The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-05-02
DEATH REVEALS HIS SECRET
HAD BEEN QUIETLY DIVORCED
AND REMARKED.
His First Wife and Their Daughter
Ignorant of the Claim Another
Woman Had Upon
Him.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

WOODLAND, May lon Thursday
of last week two women arrived from
the south on the evening train and
registered at a hotel in this city under
the names of Miss Stearns and sister
Both We're young and comedy, but
traces of grief had chastened the feat
ures of one and she was clad in the
habiliments of deep mourning. On the
following afternoon they departed as
quietly as they came. During their
brief stay they were so reserved in
manner and speech that only two or
three persons learned the purpose of
their visit, or surmised its sorrowful
import After the lapse of several days
a rumor gained circulation that their
mission concerned the name and repu-
tation of a former Woodlandite, who
recently died and was buried with i'm
posing honors The story has been
verified and it discloses a chapter in
his life, strange and sensational, and
the existence of which was unknown to
his wife and child and most of his in
innate friends.
On the 9th of March Harry Smith
died of pneumonia in Ration, New Mex
leo. He was a member of Sacramento
Lodge No. 1913 of the Order of Elks
The body was brought to Woodland
and buried with imposing ceremonies
by the Elks. The funeral services be-
gan at the residence of Mrs. Culver,
mother-in-law of the deceased, and his
first wife and daughter were the chief
mourners. Neither of them suspected
that any other woman in the world
claimed the relation of wife to him.
Two or three intimate friends knew
of his secret but were willing that it
should be buried in the grave with him
if thereby his widow and child could
be spared anguish and humiliation.
The demure little woman, who tried to
avoid notoriety by registering as a sis
ter to Miss Stearns. was armed with a
marriage certificate which atteSted the
regularity of her marriage to Harry
Smith The object of her visit was to
plant flowers and make arrangements
for the erection of a monument over
his grave.
Harry Smith and Miss Alice Trip
were married in this city in 1881. Their
only daughter is almost grown. SO far
as their neighbors knew their relations
were never particularly strained. Their
domestic infelicities We're not more
than are ordinarily allotted to man
kind.
In May, 1879. Sheriff Griffin went to
Denver with a requisition for Sproute
and Pinkey, two escapes wanted in this
county. He was accompanied on the
journey by Harry Smith. On the re-
turn trip Nj. Smith and wife No.
met for the first time. Miss Haidee
Stearns, who had just graduated from
college in her native State of Penn
sylvana, was a passenger on the same
train, on her way to visit brother in
San Francisco and relatives in Los
4 N 7 Smith "
from California she inquired if he knew
her brother. That chance conversation
was the beginning of an acquaintance
that eventually developed into a mu-
tual attachment At Sacramento they
separated but Mr.. Smith and Miss
Stearns thereafter cOrreSponded regu-
larly and met frequently. In the mean
time Mr.. Smith formed the acquaint-
ance of DR.. StearnS, a specialist, and
the two entered into a partnership for
the sale of eyeglasses.
Last July Mr.. Smith took wife No.
and daughter to San Francisco to spend
the summer In the latter part of the
month he gave it out that he was go
ing to the Klondike country. To
friend whom he met in Sacramento he
said he was not feeling well and was
going to Bartlett Springs to spend a
few weeks Instead he and Dr. Stearns
went to Victoria, B. c. From that
point DR.. StearnS telegraphed his sister
to join them When she arrived Mr.
Smith wanted her to marry him. She
had learned that he was a married
man and refused to marry him unless
he could show that he had been duly
divorced. They separated, Mr. Smith
going to North Dakota and DR. StearnS
and his sister continuing to travel to-
gether. Mr. Smith applied for di-
Vorce in the courts of North Dakota
1t was granted in a short time and he
telegraphed for DR.. Stearns and his sis
ter, who joined him in South Dakota,
where license was procured and they
were regularly married. They after
ward returned to the Pacific Coast,
where they continued to travel. In the
month of February they again sepa-
rated at Ell Paso. Texas, DR. Stearns
and Mr.. Smith going to Ration, New
Mexico. and Mrs. Smith to Los Angeles.
At Ration Mr.. Smith was taken quite
sick and died rather suddenly.
Immediately after his death the Elks
at Sacramento were notified and on
their orders the body was shipped to
Sacramento Mrs. Smith No. 2 arrived
in that city shortly after the body and
saw the undertaken preparing it for
burial A mutual friend learned of her
presence and explained to her that no
body in Woodland knew of his divorce
and second marriage. She was pre-
vailed on not to attend the funeral and
consented to defer her visit to this city
until such time as her presence would
not cause any suspicion. Her inten-
ton was to come and go quietly. so
there should be no scene or scandal
but the story has leaked out and this
publication will no doubt create a pro-
found sensation among the friends of
the deceased, to most of whom this will
be the first intimatiOn that Harry
Smith led a dual life.