Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1897-09-25
HAS TWO WIVES.

Enoch Arden did not suffer as
strange an experience at ]. NJ. Shelly,
a well-to-do mechanic of Richmond,
who holds responsible position in the
Richmond Locomotive Works. In
1891 he married young girl in Hall.
fax, North Carolina, and moved to
Newport News, where he had a good
position. She proved to be maynard,
and he left Newport News, and went
10 Norton. She wrote to him for for
giyeness, and returned to him with
an infant in her arms. Mr.. Shelly lost
mis- position at Norton, and went to
Richmond in search of employment.
He secured work at the Richmond
Locomotive Works, and wrote to his
wife. No reply came, but in few
days he received telegram, which
stated that his wife was very i'll. He
replied by wire, and asked what was
the matter, but no immediate reply
came. Then letter came from the
hotel at which his wife vas boarding,
written on mourning paper, and en-
closed in an envelope with the ominous
black borders, stating that Mrs. Shelly
had passed away, and was lying at rest
in the village cemetery. Mr.. Shelly
accepted this report as fact, and made
no further inquiry into the matter.
This was in the fall of 1891, and for
three years he mourned his wife as dead.
He had in the meantime been work
ing at the locomotive works, earning
good salary, and saving large part Of
it. He grew weary of lone life, and
on August 9, 1894, he married his pres
emit wife. young lady of Albemarle
county, and up to within a few days,
nothing but the sunshine of happiness
had shone upon them. He received a
message from the dead. A note came
to BIN, purporting to be from his wife,
whom he supposed dead. She request
ed an interview, and gave her address.
An emotional interview ensued. She
stated that she had been living a way
ward life, and desired to continue to
so live, but that as she understood Mr..
Shelly was making good salary, she
wanted some of it. She stated further
that she purposely deceived him regard
ing the story of her death.
The man consulted a lawyer, and the
result was that paper was drawn up,
which the woman signed, renouncing
all claim on him. With light heart
Mr.. Shelly took the paper and slowed
it away in the bottom of his trunk, be-
lieving that through that paper he had
obtained a legal separation from his
first wife.
A message came to Mr.. Shelly to
come at once to the works. A carriage
with two women therein awaited him.
They were his first wife and com.
panion. He was requested to get into
the carriage and accompany them. He
did 30, and the party proceeded to the
house at which the woman was stopping
on Fifteenth street. He was given
several glasses of liquor and in short
while was half intoxicated, and lay on
a convenient bed, where he slept un-
easily through the night. In the
meantime his present wife passed the time in
fear and trembling. EARLY Thursday morn.
ing she arose, and with nervous hands looked
through his trunk, and found the signed
agreement that her husband had placed there
She seized it eagerly and read it through,
and then, drying her eyes, she hastily dress.
ed herself and repaired to the police station
with the tell. tale paper and her own mar
rage certificate. She told her story, and
stated that she feared her husband had left
her, and she wanted advice as to what action
to take. Mrs. Shelly was pacifed, however,
and returned home, and an officer soon found
Mr.. Shelly, who had hardly awakened from
his long slumber.
The pair were confronted with the evi.
dence as given by Mrs. Shelly No. 2, and all
the facts as related above we're brought out
The woman acknowledged in the presence o.
the captain, the sergeant and the common.
veslth's attorney that she hao purposely de
ceiyed Mr.. Shelly about the alleged death,
md also that she had been living life which
she desiie ed to continue.
After reviewing the case, the officers found
that there was no one willing to bring charges
against Mr. Shelly, and as one marriage was
entered into in North Carolina and the other
IN Albemar,e county, the case was beyond
the Jurisdiction of the courts of Richmond, SO
Mr.. and Mrs. Shelly No. 1 returned to their
residence i'll Newport News yesterday. An
,1pla cation of the case, in which Mr.. Shelly |
$ shown to have done nothing wrong inten-
,ionally. satisfied Mrs. Shelly No. 2.
Earthquake shocks we're felt in sew
,ral cities in Maine at 1:01 this after