The San Francisco call., 1897-02-01
REVEALED HIS
=LIFE'S SECRETS
Bigamist Gay Breaks His
Silence and. Tells a Story
Full of Romance. =.
The Young Lady" ola Marriage
Bureau Was. an Aged
-: -. Woman. :. :. -;
He: Was Expected Ito Pay the
): Bill: for, Her: -Ex.Husband's F.:
~ III, Tom bstone. T.; =:
- : - a'c
OFFICE SAN FRANc1soo CALL, |

JUo DrOauWdy, Jan. OIL j.
A strange and romantic mystery sur
rounds the past life of. William B. Gay,
who is now in the county jail charged
with. bigamy.. .:'' ..::. .:
Ffom the first it has been apparent: to
detectives and all who conversed with him
that he is well-educated man, and no one
was able to draw from him the. history of
the past. THIS Afternoon he made public
document that contains some remarkable
and interesting statements:
\ Gaydeclares that he comes of g. family
that is Influential politically, and that. he
was a few years ago a man of wealth and
commercial standing. He still refuses to
say where his.parents are living. as he de-
cEares itwould break their hearts did they
know he was in distress.
. About ten days ago Gay was living in
Alameda with his wife, whom he married
short time ago. Without any warning q
woman from Colorado entered his house,
declared she was his wife and little later
caused his arrest for bigamy.
Among his other troubles Gay tells
OF his surprise when rendered a bill for
the headstone of his wife s previous hus-
band. Another amusing chapter is his
description of the surprise he was treated
to when he answered a young ladys"
matrimonial advertisement and found he
had accepted the proposal of woman old
enough to be his mother.
Gays strange tale, he says, would never
have been told had it not been for the
story of the lady from Colorado, which
was published some days ago.
Here is Gays little romance:
Every man must look out for himself,
and l. should not. have said a word in
sel:-defense had 1 not deemed it necessary
10 speak ana defend myself from the
statements of this woman from Colorado
at was in February or March of 1896 :,
while 1 was engaged in business at Ben
son Mines. N. V. that a copy OF the
Chicago World fell into my hands. 1t
publishes free correspondence column,
and while looking over this column one
day saw the following eIsonal:
.-wanted-Correspond by Christian
woman of Kind and loving disposition; he
must have means and live West OF the Missls-
sippi River; object matrimony.
MRS. NELLIE VANN, Washington, Ind
"In a spirit of fun 1 answered this ad,
and received a letter from the advertiser;
in which she stated that her name W as
Mrs Mile Edean, and that her home was
in Pueblo, Colo, and in her next letter
she begged me to hasten to- her at Wash
| ington, Ind; that she had been suddenly
| called to Pueb bio, and that she would like
to have the question settled before she
went home. did not GO, however, and
our correspondence was kept up. She
wrote very sweet and tender letters to me,
and praised herself up so very much that
L began to think she was a good Christian
woman. She sent me references, but
placed so much confidence in her that /
| would not write to them.
I'VE exchanged photographs. and her
picture was very good and pleasing. 1t
was the picture OF a young-looking
woman. Finally, however, b er letters be-
gan to assume vulgarity of which did
not dream her capable. and. although we
were engaged to be married, 1 did not ap-
| prove the language. We were to have
been married in tue fore part of Septe m
Der, but when l received those letters
became suspicious that all was not right
and / did not write so often, although re-
eeiving ore letter every day from her
Finally wroteto her asking postpone
ment OF the marriage. She refused tc
! SohSeHt ~ ~ iora even uay, saying tnat
must fulfill my promise or it would be the
worse for me.
Then came more of those tender and
loving letters until about the 10Th Of June
when one day word came to me that my
las; venture had failed. and the last cen
1 possessed in the world was. gone. In
moment of frenzy l at once telegraphec
to Pueblo that | should leave for ther,
the next morning. l must have beer
crazy, for all can remember was that
was escaping from a place where / hae
worked hard to live a true, honest ano
Christian life, but where l had lost ali