St. Paul daily globe., 1889-02-17
LEFT TWO FAMILIES.
The Will Of William Parker.
Of Keokuk, Reveals His
Strange Dual Existence.
In Different Counties He Kept
Two Women and Between
Them Spent His Time.
One Was His Legal Wife, But
By Both He Had Several
Children.
A Man Of Great Wealth Who
Had Several Notions Not
Conventional.

luSS 10 SET dSiCc jiit Will lIldut Dy w lii
lam Parker have revealed the dual
character OF the mans past life. Mr..
Parker died last December. His chill
county, who had thought him quite
well-to-do, were surprised to learn that
he had bequeathed them only a small
amount. An investigation was insti-
tuted which resulted in the discovery
that the man was the father of two
large families of children-one by his
lawful wife, who lived near Warsaw,
in Hancock county. the other by a
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 it is alleged he decided to
each of the seven children of the Rock
Island woman forty acres of land valued
at $50 per acre, and left will dividing
among them about $25, 900, while to the
eight children Of his lawful wife paltry
500 each was devised. The children of
his Warsaw wife propose to contest the
will and the case promises to be one of
great interest, with
SENSATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS
The facts of the case as developed by
the attorneys investigation are that
Parker was married in Campbell
county, Kentucky, in 1913 or 1919. He
left there with his family and settled in
Clermont county, Ohio, where it is al
legged he was sued for $4,000. The
foundation for the suit was the alleged
alienation of the affections of the wife
of nelghbor. This suit, it is said, was
settled by Parker. When he left Ohio
in 1852 he settled just back of Warsaw,
ILL.,, where he was supposed to reside, as
his family always remained there. After
residing in Hancock county for time he
started off on trip saying he was going
back to Kentucky to see the folks and
he was gone nearly year. Returning
home he sold off all the stock and grain
that had been accumulated during his
absence and went away. This second
trip, it was found afterward, he made
to Indiana where he won the affections
of girl who worked in a hotel and
who, by the way, bore good reputa-
ton, and took her to Canoe Creek town
ship, Rock Island county, Illinois.
With the money accumulated by his
wife and her children near Warsaw,
which he came in possession of by sell
ing the stock and grain on his return
from the alleged Kentucky trip, it is
said he bought land in Rock Island
county 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
1866. and Immediately following her
death Parker went to Warsaw and took
two of his youngest children to the
home Of his unlawful wife. This was
the first intimatiOn that she had Of his
having another family. She very natu-
rally was astonished and did not
degree of patience, and the
children in short time returned to
their sisters and brothers. Parker died
during December, 1888, and none of his
Warsaw family were appri5ed of his
illness until it was too late for them to
reach his bedside before death. Some
of them arrived at the place of his last
illness after his death. The mother of
his children in Rock Island county died
about three years before his death. He
is described as baying been a very
singular man, and was thrifty in ae-
cumulating money and putting it out so
it would bring good returns. At his
death he had only about S150 or $500 in
cash, all being loaned out at a
GOOD RATE OF INTEREST,
and notwithstanding be had an income
of from 81, 800 to $1,000, it is alleged that
q short time before his death he changed
from So week boarding house to
S25O-house simply because it was so
cents cheaper. If he had trip of
twenty miles to make he would not
patronize the cars. but would walk, land
in his many trips back to his Warsaw
home. it is said. that if he got off the
cars at Keokuk he would not take
another train here, but would
cross the bridge and walk
down to his home back of Warsaw.
When the Rock Island woman died it is
said that he set out at once and courted
every young girl in the vicinity, not
withstanding he was seyenty-six years
old. He was seventy-nine when he
died. The attorneys having the case
in charge say that there will be some
strange developments when the case
comes up to trial as to the methods pur-
sued by Barker to keep the dual eX-
istence he was leading from the two
families to which he stood IN the rela-
ton of paternaI head. They refuse to
tell at this time further than what is
outlined above.