The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-04-10
TRUE TO HER FIRST LOVE,

Neither Husband Nor Children Could Rc-
claim Ray Wilson-Wedded to Life in
Bohemia.
New YoRK, April 9,-The courts in
week or TWO will be asked to dissolve
the marriage bonds between John Bern
niger, and his wife, Mrs, Ray Berninger,
Under the weight Of matronly dignity
implied in that name is slosE the identity
oi Ray Wilson, the vivacious trapeze
artistic OF Barnum's Of bakers dozan
OF years ago, .,
Pretty, lithe.limbed Ray Wilson has
run strange round OF existence, md
now the man whom she married for
love is seeking 10 be relieved from the
burden of an unfaithful wife, aud the
man for whom she is said 10 have sarrl'
feed hor womanly honor is u prisoner
in Boston prison, serving his time ior
burglary, The testimony OF Dennls
Murray, u craCksmap and ornament ol
rogues galleries, will be used in court
10 smirCh her fame,
They were nm Ill assorted couple
when they married in 1850, Berninger
was u sawyer OF quiet home tastes,
while Ray Wilson loved too well the
sunshine OF popular applause to enjoy
domestic life with moderate means.
The woman, moreover, VIVA q jewesS,
while her husband was GENTLE,
Ray Wilson kept the name by which
she had been known in tho circus
rings. and Clung TO the Bohemian life
that she loved so well, Her husband
trusted her implicitly. He worked
hard at his trade by day, and spent the
evenings with tho children who grew
up about them.
Her engagements as trapeze artistic
we're mainly in the city at first, and the
couple enjoyed certain amount Of
homo life. AS years went by she would
be away from hor home for weeks at Il
time. and always said that she was I'LL
in. dates in ont Of town variety halls,
At first the husband thought nothing
Of these absences, but at length he be.
came suspicious, aud in 1885 he accl-
dentally found her playing in a well
known concert hall on East Fourteenth
street when she was supposed to be
out OF the city. He forgave her.
Last April, however, Berninger
chanced upon proof that his wife was
unfaithiul. A letter came addressed to
her in an envelope bearing the Boston
prison stamp. He opened it and found
that the writer, Dennis Murray, ad-
dressed his wife in endoaring terms.
There was in it unmistakable evidence
OF her guilt, She and Murray, it APP
peared, had conducted together an
opium joint at No. II East First street.
He confronted his wife with the proof
OF her intidelity, and, almost crazed by
the knowledge Of it, fled from home.
The wife disappeared also, and in q
few days the neighbors complained to
tho Gerry Society that Berninger's
children had been abandoned. The
four little ones. neglected alike by
father and mother, were found half
starved in their dirty, Cheerless apart
ments. They were placed in the lie.
brew Orphan Asylum.
Lawyer Maurice B. Blumeuthal repre-
sents Berniuger. He paid a visit to
Murray in the Roston jail and the latter
made atIldatit to his intimacy with the
trapeze performer. Murray is said to be
well known to the police throughout
the country. His picture is in the
rogues' gallery here.
Beringer claims to have evidence in
volving number OF other correspond
ents. Investigation shows that Mrs.
Beringer had been u constant habitue
for some time past OF Chinese opium
dens on Pell, Mottand Mulberry streets,
No trace OF her can be found by Lawyer
Blementhal, although he believes her
to be in this city.