The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-08-04
UNDER THE SPELL OF A TRAMP.
He Carried a Bible, Preach ed O New
Religion and infatuated Mrs. Cham
From the San Francisco Chronicle.


bers.
From the San Francisco Chronicle.
Mrs. Fernando NJ. Chambers is very
well known in religious circles in Oak
land. She is a member of the Salvation
Army in Oakland, one of the leaders in
the Holiness Band and one of the organic
ers of the Gospel Union on Eighth street.
Every night in the week she devotes to
the cause of religion. She is a public
speaker, and a very enthusiastic woman
in the ranks. Mrs. Chambers has Just
passed middle life She is not particular
ly striking in her looks, and yet she has
pleasant face.
In view of the fact that she is such
religious woman her friends were Consid-
! eIably shocked yesterday afternoon when
she instituted proceedings for divorce
against Alexander j. Chambers in the
Alameda Superior court. The filing of the
complaint recalled a most remarkable
story in connection with the woman's life
| Alex Chambers was a well-knOwn citi-
| zen of North Oakland, and had a wRle
circle of friends. In 1889 he saw a
chance TO go to South America and make
a stake. He decided his fine home to his
| wife and sailed away He madea great deal
! cry month he used to send his wife 500
for her expenses. As the couple had no
! children this seemed to be very liberal
allowance. After toiling very hard for q
| couple of years Chambers made small
| fortune. He was said to be the happiest
man on earth. At that time ne was Just
| making a cleanup preparatory TO coming
to Oakland and joining his wife. But he
never came and there was reason for his
| absence. A dark shadow was cast over
! his life by reason of a letter received by
| him from a friend explaining ali his wlfes
| actions.
During his absence Mrs. Chambers be
! came very lonesome. She had never
! thought very much of religion One day
an old tramp happened to call at the
| house and asked for a bit to eat He was
not refused, and indeed he was given u
! little work at chopping wood. 1t hap
| pened that he carried a Bible, and this
excited the curiosity of Mrs. Chambers
| She talked with the tramp who gave his
| name as William Warner His WAYS
We're gentle and his voice soft audttender.
| He preached a new religion to Mrs Cham
! bers. She listened to his story, and
| seemed to be hypnotized. Indeed, she
! must have been under spell, for she in
/ vited the tramp to make his home in her
house. Day after day he preached to the
lady of the house on the new religion,
| and she became a convert and an admirer
| of the tramp
In the meantime Warner was living in
| luxury at the Chambers home, never doing
a stroke of work but spending in the
most approved manner the money sent by
the husband in South America for the
support of his wife. One day he sug-
gested to Mrs. Chambers that they get
married. There seemed to be barrier in
the way in the person of Mr.. Chambers.
AT,vaf >
band in South America did not count be-
cause his religion did not recognize any
ceremony performed by man. His mar
riages We're all spiritual ones, and so Mrs.
Chambers and William Warner were
married under the new religion. The
ceremony was short Il take thee for
my spiritual husband. " said she. Il take
thee for my spiritual WISE said he.
So they were married, and the nature
of the ceremony was told to the people.
The conduct of the parties seemed to be
50 sCandalOuS that the neighbOrS pro
| tested, and there was considerable talk
about mobbing the tramp The neighhOrs
did not go a cent on the tramp or his new
religion At last the people in the north
ern part Of the city sent un 4nimous pro-
test to the district attorney, and that Of
fetal caused the arrest of Warner on a
charge of vagrancy He was promptly
convicted of the charge and sentenced to
serve six months in the county Jail The
tramp served his time and said never
word When asked how he liked prison
! life he would simply reply, Christ was
/ prosecuted -
| Mrs. Chambers, however, remained
/ faith full to her spiritual husband When
/ he was released from prison she was at
/ the door to meet him with open arms, and
/ they went away together and have since
/ been living up to their new religion.
Alexander Chambers heard of the new
/ religion and the tramp, and that is why
/ he has never returned to Oakland. He
/ has madea fortune, but he lost his wife
/ Now Mrs. Chambers says he has deserted
! her, and she wants an absolute divorce.