The San Francisco call., 1896-03-28
It LOOKS LIKE B|GAMY.
Benjamin C. Austin Jr. Charged
With Committing a Grave
Offense.
HE IS SHOWN UP IN A LETTER
The Chorister and Vio.inist Accused
of Trifiing With Two Con.
iding Women.
HE IS SHOWN UP IN A LETTER

One wife is said to be fully enough, and
sometimes too much, for man to handle,
but when there are two of them the hus-
band may as well resign himself to all the
horrors which so grave a violation of the
law involves.
BENJAMIN e. Austin Jr., who is well
known in town in the triple role of choris-
ter, violinist and insurance clerk, is a very
dashing young gentleman, at present re-
siding with his father, General Austin, at
11O4 Pacific avenue, Oakland In 1889 he
led to the altar Miss Fannie Oneida D-uf-
fel, and went with her to live in the Druf-
fel residence on Hyde street. Austin was
then earning about SIPS q month as clerk
in an insurance Office, but soon after
started in business by himself, doing better
by the change. But according to his wife's
complaint filed in an action for divorce,
which she commenced on February 8 of
this year, he began by degrees to drink to
excess. Theu, In 1893, he met Mrs. Will
cox, keeper of the Auzerais, or, as 1t was
afterward called the Annandale, a lodging
house on California street. The meeting
resulted in protracted tour wherein Mrs.
Austin did not figure, her spouse and Mrs.
Wilcox being the only voyageurs.
Something akin to repentance would
seem to have pricked young Austin's ten
der conscience some time in 1895. He
made overtures to his wife and she was
seriously thinking of forgiving her truant
husband and resuming loves young dream
so rudely interrupted. A letter prevented
her softening at this stage. Theietter was
as follows:
PUEBLO. November %, 1895.
Mrs. Austin-DEAR MADAM: received
letter from friend of mine from San Fran.
cisco few days ago in answer to letter had
xrrit ttor, har firnn in n q
go and see Ben's mother and find out where he
was. You, of course, know all, so it is no use
of me going into detail any further was
never so surprised as when she wrote he had
seen Bens wife and that he had never been
div orced. 1t is hard to believe: When | first
became acquainted wi him he told me he
had been married, but that he had to marry,
| and that he took to drinking and travel to
compel you to get divorce, and that you got
| it on the ground of intemperance, and even
| told me the court it was granted in and before
| what Judge and that could go and find out.
| 1t does not seem possible that he could tell
me such a falsehood. / should have thought
| If he was married man he would have been
afraid to play his game in Hold, for We were
| together so m UGH, and in fact he spent most
all of his time' at my house. Iwent to San
Francisco before we left Sacramento on our
| trip. l called at his fathers house about
| P. NJ to inquire for him.
He came to my friends house about P. NJ.
He wanted to know what kind of a looking
| said. Well, there is no use OF me writing you
any more on the subject. All ask of you is
| to please answer and let me know II you are
| really B. C. Austin Jr.'s wife. B. c. Austin
and / were married in Carson City, Nevada,
| the 21st day of June last, O'Clock in the
evening, by Judge Hawthorne. 1 have my
marriage certificate. also letter from the
County Recorder saying it was on record there.
| Ben also registered at the Nevada State Prison
on the visitors book as B. c. Austin and wife,
| on the 22d June. He must have felt rather
| shaky if he was already a married man when
| he married me, knowing that he had laid him.
| self liable to be put behind the bars. I am
only waiting to hear from you before do any,
| thing. 1 sent letter to Ben, to 1885 Hyde.
| Has he received it? Very respectfully,
BLANCH AUSTIN JR.
Pueblo, Colorado. 113 Second street.
p. SIS your name Oneida? l received g
| letter from Van Tarsel, friend of Ben, in
San Francisco, that Oneida USED to be old
| fame of Bens that he lived with. but that
San Francisco. Strange that Van Tarsel never
told me that Ben was married man.
He was to my home with Ben often. l under
stand Ben denied marrying me-. l can easily
prove our marriage. And that 1 was an ad
ventures and blackmailer, he would never
say that to my face. Of course, he had to say
than he. I can always return wherever have
lived and not have bill presented. l do not
owe one cent in San Francisco-that is more
than Ben can say, and defy tnat person liv-
ing who can say am either an adventures or
blackmailer and prove II.
After receiving this letter Mrs. Austin
No. sued for divorce, which was grant,
ed, the letter above copied being intro
duced in evidence. The cause alleged in
the complaint was failure to provide, the
petitioner stating that her husbands busi-
ness went to pieces through his dissipated
habits and that when he left her his only
income was IS a Sunday which he received
for singing in the choir of st. Patrick 8
Church. Thus far the allegation of big
amy contained in the Wilcox-Austin letter
has not been given any judicial attention.
Nine. de Brinvilliers had large blue eyes.