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.

COMFY ISLAND. N. Y. April 90
The latest sensational gossip among the
people of reformed Coney Island, Is the
death of Billy Island. a theatrical and
circus manager. who died here Sunday
night of pneumonia.
His body has been the bone of conten-
ton 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 lead mans father. a
wealthy manufacturer heal Meriden,
Conn: his brother, Charles Island,
about to become a priest, and a sister.
all to claim the body and take 1t 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 n 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
this Fall. Then the scandalized relatives
will have the body quietly removed to
"'N NHN ~ wv aiil
lily vault.
Island attended the siddons-I.oeber set
to In New York a week ago. He caught
cold. and pneumonia resulted. Or. Hill
attended him during his four days i'll
ness.
Nellie. n ooncert-hall singer. whose
other name Is unknown here, lived with
Island and claimed to be his wife. She
and Swipes the Newsboy were the only
ones present during the last hours OF
! Mondav night "EIoesio s,,itb -, ,ho d,
said to be a 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
J.. Feb, s, 1891, and that she lived in
F%latbnsh, arrived on the scene. She
and "Flossie" held a council of war,
mour Club Hotel, where Islands body
lay.
There they met Nellie. the concert
hall singer. Swipes the Newsboy was
on guard Mt the door to see that there
was no disturbance. The moment Mel
lie saw the new claimant n wordy war
Only the Intervention OF swipes the
Newsboy prevented a fist fight. He
boldly hustled the three women into the
street and locked the corpse securely in.
1 49," ~ tIi'V- ~ "
be widows OF Island. the only one who
positively declared that she possessed a
certificate OF marriage was Annie, the
young, red-haired New York girl.
She Is now staying at Hunts Highland
View Hotel
Eddie Loeber, the pugilist, who. with
funeral out of sympathy for Annie, pro-
cured a carriage and she was allowed
to accompany the body to Gravesend
Cemetery. She, with the brother and
sister of the deceased, were the only
mourners.
Owing to the fact that Island died
before the arrival Of a spiritual advisor,
he died without the last rites OF the
Catholic Church. and in consequence
the privilege of a church burial was
denied him.
A simple prayer by Charles Island
marked the only burial ceremony at
tendant upon the funeral of one OF the
best known men among concert hall
people in the country.
A large and curious crowd filled Tag
CARTS venue yesterday afternoon and
saw Islands body start for the ceme-
terry.
Nellie" and "Flossie" Smith, discom-
fitted n weeping. stood among the
crowd. but they offered no violence.