The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-02-25
Mr.. AND MRS. CAHILL
Theirs Has Been Quite a Sensational
Matrimonial Career.
STRANGE THINGS DEVELOP
Her First Husband Is In the PenI-
Tertiary and Her Second. Also
In Jail. Tells How 1t All
anne to Pass.
STRANGE THINGS DEVELOP

An interesting and somewhat sensa-
tional matrimonial mixture is involved
in suit brought in the district cour,
yesterday by Mrs. Rhodah . F.sEnox
against John Cahill for the annu,l,ye nt
of an alleged fraudulent maria pc ,eere-
mony Mrs. Knox relates in her com
plant that she has been a resident of
Montana for more than two years mast
In 1883 at Richmond, Cache county.
Utah, she married William Knox. In
| November. 1891, her husband was con-
| victed in Missoula Of manslaughter for
the killing of one George Searles and
was sentenced to the penitentiary for
| 10 years and he is now serving his
time. About the time of his trial Mrs.
| Knox, IL is alleged, consulted one of
her husbands attorneys for the pur-
| pose OF finding out whether or not she
| could obtain n divorce, and the LAWYER
| Informed her that if her husband re-
NAMED In the penitentiary for three
years she would need no divorce. as
that fact itself would release her from
| all obligations of the marriage
Relying on such information from
the attorney, says Mrs. Knox, and
without any knowledge to the con-
trary she allowed a marriage ceremony
to be performed between herself and
the defendant John Cahill, in Butte on
Nov. Is, 1895. Now she Is Informed
and believes that Cahill was aware at
the time of the ceremony that she
was incapable of contracting a legal
marriage; that he was apprised of the
fact that she never had a divorce from
her former husband, and that she is in
formed and believes that Cahiu with
held his knowledge from her for the
sole and only purpose of inducing her
fraudulently to become his wife. She
Sh ha ,l,fI
mer husband-two girls and one boy.
aged 3, and years respectively-who
are dependent on her for support She
asks the court for a decree annulling
the marriage and to relieve her from
all obligations by reason of the cere-
mony and to compel the defendant to
pay her 500 counsel fees. The sum-
mons and copy of the complaint were
served on the defendant in the county
jail, where he is serving a short sen
tence for assaulting his wife, Mrs
Knox.
Now I'll tell you all about this
thing" said Cahill TO a Standard re-
porter who called on him in Jail 1--WE
lived up in the Flathead country when
her husband was arrested for killing
Searles. 1 lived on a ranch with my
uncle, and this woman, she comes over
TO me crying and she asks me to hunt
up her horses and did so. Says she,
she has no money TO pay me, you see,
and l says all right, don't want no
money for I got money of my own;
and so she asks me to stay with her
a few weeks because she was afraid TO
stay alone. My uncle, he gets hot be-
cause / goes over there, and then
stays on my own ranch and she comes
over there. Then she gets into trouble
and wants me to marry her and she
sees lawyer at Kalispell and asks
her getting divorce and he tells her
not. 1 then comes to Butte with a
friend of mine. That was in the latter
part of last June. One day when we
was walking up the street, we meets
this woman. She wanted to know II 1
would marry her and l told her 1
would not until she fixed up
the other matter-that is, get a divorce
from her husband. Then I fixes up a
house for her and puts her in it and
we lived there until she had me ar
rested. She always asked me to mar
~ her and finally L consented and we
were married last November. We got
along all right until 1 suspected she
was not doing the right thing, so
week ago last Friday night, was not
feeling well and 1 asked the shift boss
TO let me off. j went home and looked
n at the window and saw Luke Gill;
gan in there with my wife. watched
hem through the curtain until they
vent into her room and turned down
he light. After waiting a little while ,
went into the kitchen and my wife
'ushed out and asked me what was
he matter She was nervous and ex-
'ited and i asked her what was the
natter with her. Then looked around :
md found the man standing behind
he door. I says to him, What are you
Icing hereY and he says he was wait /
ng for Shea. l told him the best thing
le could do was to get out, and he
'ot. The next morning l told the wo-
nan she could get out too, and she
vent and had me arrested for ASSAULT 4,
ng her, but, so help me. never
ouched her. Gilligan put her up to :,
/, know. for he told a friend of mine 7
hat ne was going to get rid OF me-"
Cahilrs time will be up to-day and h
e declares he will fight the suit. He
aid he did not mind having the mar
iage annulled. but he'd be BANKED IL
ed pay her 500 for attorneys fees.
he marriage license record shows that Q
n Nov 10. 1895. license was issued
D John Cahill aged 81 and "Roda +. n
,idgeway" aged 80 and that they were =
iarried on the same day by NJ L. Hol- r
Ind, justice of the peace. The license
acord further shows that the woman
ad not been previously married.
idgeway was Mrs. Knox's maiden
anne.