The San Francisco call., 1897-01-21
GAY IN NAME
AND CHARACTER
Arrest of W. B. Gay of
Alameda on a Charge
of Bigamy.
Warrant Sworn to by a Woman
Who Says She Is
His Wife.
Her Peculiar Story Tod to Justic
Morris in Court Yes.
terday.

ALAMEDA, CAL, Jan. 2o.-W. B. Gay
is locked in the City Prison charged with
bigamy. Mrs. Nellie Gay, his wife from
Pueblo, Colo., who claims to be wife num-
Der three, appeared this morning before
Justice Morris and related her experience.
The Justice made a flying trip to the
District Attorneys office and then tele-
phoned to Chief of Police Rogers to
take Gay into custody. Officer Gum VS.
lted Gays residence at 2901 Alameda
avenue, and placed the young man under
srrest. He made no statement but &C.
companied the officer without comment
Later the present Mrs. Gay called at the
station and visited him. When seen this
afternoon she refused positively to say a
word. She is staying at the home of Mrs.
Lucy Knight, who is a distant relative.
She did not appear to be very much con-
. cerned as to the outcome of the case.
Mrs. Gay from Pueblo wept bitterly
when she signed the complaint, and de-
clared that she loved the man better than
her li1e, but she could not permit him TO
rum any more lives than he already had.
In telling her story Mrs. Gay said:
I had been q wiQow for a period of seven
years after the death OF my first husband. After
knowing Mr. Gay for nearly year ! married
him. He had loved and petted my daughter
GduAt 80 tHdi lnOuBuL IuSE6 never MOuAu DS
the least trouble, Imagine my surprise when
within six hours of our marriage he told NE
he was the boss of the house, and he abused
little Sadie shameiully. l lived with him Tor
five months, and then left him because he
kicked the child.
He left for the West, and I was soon taken
10 the hospital While there be wrote me and
lold how he loved me and wanted me to come
10 MIN. He knew I was destitute and could
not go anywhere. Drs Berry and Rice wrote
to him to send me funds, and then never saw
heard of him until TODAY.
When / found out what he was began an
investigation He was born at Summit Sta
tion, y. J. l wrote to the PoStmes ter, VINO
told me that he lived with his first wife just
six weeks. The noble grand OF the odd Fell
lows lodge wrote that he beat her so that she
LETT him. I accused him of This, and he said
he was divorced after denying the marriage
until he found l knew all. He married the
second time before his first wife was dead
This union brought forth three children-Ora
Claude and Mamie. His house burned down
and he left them without a cent aud went to
Syracuse. Here he took up with lhlrd
woman, Mamie Holmes, and lived with her
for three years The noble grand stated that
he abused and chOked her until ne was placed
in jail. This broke his poor old father up,
and he is now sufferer from a stroke of
paralysis, said to have been brought on by the
boys misdolng. This is all in writing and can
be produced at the proper time.
My name before marriage was Nellie Edeau
and my first husband was an Odd Fellow ana
Woodman of the World, while was a Re bekah
and member of the Woodmen grove. l am
alsO me ethO@F oI Tue CHFlstLsH CHulcH VI
Pueblo and willing to have my life ex-
amined into. He will tell any and everything,
presume, as he has OF his other wives. He
told me tat he would tell that he be-
came acquainted with me through a neWspa-
per advertisement, and married me after
knowing me less than q month, but l can
prove that to be false. l sb all certainly punish
him for his I'll treatment OF my daughter and
me- When l confronted him at tie mouse this
afternoon he threw up his hands ana ex-
Claimed, ''Oh Nellie, Nellie, my wifel"
answered with, ooh, here is your forgakeu
wife tracing you 10 your den." He acted as if
to strike me- but 1 stepped back and said
"Dou't dare strike me, am protected" Then
he looked to see ii any one was around and
begged me to have 8 quiet talk. He denied
being married and said he would explain all
l declined the offer and asked the young
woman with him If she was going to stay with
him. She declared that she would. On leav-
ing he asked me if loved him, and declared
that he loved me. ! spurned him and told
him not to mention love 10 me.