Evening journal., 1897-05-27
SAIDHE WASDRUCCED
Alleges He Was Married While
Under Influence of Opiates.
HAS A WIFE AND CHILDREN LIVING.
Charges That the Second wife Know of
That Fact When She Took Him as
Her Husband-The Ceremony
Was a Blank to Him.

Was a Blank to Him.
Jersey City. May 27.-Gustave Herzig.
39 years old, a salesman for New
York cloak manufacturing house, was
arrested in Harrisburg on a charge of
bigamy and brought to this city.
The complainant in the case is Maud
Tcwsen, head saleswoman in cloak
factory at Lancaster, Pa.
Miss Towsen. or Mrs. Herzig, as she
claims to be, says she was married to
Herzig on the night Of April p last by
the Rev Arthur Randolph in Trinity
Methodist Episcopal church in Sussex
street.
Herzig, who has a wife and two chill
dren living in Harrisburg. says that If
he was married to Miss Towsen he has
no knowledge of the fact.
According to the story which Herzig
told Chief Of Police Murphy, he was
drugged and the ceremony was per-
formed while he was unconscious.
Herzig in the course of his business
called frequently at the place where
Miss Towsen was employed.
While there, he alleges. he first made
the acquaintance Of Miss Towsen. She
aspired to a position in a large cloak
house in New York and asked Herzig
so he says. to use his influence to place
her with the house with which he was
connected.
Obtains a Position For Her.
Herzig says that he returned to New
York and secured for Miss Towsen a
situation in a cloak manufacturing es-
tablshment.
He then notified her to come to New
York. and she arrived on the morning
of the 27th Of April. Herzig met her
at the railroad depot and they pro-
ceeded to Riverside drive to view the
Grant memorial ceremonies. After the
parade, Herzig alleges, they went to
hotel in Forty second street. the name
of which he doesn't remember, and had
dinner.
While here, Herzig asserts, Miss Tow
sen urged him to drink whisky, say
ing that the day had been cold and
raw and that he must need it, Herzig
says he is not in the habit of drinking,
but as he did feel chilly he assented and
drank three glasses Of liquor, the wom-
an drinking a similar quantity.
After drinking the liquor Herzig
says, he remembers nothing until the
morning Of the 2Sth. when he awoke in
room of the hotel with a splitting
headache.
He was then confronted with a GER
tificate of his marriage to Miss Towsen
signed by the Rev. Arthur Randolph.
He says he was thunderstruck, and
said:
why, Maud. you know I am married
and have two children. You have made
me commit bigamy"
He and Miss Towsen then went, to
Boston. While there, he says. Miss
Towsen received a telegram from her
father, James Towsen, from Harris
burg, telling her to come home as her
mother was very sick. Miss Towsen
took the first train for Harrisburg, and
Herzig accompanied her as far as New
York, where they parted.
Two days later. Herzig alleges, he re-
ceived a telegram from Miss Towsen
summoning him to Harrisburg. He
went and was met at the station. so he
says, by a tall young man. who said he
was his brother-in-law, Edward Tow
sen. Towsen had a carriage in waiting
and they proceeded to the Towsen
home, 1401 South Eleventh street. When
they arrived there. Herzig says he was
brutally assaulted by Towsen. his
brother James and another man whose
name Herzig forgets.
Beaten Into Inseniibility.
Herzig says they beat him into in
sensibility with clubs, and when he re-
covered consciousness he was in the
City hospital at Harrisburg. He was
quite badly used up. and when he left
the hospital he Immediately procured
warrants for the arrest Of Towsen and
his two sons.
They were arrested and said that
Herzig had come to the house per-
feet stranger and had insuted Mrs.
Towsen, who was sick in bed. They
said that they had given him severe
thrashing on this account.
The three men are now held by the
Harrisburg police on a charge of as
sault and battery preferred by Her
zig.
Herzig says he saw no more Of Miss
Towsen.
Miss Towsen came to this city last
week and swore out the warrant for
4 Herzig's arrest on a charge of bigamy
Justice Potts held him for examina-
tion.
The Rev. DR. Randolph Of Trinity
Methodist Episcopal church was seen
and he said that there seemed to b,
nothing the matter with the young mar
at the time of the marriage
"They came to the church on tn,
evening Of April % last and at tn,
time the young man seemed to be per
fectly rational" said the minister
"The young man gave me the usua
4 fee and turning to his bride kissed her
saying. 1t is my privilege, now HI
seemed to act like any other person. an,
I had no reason to suspect him Of any
thing extraordinary"
II