Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-07
DID HE MARRY HIS DAUGHTERe
A Chicago Man Fears That His New Wife
Was the Child He Lost Forty Years AGO.

A Chicago Man Fears That His New Wife
Was the Child He Lost Forty Years Ago.
James ". Drouillard, well-known attorney,
was retained today, says Chicago special to the
New York Sun. by Samuel Clinton WiIletts to
decide whether a woman whom Willetts married
two years ago is not his own daughter. About
forty-fve years ago Willetts was married to
Miss Mary Evans, at Erie, Pa. He was seven
teen years old and she was sixteen. They went
to live with Willetts' parents, and year later
a baby girl was born. As time passed dissen-
sions arose and quarrels were frequent One
night when Willetts returned from bis work his
wife and child were gone. He waited in vain
for them to return, and when four years passed
he gave ia EN- up forever. Soon afterward he
heard that his wife had died.
Six years after his wife deserted him Willetts
married Caroline Stevens. whose parents reside
in small town adjoining Erie In Less than
two years q son was given to him, but his wife
died He named the child George. The boy
when seventeen years old entered the employ
of the firm of Harding. Davis Il Co., wholesale
hardware dealers, in Pittsburg. In a few years
he was sent travelling by the firm. In tho
meantime the father moved to Pittsburg and
took up his residence with his son. On Christ
mas night, 1860, Willetts sat waiting in his
apartments for the return of his son, who
brought with him young and beautiful wife,
She had been Miss Helen Wright, and young
Willetts had met and won her in Cleveland
Her parents had recently died. Willetts took a
strange fancy to his sons bride. For twenty
eight years the son and wife lived happily to-
gether. and old Mr.. Wiiletts seemed contented
The couple were never blessed with children
On December IS, 1853. Geo. Wiiietts died after
an illness OF six months. He left his wife con-
siderable money and made his father promise
always to take care of her. few months
after his sons death Willetts and his
daughter-in-law went abroad. singular at
tachment had sprung up between them and
on January 49, 1890 they were married in West
kensington, London, by the Rev. Wayne Nc
Leonard Of the English Church. Shortly after
ward they returned to America and devoted
considerable time to travel Much of their
time they spent in Chicago. They intended to
make Chicago their permanent home. Occa-
sionally Mrs. Willetts told her husband Incl
dents of her past life, and many times he was
struck by something strangely familiar in her
manner and her life as a child. A few months
ago the possibility that he had married his own
daughter began to dawn upon Willetts, and he
was forced to believe that his wife had been the
girl who was born to him many years before in
Erie. Since then he learned that his first wife,
after deserving him, went to Cleveland, where
In less than seven years she married a man
named John Wright. Shortly after her mar
riage her new husband deserted her. She was
left alone with her daughter and soon died.
Miss Wright. left alone, sought employment and
earned her own living until she met Geo. Willetts
and fell in love with him. 1t was with the
greatest difficulty that Mr.. Willets traced out
these facts, and in his mind there Is no doubt
that he is married to his daughter. Willetts
and his wife or his daughter, as he now calls
her, IRE living on the North Side.