The San Francisco call., 1896-04-01
For Thirty Years He Had Lived
With One and Corresponded
With the Other.
BOTH AFTER HIS PROPERTY.
Letters cf Administration Granted to
the First Wife-Cons spiracy Is
Alleged.

SANTA ROSA, CAL, March S1-A re-
markable story of the double marriage of
an old resident of this county and the de-
ception of two women for nearly thirty
years was brought out in the Superior
Court here yesterday. 1t was revealed by
the application of Louisa Bachelder for
letters of administration on the estate OF
Joseph E. Bachelor.
The deceased was well-known charac-
ter OF Guerneville and left an estate, con-
sisting of five or six houses and lots in
that town, valued at about $4,000. From
the rental of these houses "OId Batch"
and Granny Batch" as they were COM
monty called, derived a comfortable living
for many years. They have no children,
and when the old gentleman died, leaving
no will, Granny" considered herself the
sole heir. Her CONSERVATION when con-
fronted by another aged lady claiming to
be the old mans legal wife can be imag-
ined.
The newcomer produced the documents
proving that Lucy Steel and James f.
Bachelor We're legally united in mar
riage in the State of Wisconsin during the
year 1S49. She further proved that they
had lived as man and wife for fourteen
years, having as issue of the marriage two
children, From letters IN the possession
of wife No. it was found that regular
correspondence had been kept up between
her and Bachelor from the time he left
her, in 1864, to the year 1891. After "Old
Batch" ceased writing to her she started
for California and took UP her residence in
San Francisco. Mrs. Bachelor then be-
came aware OF her husband 8 second matri-
monial venture, but made no effort to
separate him from his second wife.
| Wife No. 2 has records to prove that she
was married to the old man IN 1867.
On the showing made the court granted
the letters of administration to wife No. 1.
Now the second Mrs. Bachelor proposes
to bring suit to declare the property in the
hands OF the Administrative trust for the
plaintiffs benefit, on the grounds that her
money bought the property in dispute.
Mrs. Bachelor No. l was represented by
Attorney Thomas Bachelor of San Fran
cisco, and the interests of No. were il
the hands of Attorney T.. J. Butts of this
City. From the latter gentleman the
plaintiffs contentious in the coming suit
are learned. She will admit the first mar
riage and its legality, and declare that the
second marriage was a deep-laid plot on
the part of the, dead man and his brother.
the attorney, to gain possession of the
property now being fought over, or the
money that purchased it.
According to her story, when "Old
Batch" had crossed the plains and landed
in San Francisco in 1864 he was the posses
sor of property valued at several thousand
dollars. This he decided to his brother
Thomas. the attorney TAKING tho lotfar,,
note for $4oU0-whlch, by the way. was
never paid. This was done, it is alleged,
to defraud the second wife.
Shortly after this Louisa Lorenson
applied to Attorney Bochelan for legal
assistance in obtaining a divorce from
Peter Lore nson. The divorce was success
fully obtained and the court awarded
Louisa $50 month alimony. About four