The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1890-02-06
AFTER TWENTY YEARS.
A First Husband Appears, When His Presence
Interferes with His Wife's Suit

There has been pending in Judge Howe's
room of the Superior Court, for some time,
q suit through which Mrs. Margaret Won
der Gotten is seeking to have her title to
property left by her husband quoted.
The defendants 1.-THE Georges) are several,
and they claim an interest in the property
as heirs Of Won der Gotten. No great amount
is involved-only $1,000. but the heirs, the
majority of whom live in Germany, are
putting as much spirit in their defense as
If they were to divide many thousand dol
lars between them. Mrs. Won der Gotten
entered upon this litigation as a widow for
the third time. She was first married nCin-
cinnati to Herman Schmitt, and soon after
that event the two came to Indianapolis.
They did not prosper here and Schmitt,
with q view Of lettering his fortunes. went
to Chicago. That was twenty-five years
ago, and not very long after the marriage.
Mrs. Schmitt waited long for word to come
from her husband. but she received none
had elapsed and Schmitt's whereabouts
were still unknown the wife began to think
he was dead, a belief that became conyic-
ton IN her being told one day that her
husband bad been killed in n railroad acct
dent. A day or SO later further cOntirma-
ton of that statement came in a news
paper paragraph purpOrtiDg to give an
account of the accident.
AT this time Mrs. Schmitt was living in
Columbus, this State, where a man named
Fisher paid her court and married her.
when the death of Schmitt seemed to lack
no further proof. In the course of years
Fisher died and in due time Mrs. Fisher
became Mrs. Won der Gotten. 1t was only
through her last marriage that she became
the possessor OF property, and the title
to this she wants made perfect. But
the German heirs of Won der Gotten
possessed clews for Investigation of which
the widow knew nothing. 1t was through
their attorneys. Davis and MartZ. that Car
son and Thompson. attorneys of Mrs. Won
der Gotten, learned that Schmitt, the first
husband, was living in Minnesota. This
gave the claims of the widow a serious
back-set, but a cause is not lost until proof
positive is furnlshed; so to secure this proof
representatives of both law firms went to
st. Pau to establish the whereabouts of
Schmitt. The case was called before
Judge Howe yesterday afternoon for some
intervening motion or other and during
the progress of the talk thereon a
announced himself to the attorneys inter
ested in the suit as Herman Sehmitt, the
first and only husband of Mrs. Won der Got.
ten. This was soon conveyed
that suit stopped. In the meantime the
representatives of the lawyers seeking for
Schmitt at ST. Paul were telegraphed to
come home, as their man is here.
Schmitt has no especial reason to give for
the silence of twenty-five years con-
corning his movements He went to Chi
cagO on leaving this city in 1868. remaining
there q year. Chicago did not suit him, SO
he went to st. Louis. where another
year was spent. That city, too, did not of
fer him the opportunities he was seeking,
so he turned his line of travel into Mime
sofa. There, IN time, he became one of q
surveying party on the Northern Pacific
Railroad. After that he returned to Min
nesOta, living principally in and around ST.
Paul. He had no desire, it seems, to let his
friends know what he was doing. so no let
tiers were sent to them. not even to his own
brother, who is in business here on Mary
land street. The brother was as much sur
prised as the attorney when chmitt came
to him yesterday and proved his identity.
1t is thought, though, that since the suit
began the George family learned of
Schmitt's existence. and communicated
what facts they possessed to their attorneys.