The evening world., 1894-04-26
ISLANDS 3 WIDOWS.
Each Claimed the Dead Coney
Island Managers Body.
SWipes the Newsboy Prevented a
Fist Fight Over the Corpse.
His Brother and Sister Finally Sc
cured 1t and Buried II.

CONEY ISLAND. N. Y, April 90
The latest sensational gossip among the
people of reformed Coney Island. Is the
death of Billy Island. theatrical and
circus manager who died here Sunday
night of pneumonia.
His body has been the bone OF conten-
tion between three women each OF whom
claimed to be his widow. while gossip
says that he had four others of the same
mind within ten miles of here who have
not yet shown up.
Besides the alleged widows. there have
been here the dead mans father, a
wealthy manufacturer near Meriden.
Conn; his brother. Charles Island.
about to become n priest, and n sister,
all. to claim the body and take II home
for burial.
The latter three arrived Tuesday, but
when Billy's father came In contact
with the contending alleged widows he
Immediately left for home in disgust.
Charles Island and his sister, however,
remained, and yesterday quiet funeral
was held over the remains at the Sey-
mour Club Hotel, of which the deceased
was part owner.
The body was placed in the cemetery
At Gravesend. where 1t will remain until
will have the body quietly removed to
Meriden and inferred there in the fam
Island attended the siddons-Loeber set
TO In New York week ago. He caught
cold and pneumonia resulted. DIR. Hill
attended him during his four days i'll
ness.
Nellie. a concert hall singer. whose
other name is unknown here. lived with
1sland and claimed to be his wife. She
and Swipes the Newsboy were the only
ones present during the last hours OF
Monday night "Flossie Smith," who is
said to be very respectable woman, OF
Brooklyn, came here and claimed to be
Islands widow.
A quarrel ensued between "Flossie
Smith" and "Nellie." which resulted in
the temporary defeat OF the former
The following morning a young woman
said she married Island in Newark, N
J.. Feb. s. 1891, and that she lived in
Flatbush, arrived on the scene. She
h and Flossie ,, held a council OF war,
winch resulted In march to the Sey-
woura Glsb Hotel, where Islands body
There they. met Nellie, the concert
on guard at the door to see that there
was no disturbance. The moment Mel
lie saw the new claimant a wordy war
Newsboy prevented fist fight. He
boldly hustled the three women into the
street and locked the corpse securely in
be widows of Island, the only one who
positively declared that she possessed
certificate OF marriage was Annie. the
She is now stayns seFfGs AZ s's Highland
View Hotel
Eddie Loeber, the pugilist, who. with
Gwipes f,nsra, the the NsWsboy assisted at the
cured a carriage and she was allowed
20 socdmpang the body to Gravesend
Cemetery. She. the brother and
s,s Saster OF the deceased, were the only
Owing, to the fact that Island died
pefore the arrival OF n spiritual adviser,
Catholic Church. and In consequence
the privilege Of church burial was
denied him.
a simple prayer by Charles Island
tendant upon the funeral OF one OF the
pest known men among concert hall
people in the country.
large and curious crowd filled Tag.
garts avenue yesterday afternoon and
saw Islands body start for the ceme-
Nellie" and "Flossie Smith" discom-
crowd. but they offered no Violence.
The history OF William Island is
ccheckered c one. He was born In Meriden,
ceived the good educa tlon that wealthy
parents could AFFORD him. He was mar
ried to a wealthy young woman OF
N.SA'uVib W, "hJlil, IL is Sd q, ne na1 a
son, now eleven years old.
islands prodigality precipltated dis
cord In his. family. and he finally clear
ed out and came to New York Since
then he is said to have married, or pre-
tended to. seven different women. The
majority OF the women are professional
concert hall singers
The hrst matrimonial venture after
leaving Meriden, is said to have been
Lliue Veigel, a respectable girl OF
GreenpOint, l.. l., but he left her shcrtiy
afterwards w
The next was a Mrs. Kelly, not very
OLD but widow, with six children.
ls.snd met her in WILLIAMSBURG
The Newark girl. who alleges that she
was married to him in 1891, is the sew
enth wife On the list She eioped With
MN and has never since been reconciled
to Der family.
Ihe young woman has led a precarious
existence ever since. Not long ago sh,
buried a child in Flatbush Cemetery. rs
the result Of her union with Island
m An n Evening World' reporter called
View Hotel to-day. She said:
was the only wife and am now the
only widow of Billy Island. | have a
cerlihcate at Flatbush to prove my
1T is said that he has been marr,cf
Is true in part, but ! am his true widow
Just the same. "'0"
He told me that he was divorced from
1he shrst woman he married in Meriden
have had letter from his sister a nr
she says that 1t Is true"
Mrs. Island says that Billy had n,
money anu that he was backed in ever,