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 IL and Buried II.

COMFY ISLAND, N. Y. April 70
Tit latest sensational gossip among the
people of reformed Coney Island. Is the
death of Billy Island. a theatrical n
circus who died here Sunday
night OF pneumonia.
His body has been the bone of conten-
tion between three women, a 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 ave
been here the dead mans father. a
wealthy manufacturer near Merlden.
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 fathe came In contact
with the contending alleged widows. he
Charles Island and his sister, however,
remained, and yesterday a quiet funeral
was held over the remains at the Sey-
mour III Hotel, Of which the deceased
Thu body was placed In the cemetery
at Gravesend, where It will remain until
this Fall. Then the scandalized relatives
will have the body quietly removed to
Meriden and Inferred there In the fam
lily vault.
Island attended the siddons-Loeber set
to In New York a week ago. He caught
cold, and pneumonia resulted. DR.. Hill
attended him during his four days i'll.
ness.
Nellie. a concert-hall singer, whose
Island 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 /.
said to be a very respectable woman. OF
Brooklyn, came here and claimed to bt
Islands widow.
Smith and Nellie" which resulted ir
the temporary defeat Of the former
The following morning a young woman
Said she mar he'd f fTisntY N e? Nsw S1d VIII h
J.: Feb, s, 1891, and that she lived II
Flatbush. arrived on the scene. Sh,
and "Flossie" held a council Of war
mour CUB Hotel. where isisnd's b sey
There they met Nellie. the concer
o onn su sanSe at the sw'P soor the to see New thst th wa'
was no disturbance. The moment Mel
lie saw the new claimant a wordy wal
ensned, which was loud n v%ituperops
, Newsboy prevented a fist night. II,
} boldly hustled the three women into tn,
! street and locked the corpse securely In
1HOukH ZIG tlIct ~O1ntH Chained Z
. be widows of Island. the only one WIN
) positively declared that she possessed
, certificate Of marriage was Annie, tn
: young, red-haired New York girl.
She is now staying at Hunts Highlan
e View Hotel
Eddie Loeber. the pugilist, who. witt
Swipes the Newsboy. assisted at tn,
funeral out Of sympathy, for Annie, pro
cured a carriage and she was above,
to accompany the body to Gravesen,
Cemetery. She. with the brother an,
sister of h deceased, were the onl.
mourners.
Owing to the fact thai Island die
, before the arrival of a spiritual advisor
he died without the last rites of tn
Catholic Church, and in consequence
I the privilege OF a church burial wa
!, denied him..
! A simple prayer by Charles Islam,
) marked the only burial. ceremony at
tendant upon the funeral of one Of tn
I best known men among concert hal
= people in the country.
; A large and curious crowd filled Taa
CARTS avenue yesterday afternoon an
: saw Islands body start for the GENE
n terry.
: "Nellie'' and "Flossie' Smith, discom
2 flied and weeping, stood among tn
: crowd. but they offered no violence.