The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1892-11-11
Married His Own Daughter.
DISTRESSING DISCOVERY MADE BY A
CHICAGO MAN.

CHICAGO, November 6.-Counsel
was retained yesterday in one of the
strangest cases ever brought to the no.
tice OF the public. The facts outdo
those of any of Rider Haggard's novels
and verify the old adage that truth is
stranger than fiction. The lawyer in
the case is James w. Drouillard, and
the client is Samuel Clifton Willetts,
who asks the lawyer to decide for him
whether woman whom he married
abont two years ago is his daughter.
| About forty-tive years ago, accord.
ing to the story told the lawyer, Mr.
Willets was married to Miss Mamie
Evans at Erie, Pa. He was only II
years old, while she was just turning
10. They went to live with Mr.. Will
let's parents, and for year they were
happy. At the end of that time
baby girl was born, ard the Joy of the
young couple knew no bounds. As
time passed dissensions arose and
quarrels were frequent. A crisis was
at last reached. One night when
young Mr.. Willets returned from his
work, his wife and little child were
gone. Shortly afterward he heard that
his wife had died.
Six years after his wife had deserted
him Mr.. Willets married Caroline Ste
vens, a young girl, whose parents re-
side in small town adjoining Erie.
In less than two years son was given
to him, but his wife was taken away.
He named the child George. 1t grew
and prospered in health, and when II
years old George entered the employ
of Harding. Davis & Co, wholesale
hardware dealers in Pittsburg. In
few years he was sent on the road by
the firm. In the meantime the father
moved to Pittsburg and took up his
residence with his son.
On Christmas night, 1860, Mr. vii
lets sat waiting in his apartments for
the return of his son, who had been
on the road for three months. Finally
the door opened and the welcome Wis
ltor came in. He was not alone. With
him he brought young and beautiful
wife. She was a Miss Helen Wright,
and young Willis had met and won
her in Cleveland, while travelling for
the firm. Both her parents had re-
Gently died.
Mr.. Willis took strange fancy to
his sons bride and as time flew on it
was difficult to say which loved her
the most, father or son. For twenty
eight years the couple lived happily to-
gether and old Mr.. Willis seemed
contented. On December IS, 1888,
George Willis died, after a painful
illness of SIX months.
A few months after his sons death
MIR. Willets and his daughter.in.law
went abroad. Singular attachment
had sprung up between them and on
January IS, 1890, they were married
in West Remington, London, Eng
land, by Wayne McLeonard, an
Episcopal minister. Shortly after.
wards they returned to America and
devoted considerable time to travel.
Much of their time they spent in
Chicago, as they intended to event
ually make this city their home.
A few months ago the possibility
that he had married his own daughter
began to dawn upon the mind of Mr..
Willets and he was forced to believe
that his wife was the little girl who had
been born to him many years before
in Erie, Pa.
Since then he has learned that his
first wife, after deserving him, went to
Cleveland, Ohio, where in less than
seven years she marred.a man named
John Wright. She brought her little
girl up under the name of Wright.
Shortly after her marriage her new
found husband deserted her, She
was left with her daughter and in
short time died. Miss Wright, left
alone, sought employment and earned
her living until she met George
Willets in house in which she was
boarding, and fell in love with him.
Mr.. Willets and his wife, or his
daughter, as he now calls her, are
living on the North Side. Mr..
Willets said to-day that he had sent a
private detective to Cleveland, Ohio,
to trace the career of his first wife,
and that he daily expected news from