Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-02-18
A DUAL LIFE.
Sensational Developments Concern
ing William Parker.
How He Lived Alternately with Two
Wives aud Rails ID q Family by Each
IA Wealthy Ri q alnist.

Inc redQ6re OF Tie Angus VIII recall
the death in December last Of William
Parker. we'll known and supposedly
Parker was a wido wer at the time of his
death and left q family of seven
children In Rock Island county. Not
long after his death his will was Hled in
the county clerks office. the instrument
beaueathing Ss5, 900 to be divided among
seven children in Rock Island county,
while to eight children at Warsaw and at
keokuk. Iowa, he left 800 each. II was
known at the time of Parker's death tn
he b ad had two wives and that the chill
dren in Rock Island constituted differ
ent flock alto gether from those
at Warsaw and at Keokuk, and 1t
was intimated that he had lived
with the two wives alterna,ely-that
he had divided his time between the two
without either knowing of the others ex
istence. Now a dispatch from Keokuk
states that proceedings have been COM
menced there to set aside the will of Mr..
| Parker now on file In the county clerks
| Office here. II is his children living In
Keekuk and at Warsaw who instigate the
proceedings and the investigation has
developed facts OF sensational nature
| The action is to set aside the will, and
the children who bring il thought their
father we'll TODD, and were surprised to
learn that he had bequeathed them only
small amount. An investigation re-
suited In the disco very that the man was
the father of two large families of chill.
dren-one by his lawful wife, who lived
near Warsaw, 10 Hancock county, the
other by woman occupying the wifely
relation to him and who lived in Rock
Island county. Mr. Parker's wife died a
good many years ago. the Rock Island
woman about three years since. Before
Parker died 1t Is legged he decided to each
Of the seven children of the Rock Island
woman forty acres of land valued at 500
per acre, and left will dividing among
them about $25. 900. while to the eight
children of his lawful wife a paltry 800
each was devised
The facts of the case as developed by
the attorneys investigation are that Par.
ker was married in Campbell county. KY,
in lS4S or 1S49, He left there with his
family and settled In Clermont county,
Ohio, where, II Ia alleged, he was sued
for $4,000. The foundation for the
SUIT was the alleged alienation of the af
fections Of the wife Of neighbor. This
suit, it is said. was settled by Parker
When he left Ohio in 1852, he settled
| just back OF Warsaw, H., where he was
supposed TO reside, as his family always
remained there. After res ding In Ham
cock county for t. time. he started off on
trip, saying he was going back to Ken
lucky to see the folks. and he was gone
nearly year. Returning home he sold of
all the stock and grain that had accumu
lated during his absence and went away.
This second trip. 1t was found afterward
he made to Indiana. where he won the
affections of a girl who worked in hotel
aud Who by the way, bore a good repu-
tation. and took her to Canoe Creek town
ship. this county. With ths money ac>
inundated by his wife and her children
near Warsaw, which he came in possess
sion Of by selling the stock and grain on
his return from the alleged Kentuck =
trip. il is said he bought land in this coun>
ty on which he settled with the Indiana
girl. After this he made several trips to
his Warsaw wife and children were even
born to her after he had settled with the
woman at his Rock Island home His
wife at Warsaw died about 1865, and i'm,
mediately following her death Parker
went to Warsaw and brought two OF his
youngest children to the home of his un.
lawful wife. This was the first intima-
ton that she had of his having another
family. She very naturally was aston
ished and did not accept the informant on
with any degree of patience. and the
children In short time returned to their
sisters and brothers.
As has been stated. Parker died last
December on bis farm In Canoe Greek
township, and none of his Warsaw family
we're appraised OF his illness until 1t was
too late for them to reach his bedside be-
fore death Some of them arrived at the
place of his last Illness after his death
The mother of his children in this county
died about three years before his death
He was a very singular man and wal
thrifty in accommodating money and put
ting it out SO it would bring good returns
At his death he had only about $3.50 OF
$500 In cash, all being loaned out at 6
good rate of interest, and notwithstand'
ing he had an income of from 1900 tc
So 900, it Is eyed that short time be.
fore his death he changed from 50 6
week boarding house to $3.50 house
simply because it was fifty cents cheaper
If he had a trip of twenty miles to make
he would not palrOnize the cars but would
walk. and in his many trips back TO his
Warsaw home t ia said that il he got of
the cars at Keoxuk he would not take
another train there but would cross the
bridge and wall down to his home back
of Warsaw.
The attorneys in the case say there
will be still strsn niger developments when
the case co nes up for trial. az
to the methods pursued by Parker to