The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-05-10
DIDN'T KNOW He
WAS DIVORCED
Surprise for a San Ra-
fael Deacon.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

SAN RAFAEL, May 9.-The "hoodoo
organ" of the First Methodist Church
Of this city, which broke up a revival
meeting a few weeks ago and came near
dividing the church into factions, is in
directly responsible for the greatest
sensation ever sprung in local church
circles Contrary to his wish. and with
out his knowledge, the wife Of Deacon
w. w. Woodland, who took such a
prominent part in the revival inbroglio,
is alleged to have married another man
at Reno, New, the result being that the
deserted husband is grief-stricken and
the church members Mortified, While
Dame Grundy is rolling the story
around her tongue as a sweet morsel.
The first intimation of any trouble in
the Woodland family that reached the
public came at the time of the trouble
over the church organ during the late
revival. Deacon Woodland was attacked
by two Wrathful ladies, who declared
he had insulted them. In response the
deacon shed tears and dubbed the or
gan a "hoodoo," adding that it had
broken up his happy home and caused
his wife to absent herself on a visit
to relatives. Prior to that time Mrs.
Woodland was supposed to- be merely on
a WISH 10 neT sister, MIS- OW01lS, a.
Michigan Bar in CalaVeraS County.
A short time ago word reached the
family of B. Brenflick at San Anselmo
from a former resident of that village
named Clara Traxler that Mrs. Wood
ard had been divorced and remarked.
The news was kept quiet until 1t could
be verified and a letter was sent by one
of the members of the church to 5. &.
Shearer, the Recorder of WaShoe
was said to have taken place. In re-
Spouse Recorder Shearer said Emiline
Woodland had been married to Harry
Nightingale at Reno on July %, 1893,
Justice j. j. Linn performing the cere-
mony. The marriage was witnessed by
w. j. Barber and r. w Saunders.
The fact that the marriage took place
at Reno would show that the divorce
was granted in this State, but Deacon
Woodland asserted to-day he was as
ignorant of his wifes divorce and re-
marriage as the man in the moon,
and that no summons had ever been
served on him. Dispatches from Sacra-
mento and San Andreas, the county
seat of Calaveras County, elicit the in
formation that there is no record of the
divorce having been granted in either
county. This adds the element of mys-
terry to the affair even though Deacon
Woodland admitted recently to Silas z.
Stimson, a fellow church member, that
he had lately learned of the marriage
of his wife. Even to Stimson the dea-
con denied all knowledge Of a divorce.
Another peculiar fact in connection
with the affair is that four months ago
Mrs. Woodland visited the deacon here,
who thought himself still her husband,
but she took up her abode in a different
part of the house from that occupied
by him. She then returned to Michigan
Bar, taking the most of her wearing
apparel.
Deacon WoCdard's wife is a relative
of Mrs Mckee, a prominent society
woman of Oakland, and a sister of
Capitalist John D. Wright Her father
was the celebrated Bully" Wright
sea captain we'll known along the PaCi-
Coast years ago.