The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-05-09
GAY DECEIVER FIFE.
He Could Not Keep Track of
Wives and Sweethearts.
THEY BECAME TOO NUMEROUS.
So He Left Suddenly, and . Sweet
Seattle Miss and Several Trades.
men Mourn.

E. P. Fife, a middle-aged man, who was
employed at 0. w. Lynch Il Co.'S furni-
ture store. on Front street, left the city
suddenly about three weeks ago, and SUBJ
sequent developments show him to have
been something of Lothario. That he is
gay deceiver is sorrowfully believed by
young lady whose name frequently ap-
pears in society notes.
Fife came to Seattle last October, or
thereabouts, and went to work for Mr..
Lynch. He represented himself as mar
ried man, but when he was invited to
bring his wife to the house of his
employer he put it off by saying that
she had gone East. Not long
after this Mr.. Lynch received a
letter from a wealthy man, who lives in
Assiniboia. Northwest territory, Canada,
stating that Z. P. Fife, who he understood
was working for him, wanted to marry
his (the writer's) daughter and he desired
Mr.. Lynch to give his estimate of Mr..
Flies character.
Mr.. Lynch told Fife about this letter and
asked him about his former tale OF married
life. Fife was not nonplussed but un-
blushingly explained that me was joking
when ne spoke of his wife having gone
East. In truth he said, she had died in
California short time before he
came to Seattle and he had married
the girl of whom the letter spoke
secretly. She had been his wife's nurse.
and the marriage came so near the death
of his wife that the bride had not thought
it safe to make the matter known for fear
of parental objections. Then he admit
ted that the girl in question
a.
that he went to see her quite often. Things
went along quietly until three weeks ago
yesterday morning, when Mr.. Fife did not
come to work. III the afternoon, how
ever, pretty girl, we'll and favorably
known in Seattle, came into the store and
asked: 'Mr. Lynch, did you discharge
Mr.. Fife last Saturday."
II did not" was the reply, "but he has
not come to work and l do not know
where he is Why do you ask? 2"
SWELL" replied the pretty girl as she
sank down on sofa, 81 live at the same
place he did. and last Saturday afternoon
an expressman came and took away all his
things"
"Was he of any special interest to your"
asked Mr.. Lynch, as the previous compli-
cations of Mr.. Flies domestic and con-
templated domestic affairs arose before his
eyes.
"Well, he is or was," and as the tears
rolled down her cheeks she managed to
say, II was to be married to him the 9th
of this month"
Mr.. Lynch came near fainting himself,
and lost all track Of the marriages, deaths
and engagements In face of the new de-
velopment Then he told the
girl little history, and she wrote
to Flies sister in Minneapolis.
Then she learned that Flies wife did
not die in California, but that he deserted
her and left with a woman who had been
acting as her nurse. Who he took with
him when he left here is not known, but
it is thought to be a woman In Everett
whom he went to see every Sunday while
here. He was last heard of in Spokane,
where he applied to che Washington Feed
Company for position.
He owes Albert Schlossmacher, the
James street tailor. for a suit Of clothes.
the MacDougall & Southwick Company a
bill of $ll and McCiaire. the photographer,
would like pay for dozen cabinet photo,
graphs.