The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1888-04-11
BIGAMY IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
The Story of the G:ffne, City Girl who
Married Two Husbands.
From the Charlotte Chronicle.

The Chronicle few weeks ago Gre
atea tremendous stir in Chester
when It reached there with an account
of the double marriage of Miss Flor
ence Little, the belle of Gafney. She
had only a few days before that
reached Chester with her second hus,
band, DR.. D. G. Atkinson, and the
news that she had married man a
few days before she was welded to
DR.. Atkinson fairly astounded the
people. The story is probably fresh
in the minds Of our readers.
Interest in the affair is now re-
newed, since DR.. Atkinson has been
convinced, by his wife's own confes-
sion. and desires to make free and
full statement of the matter for the
benefit OF the public. Dr.: Atkinson's
statement, received last night, IS us
follows:
To the Editor Of the Chronicle:
I think it is due myself and friends
for me to make a statement OF my
late matrimonial muGdle, inasmuch as
it has created such a sensation, aud
the different papers have had so much
to say about It. About the first Of
June last, through the solicitation OF
friends and relatives, met the young
lady in question, Miss Florence Little,
in Blacks S. c.. I found her to be
very beautiful and fascinating, and
the natural consequence was that l
became engaged to her at once. We
were to have been married in Novem-
Der. I visited her several times IL
the interim and found that had a n
val in one Augustus Mintz, who cir
culsted. or caused to be circulated
reports injurious to my character as a
gentleman. At first I paid no atten-
ton to it whatever, and really consid-
erel nv relations toward the young
lady as merely Irritation until Mintz
tried to injure me in her estimation.
I found out the matter had become
more serious to me, and concluded,
inasmuch rs the matter had gone SIS
far as it had, I would carry out my
part of the contract as any gentleman
Should do, and if it was not consum-
msted it would not be my fault.
Well, the wedding day was put eff
from day to day, aud finally we were
to be married On February 1st IN
Gafney. 7 made all necessary pre-
parations for the coming nuptials,
receiving communications of instrnc-
ton from time to time from the lady,
never dreaming that she was 60
ing to play me false until
two days before the appoint
ed time. I received telegram
signed NJ. Lockbart, stating that Miss
Florence was sick and not to come
until I heard from her. I became
somewhat suspicious. but concluded
I would go anyway, and sent tele-
gram that was sorry she was SICK
and would be in Gafney on time. l
went the next day, found she was not
sick, but out riding with Mintz The
consequence was that I boarded the
first train and came home.
The next day I received a letter
from her saying I treated her shame
fully, and if I had remained III Gait
ney until the next day, the one ap-
pointed for our marriage, she could
have explained why she was out nd
ing, and would certainly have carried
out her part of the contract. | PAID
no attention to it whatever, for con-
sidered that I was not to blame IN the
least and became reconciled and sat-
is6ed to go on in the even tenor OF
my bachelor life, until, through her
solicitation, my uncle and his wife
and another aunt in Blacks each
wrote me letter, enclosing one from
Miss Little, begging me to come to
Blacks and renew my relations with
Miss Little, and that they thought
I had acted too rashly in leaving
Gafney before the appointed time !;
that she seemed to be very much al
fected by the way I had treated her,
and to come at once, as she was at
their house. answered by a tele-
gran, to my uncle to tell the lady l
had not quite lost my self-respect,
and I would not see her. But never
theless, went that same night, ac-
companied by my friend and lawyer,
". 4. Sanders, (who went purely Oh
business of his OWL, and knew moth
ing whatever Of my mission) saw her
and we were married on the night OF
18th Of February.
But knew nothing OF her former
marriage to Mintz until l saw an ac-
count Of it in your columns, and was
dumfounded, suspended business and
"a oho,,oS bo,. fto