St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-03-24
CAUGHT IN CHICAGO.
William T.wheeler, of Mime
apolis, Charged With Com
hitting Bigamy.
His Deserted Wife Talks fer
Herself and Her Five
Children.
Sarah L. Farp Makes Some
Serious Charges Against
G. F. Koffend.
Cleveland Club and Buell. Res
olutions--North Minneapo-
lis Wants Protection.

william L. wheeler. a narneSSnaker
who claims as his place Of residence
1900 Twenty-eighth street south, has
gotten himself into trouble. He has de-
velOped Il penchant for marrying wom-
en-, it is claimed, living with them a
little while, and then, when they re-
fuse to support him any longer, taking
French leave. He left the city last Au-
gust, and until a few days ago his de-
serted wife and five children knew
nothing of his whereabouts. He left
her almost pennless, whilst he travelled
from town to town enjoying himself as
only gay harneSsmaker from Mime
apoliS could. AS a result of all this
pleasure he is at present locked up at
the West Chicago avenue police station,
Chicago, on the charge of bgamy.
At the st. James hotel, on Madison
and Halsted streets, Chicago, is black
eyed woman who caused his arrest and
who proposes to make it warm for the
amorOuS harneSSmaker. He married
her, she says, at Hudson. Wis, last
August and brought her to Chicago TO
enjoy herself and pay for his amuse.
ment. The story of his perfidy is told
in the following interview with Wife
No. 2, telegraphed from Chicago:
Isn't it awful? ] never dreamed but
that was the lawful wife of Charles
Smith, who now gives his name as w.
+. Wheeler, until week ago last Mon
day. when he told me that he was mar
ried aud had five children in Min
neapolis. L could not believe it,
and under an assumed name l wrote to
the woman who he said was his wife and
found that it was only too true, and
that she, like me, had been kept in
ignorance of the terrible truth and could
hardly believe it. She is a good woman,
| know, and loves this man as much as
l ever did. was married to this man
the 20th day of August, 1890, in Hud-
son, Wis.," continued Mrs. Smith. Il
met him in Minneapolis, where lived
for the first time on the 18th of August,
1890. On the following Saturday | met
him again, and he proposed to marry
me and 90 to Chicago. ! was poor.
He seemed like good fellow, and ex-
pressed great admiration for me and
said that he would give me good
home. | asked him for three days to
consider the matter. He called the
next day and was still very anxious to
marry me. SO on the morning of the
goth we started for Chicago, he saying
we would stop off at Hudson, Wis, and
be married. When we got to Hudson
we went to the house of Rev. NJ. Ii.
Smith and were married at 7:30 o'clock
in the evening. Mr.. Smiths daughter,
Hattie A. Smith, and Michael Dargon
were w illnesses. Here is the certificate,
or a copy of it, as Charley destroyed the
original"
This Mrs. Smith. or Mrs. Wheeler No.
2, displayed certificate which seemed
to prove her statements. 1t showed
rather rough handling, which the young
man explained was caused on account
Of Charley trying to get 1T away from
her. Wheeler was interviewed in Jail,
and denies that he ever was married 10
the woman. He met her in this city
and she ran away with him, and has
lived with him ever since, not as his
wife but as his mistress. He took the
name of Smith at her suggestion. He
left his wife because he could not get
along with her. He wrote letter to
her some time ago, and enclosed s. for
the support of herself and five children.
IL was through two letters written him
from his first wife that Wife No. 2 dis
covered his duplicity. OF course, when
she learned how matters stood she de
cided to have revenge no matter what
LllC COSl III NC, anu oO huI w lSOiSAs
alias Smith, arrested.
A GLOBE reporter found Wife No.
at the residence, 1900 Twenty-eighth
street south, last night. She had her
five children with her. and her appear
ance indicated that the struggle to keep
them in clothes and food had been a
hard one.
IL know all about the matter" she
said, land don't know what to do, for |
have no money. and so cannot go TO Chi
cago. | know what l would do if | were
in his place, however, would go and
hang myself. He left me last August
without any money, and has only sent
me S. since to support myself on. If it
had not been for my father and father
in-law don't know what l would have
done. He went away about year ago,
but came back again. L knew nothing
about this second marriage, or whaG-
ever it is, until | received letter from
this woman, who says she is his wife.
| was married to him in Pennington
very we'll when we lived together,
though don't know why he left me.
! shall do nothing in the matter, but
let it take its course"
YES" broke in a young lady, Mrs.
Wheeler'S Sister-in-laW. who made her
appearance at this point of the inter-
view; ''she would like to have him
come back 10 her. No matter how he
acts, she is willing to forget all if he
will only come back. Now, wouldn't
you?"
The deserted wife made no reply, but
sighed bitterly and shed Il few tears as
she caressed the tangled, matted hair
of one of her little children.