The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-06-05
SMITHS Two WIVES.
One was Already Disso1ute
and the Other Be-
came SO.
''HOBOKEN EVA" WAS NO. /.
A Pretty Telegraph Operator Be-
came No. 2 and
Regrets it.

A tale of vice and depravity wak
brought to light last evening in Justice
Weeds court by the arrest Of Joseph
Smith, of Grove street. upon a charge Of
bigamy. On Monday afternoon pals
young woman with a general air Of re-
finement about her came into Justice
Weeds court and asked the magistrate II
he had ever married man named Joseph
l.Smith. The justice consulted his record
and found that in November, 1883, he
married Joseph Smith to woman Civ
ing her name as Maggie Rogers, but
whose name was Maggie Cross, disso.
Lutte being known in certain circles as
s'Hoboken Eva"
He informed his visitor Of these facts
when she burst into tears and said it was
the man. Then recovering her compOsure
somewhat, the young woman produced
marriage certificate which showed that
Joseph Smith was married to Minnie
Carey on January 80. by Justice Lowy.
she SAID that she was Minnie Carey or
Smith and told the Justice her story.
She came to this city from Syracuse
about eight months ago and obtained
employment at the stock yards as tele-
graphic operator.
One evening in January she went to
the reception of the p. H. O'Neill Associ-
alton and there met Smith. He was so
aSslduous In his attentions both at the re-
lception and afterward that in two weeks
from the night she met him, they were
made husband and wife.
KEPT A HOME FOR ALL.
Smith took her to his mothers home on
Grove street, near Eleventh street.
where they began their married life The
young woman says that she received
scant consideration there, and frequently
paid her mother-in-law's rent in order to
keep roof over her head.
Almost from the day of their marriage
Smith took his wife to the Cooper Hall
concert saloon and other places where
she was thrown into the company of some
of the most depraved men and women in
the city AT first her nature revOlted at
the people she met at these places, but
after awhile she became accustomed to
the company and she herself became dis
sipated.
One evening last week she was sitting
at a table in the Cooper Hall with a dis
solute woman who, whenever arrested,
gives her name as May Estelle. but who
is known in her own circles as Ruby.
The two women became involved in
quarrel, during which Ruby told her
that she needn't put on SO many friils''
because she thought she was married,
for when "Hoboken Evau came down
She also informed Mrs. Smith that her
supposed husband was married to sHo-
boKen Eva by tls5ice " 6sii {: year
ago. IL was this information which
caused the young woman to seek Justice
Weed.
sPoONING ON A COAL BOX.
The justice heard her story and upon
her complaint issued warrant for
Smiths arrest. The police were directed
to look out for him. Last evening Police
man Quinn told the justice that Hobo
ken Eva," or Mrs. Smith No. l, had just
been released from Snake Hill, where
she had been serving a long term, and
that she and Smith were together on
coal box on Warren street. near the Ar
lington flats. Quinn took the warrant,
and in company with Special Officer
Miller, started TO arrest the alleged
bigamist. Smith suspected something
Was wrong as soon as he saw the two POI
icemen turn the corner and, without
stopping to take husbandly adieu of his
spouse, lett "Hoboken Eva" to the mer-
cies of the officers of the law and started
TO run away.
He led the policeman lively chase
down York street to Van Worst and then
into an alley way, which is divided from
the canal by high board fence. He was
in the act of scaling the fence when the
policeman pounced upon him. He did
not give up, however, without struggle
and fought the policeman hard. During
the melee the policemen's collars and but
tons suffered, and the warrant for
Smiths arrest was torn to shredS. He
was finally subdued and taken to Justice
Weeds court, where he was confronted
by both his wives--No. in a state of in
ebriety and wrath and No. 2 in tears.
SLANG AND TEARS FOR SMITH.
As soon as Hoboken Eva caught sight
of her recreant husband, she let loose
upon him choice food of modern slang.
Then turning to weeping Mrs. Smith No.
2, she said:-
Il don't blame dis 'ere fake, but I
blames you, Joe Smith. While was on
de hill doin' my best fur yer, yer wuz
getting spliced again. yer blank blankety
blank.n
When No. / had thus expended her
wrath No. went up to the prisoner, and
between her sobs told him she was sorry
she had got him into such q scrape, and IL
she could do anything for him she would
At this the brute spit at her and said:-
sect out, yer pup; | don't know ye.
This was too much for No. 2 and she
keeled over in dead faint. Restoratives
were applied by Policeman Quinn and
she was brought around again, where
upon she began to lament tine fate of her
unborn babe.
Smith was locked up in the Grove
street station and sHoboken Evan went
out vowing vengeance upon him for his
faithlessness, while wife No. 2 went sor-
rowfully her home.
Smith had an examination this after
noon. Wife No 2 said that if he would
give her $4 week she would Withdraw
the charge. This. together with the fact
that she has no permanent home In the
city, led Justice Weed to commit her to
the County Jail as witness.