, she said. In all of these resi-
dences she was known as Mrs. Fair
child because Babcock did not desire
his relatives to know that he was mar
ried.
Ono OF the StranS6SJ Claims maze Dy
the alleged Mrs. Babcock is that she
knows who killed Col. Babcock, AMI
that Sarah Dodge is not guilty. At the
lime Of the murder it Was said strange
woman had been seen near the railway
track at the point where Col. Babcock
left the train to go to the Dodge resi-
dence, and the theory generally enters
tanned was that the woman
was Miss Dodye, Mrs. Babcock
claims that it was this woman
who did the killing, and that she was
not Miss Dodge. Her story, which she
claims to have received from the lips
of the woman who did the shooting, be-
gins with this woman knocking at the
door Of Miss Dodge's farmhouse, two
miles southeast of Gardner at o'clock
in the morning. 1t describes Babcock
as coming to the door III his night clothes
and opening it; tells how Miss Dodge,
who was in bed, recognized the visitor
and sprang to the floor; how the strange
woman drew revolver, which she
aimed at Miss Dodge, but which Bah
cock, being near her. seized by the bar
rel, and in the scuffie was shot in the
side" Mrs. Babcock refuses to give
the Woman's name.