The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-03-02
time stan when circumstances seemed
to render Il advisable, that he had 2

to render,it advisable, that he had .
divorce from his former wife.
Mrs. Clouzh, shortly after the wife's de-
parture, sold her lodging-house business
Was In the fall of 1889. 1t is probable she
did not realize any considerable sum from
the sale. or if she did, they ran through it
in short order, for few months later Nell
hgan Was Obliged TO exc out scanty iv-
ing by working IS census enumerat0r.
This was rather slow work, at least the
pay was slow, and with his expensive hab-
its funds were becoming decidedly short.
About this time he fell in with another
susceptible and confiding widow named
Mrs. Chaplin, q worthy and excellent wo-
man In her way, who was the owner of
some property both in Seattle and ont of
town. This latter point Michigan was not
slow to learn, and although this lady was
as old, If not older, than himself, though
she had no claims to beauty, and was her
self an invalid in addition to having an
invalid daughter of 10 or II years-not-
withstanding these drawbacks, he. with
characteristic boldness, laid siege to her
heart, and by deception caused her to be-
lieve him single man, and finally in
duced her to become his wife. The mar
rage ceremony in this case was performed
at Victoria last August. Whether this
marriage was performed in accordance with
Canadian law, or was only decoy affair,
is not certainly known, but very likely it
was lawful. Returning to Seattle, Nelli-
gan informed this newly-wedded wife that
the other one, who duly made her appear
ance, was merely temporary adjunct,
whom he intended to discard at the earli-
est favorable opportunity.
Strangely enough, both women seemed
to be infatuated with Michigan. Wife No.
3 kept quiet, in hopes of being able after a
while to assert her rights, knowing moth
ing whatever of the existence of No. /.
Wife No. 2, if Mrs. Clough can be SO called,
was content to know that No. had been
disposed OF, or had disposed of herself. and
NO. she doubtless regarded as only poor
dupe whom it was not in her power to
help, unless, indeed-a thing she probably
never thought Of-She were to betray her
so-cailed husband. Wife No. 8, for the
sake of avoiding scandal, and out of SYM
pathy for the woman with her week-old
baby (for a baby had appeared on the
scene about this time), and for the love
she bore the man, restrained her desire to
prove herself the true Mrs. Michigan. She,
doubtless at his instance, purchased q
lOdging-hOuse on Pike street. where for
several months before his death Michigan,
acting nominally as agent for Mrs. Chaplin,
as she continued to be known, lived in indo-
lence and comparative luxury. During all
this time he was burden rather than q
help to her, SO Mrs. Chaplin says, regret
fully. though uncomplainingly, adding
that she would have been perfectly recon-
ciled to paying for his support if only her
hearts idol, as she considered him, had
been spared. Money was necessary to en-
able him to indulge his bibulous propensity
and money he had to have. A certain
well-known newspaper man of this city
who had befriended Michigan was defrauded
by him out Of $500.
Mrs. Ciough had one child, a girl of s or
8, by her first husband, who was a builder
and who accidentally lost his life
at Tacoma. Mrs. Chaplin, as before
stated, has an invalid daughter to
whom she is devotedly attached; she has
also son some years younger. Both
women occupied the same house, and NAV
do so still, but in another part of the town.
They are deeply attached to each other,
the common sorrow and bereavement hav-
ing the effect Of binding them together
rather than provoking enmity. The first
wife has called upon the other two women
and they have compared notes, but with
out much, if any recrimination.
Before he married any of these wives.
Michigan had been married to a Young and
excellent lady of very good family in Can
ada, about twelve years ago, on the occa-
he had boy who is still living, but the
mother is dead. Whether there are anv
other relicts yet to be heard from time
alone will tell.