The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-08-25
CLAIMED BY TWO
Burglar Wilson's Wives
Have a Stormy Meeting
in the County Jail.
REpUDATES HIS LEGAL SPOUSE
Other Woman Eloped With
Him Six Months Ago Leav-
ing Husband and
Children.
REpUDIATES HIS LEGAL SPOUSE

There was an exciting scene in the
County Jail yesterday afternoon when
two women met, each claiming to be the
wife of Charles Wilson, the burglar, who
is locked up there. Wilson is one of the
trio who committed wholesale burglaries,
llooting shoe stores and clothing houses in
New York, Brooklyn, Newark and else
where. They robbed Douglas shoe store
in his city and that brought them to
grief. The story of how they were clever
W captured by Detectives Larkins and
Prescott was printed recently. Wilson.
whose right name is Cornelius Woods,
has pleaded guilty and will give evidence
for the State at the trial of his con-
federates, John Mahaney alias Jack
Sheppard and John Mcintyre, who is also
Known as George Edwards.
A good looking, stylishly dressed
woman, who represented herself as Will
sons wife, has been devoted in her at
tentions to him since his arrest. She
visited him at the County Jail every day
and spent several hours talking to him
through the bars of his cell door. While
she was visiting him yesterday afternoon
another woman. VIC was accompanied
by a female friend, called at the Jail and
asked to see Wilson.
You can't see him now, said Miss
Rose Murray, the matron, This wife is
with him.
His wifer' exclaimed the visitor, ewny
I am his wife and / insist on seeing him
and the brazen hussy whoever she is who
claims to be his wife"
The indignant woman produced her
m rria pQ qartifoo+n u. = ,,1af 4Lax-L~
was what she claimed to be and Matron
Murray was convinced. The matron sent
word to Wilson that his wife wanted to
see him. He sent work back that he
didn't want to see her and wouldn't see
her. The other woman was then brought
downstairs and confronted with the law
full wife. Mrs. Wilson recognized her as
Mrs. Ella Leighton, who had abandoned
her own husband and three children and
eloped with Wilson about six months ago.
Mrs. Wilson angrily upbraided the other
woman n expressed her opinion of her
in vigorous language.
Mrs. Leighton retorted in equally strong
language, and if Matron Murray had not
kept them apart there would have been
a fierce scrap Matron Murray in
formed Mrs. Leighton that hereafter she
would not be allowed to see Wilson more
than twice a week and then for only hall
an Jour a time. Mrs. Wilson cannot see
her husband at all, because he refuses 10
see her and there is no law to compel
him to receive her.
Mrs. Wilson is a very respectable look
ing woman. She is a raine nurse and
supports herself and her two children.
She said yesterday that Mrs. Leighton
broke up her home.
She and her husband were friends OF
ours" said Mrs. Wilson, and she came
To see US frequently. She professed the
greatest friendship for me and always
kissed me afreetionately when she came
TO the house and when she went away,
1t was not until she and my husband
eleped six months ago that 1 suspected
her ~treachery or that there was anything
between them. Why. on the day they
disappeared she brought her three hill
dren to my house and left them there.
Their father took charge of them after
ward"
After Wilson was locked up in the
County Jail, Mrs. Leighton, who had been
living with him in Newark. hired a fiat
at No. 1873 Boulevard, so as to be near
him. She is on the verge of maternity.
She admitted TO Matron Murray yester-
day that she was not Wilson'S wife and
that the other woman was.