Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1890-07-26
Saturday, July 26, 1890
FROM CITY To CITY.

-
william L. Ellsworth OF Philaaslphis.
the Inventor OF the sneksless Pew.
der Recently Purchased By the Ger.
man GovernAent fer q million DOL
lars, Arrested for Alleged Non-sup.
port OF His wife and Hanily.
Two well-dreesed persons, Q man and Q
woman, somewhat past middle age, were seen
engaged in q stormy dispute on Chapel street
near Academy yesterday afternoon. The
man, who was of medium stature, with black
hair, mustache and small imperial. seemed
greatly excited. Presently be hailed pass
ing cab and drove rapidly Of. The woman
looked after him despairingly for q moment,
and walked slowly mp the street.
Ths man was William L. Ellsworth Of
Philadelphia, the inventor of the snok elsss
powder. = third interest In which was pur-
chased last November BY Count Carl Won
Audsrlich and European syndicate for the
German government ct Q cost of miIlisu
dollars. The woman was one whom he has
lived with for twenty -four years, and sy
whom he has had two children, both girls.
the older of whom is 20 years Of are, and
the younger 10. who lives at Hartlsnd, Conn.
She came to this city day or two ago in
pursuit of him. She claims he does not sup.
port her and her two children, and yester-
days interview at Chapel and Academy
streets ives an effort on her part to effect q
more pleasant state of affairs.
When Captain Ellsworth left his wife yes
terdsy to 60 the police STATEN, as he
says, to have her arrested for blackmail or
highway robbery, he was confronted with q
warrant for his own arrest upon q charge of
non-support. He ives placed In the lookup
a few hours and was released at 8 O'Clock on
bonds of $500, given by Paul Russo.
When seen by COURIER reporter he had
an interesting story to tell. He admits hav-
says Is Maria Booth, for twenty -four years,
and to have had by her two children. But
he claims she never was recognized by him
or the world as his wife. He was divorced
from his first wife In New York in 1857 aud
has paid her $50 month alimopy ever since.
This, he claims, would alone make a second
marriage Illegal. He says the wom-
an is insane, that her pursuit of
which she is assisted BY two of her own real
atives and by one of his. he says he has al
ways supported her till the events of yester-
day in this city. She followed from Phila-
delphia to this city, where he had come to
establish plant for the manufacture of the
csmphor substitute used in his snokelees
powder. They met upon the street. She
asked him for 500 and he refused to give 10
to her. She then said she would go To- her
sisters In South Norwalk IL he would give
her smaller sum. This he did, and she
then refused to leave him and made grab
at his watch chain In an attempt to capture
his watch. He left her to have her arrested
for highway robbery.
Mrs. Ellsworth was seen at her hotel, the
Brunswick, by CoURIsR reporter last night.
She declared that she was his legal wife and
that they were married In New Jersey twen-
poor until within few months ago. She
has worked to support him and has borrow
ed money for him many times. She also de-
clares that she believes him to be insane and
thinks he was in an insane asylum before
their marriage. She says she does not AJAX
more of him than the support of herself
and daughters. The older daughter he
has supported at Hartford, near Rivsrton,
Conn, but she says he has not supported her
properly. She attributes Captain Kllsuorth's
wish to avoid her to his association with
women of bad character. She says be IL
rapidly ssusndering what money he has re-
ceiyed, and that abe doubts "whether he has
ever invented anything at all but lies" She
intends to prosecute him to the utmost. She
says he Is q relative of Mics Jerome of this
city, lately the wife of Yam Phou Lee, the
Chinese editor, lecturer and Yale graduate.
Captain Ellsworth is a Auent taIker. BE
Gays he now Owls two-thirds' interest In his
invention of the smokeless powder. Before
he became interested in this invention he
was In the railroad business, and he states
that he had sass, 600 deposited here with tn G
Union Trust company for thirty dsys few
years ago for the purpose of purchasing the
city's interest In the little Derby railroad. ID
says he has been annoyed by this woman
who claims TO be his wife for several years
He has given her almost $1,000 She hs
tried to blackmail him in Washington, Phil
| adelphis, Hartford and other places, b
states. In Washington she tried to &c
| $3.50, 0o0 from him. SHE has brought suit
| against him, but they have been thrown on
| of court when the facts were known. Thi
/ is In brief the story he gives. He maintain
| that she has not of late conducted herself q
she should, but that he feels nevertheless
pity for her misfortunes for old acquaintanc
sake. He AYERS that he was expecting to es
| tsblish $50, 000. plant in New Haven for tn
purpose of making the csmphor substitute
and that he is awaiting the report of q res
estate agent as to location, etc. he sverres
that he had every intention Of having tn
| woman arrested this morning on charge o
| attempt at blsckmsiling