The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-07-22
ANACONDA news.
IS A MODERN BLUE BEARD
Young Montanan Who Has Been
Married Six Times.
HARRY FRANKLIN ST. CLAIR
Now He Is in Jail at Rochester, N. Y.
While Employed as a Waiter
He Posed as Stu
dent
HARRY FRANKLIN ST. CLAIR

Harry Franklin St. Clair, the young
Montanan, who is now in the Rochester,
N. Y, Jail on the charge of bigamy, is
well known throughout this state, and
particularly in Butte. st. Clair is sup
posed to have had six wives. five of
whom have been found, and the police
are on the track of wife No. 6.
The Syracuse Herald of July 16 pub
fishes the following in regard to st.
Clair and his matrimonial ventures:
I have made a record in the matri-
monial line, but / am sorry for it now
The speaker was Harry Franklin ST.
Clair, a good-looking young man of %
or 20 years, at the Monroe county Jail,
and he was talking with the Herald
correspondent. st Clair is occupying
heavily grated cell on the second floor
of the Jail, where he will remain until
the next grand jury convenes and
passes upon his case. Visitors at the
Jail are surprised to learn that this
young and innocent appearing man has
at least five wives living and boasts of
it, too. The police say that they have
Rochester woman and that st. Clair
married her here three weeks ago.
The Rochester police have a few
things yet to learn about Bigamist st.
Clair. He was arrested here two weeks
ago on charge of petit larceny, pre-
ferred by wife No. 8, nee Miss Agnes
Catherine Barry, of No. 40 University
avenue, Rochester. After a four days
acquaintance Miss Barry, enchanted Dy
st. Clairs oily talk and wonderful word
painting of their happy future, married
the young man. Two days later st.
Clair deserted her and took away her
watch and chain. She was very indig
nant and caused his arrest, Detective
Mcdonald finding him at Buffalo.
The announcement of st. ClairS ar
rest attracted the attention of the Rev.
DIR. Olmstead, pastor of Asbury church,
who had a month before united him in
marriage to Miss Mabel Coppins of Pal
Iryra. Miss Coppins, it was afterwards
learned married st. Clair after know
ing him less than one day. 1t was a
case of love al first sight at least on
Miss Coppins part and she readily
agreed to go with the young man to
ministers house and have the knot tied
right then and there. He deserted her,
according to his way of doing things,
and came to Rochester, where he wooed
and married Miss Barry.
The charge of petit larceny against
st. Clair was dismissed by Judge Ernst
in police court and the young man was
rearrested for bigamy. The case was
put over a week, and when arraigned
three wives faced him. i was sorry to
see Lucy there said ST Clair to Her
aid reporter to-day, and it made me
hate myself to think that l had deceived
her l did not care for the others, but /
liked Lucy; yes, ! did.
st. Clair referred to Miss Lucy X.
Haylett of Ithaca, whom he married
March % last, the Rev. DR.. S. H.
Synott of St. Johns church, Ithaca,
performing the ceremony. ST. Clair
courted Miss Haylett longer than he did
his other wives. He also departed from
his fixed rule and gave her a wedding
ring. which she still wears. The others
received only their wedding certificates
from the ministers, while the clergy
men received nothing from st. Clair for
their services.
The fact that there are two other
wives became public. to the dismay of
the three young women who called
themselves Mrs. St Clair, in police
court. The defendants lawyer, in en-
deavoring to secure his clients release,
stated that bigamy is committed when
the second wife is married with the first
living. The marriage with the third
fourth or fifth wife, he said, is not big
amy. He then stated that St. Clair's
first and second wives are in another
country, probably Canada. where he
used to live, and that bigamy was not
committed in this country at all. De-
spite this play st. Clair was held. Miss
Haylett broke into a flood of tears when
she found she was not the original Mrs
St. Clair.
"A Herald reporter called on St. Clair
in his cell and endeavored to persuade
him to tell of his two wives not yet pro-
duced. The young man declined to do
so, or to say anything about his mar
fiages save that he had acted like a
fool, and was sorry for what he had
done. He said that he was especially
sorry for Mrs. Haylett, who he said
was perfect woman. He did not care
so much about the Others he said and
he declared that they ought to have
known better than to marry fellow on
such short notice. He was out for sport.
he said. and getting married pleased
him better than anything else. The po-
lice say that Sr. Glars right name is
Frank OBrien, and that his home is in
Hamilton, Ont. He denies both of these
assertions. .~s '-.
Miss Barry, acting on the advice Of
her parents, too, declines to talk about
her marriage ito st. Clair. She would
only say to reporter that ST. Clair
thought she had money, and that she
fooled him in that respect. Still, she
declared, he had no right to desert her
indignant, seem to think their eyes of
st. Clair, and they are visibly jealous
of one another.
Miss Lucy Haylett of Ithaca, the
daughter of William Haylett, is bright
girl, 10 years old. Her father is one Of
the respectable citizens and he works
for the Ithaca Calendar Clock COM
papy Both he and Mrs. Haylett de-
plore the unfortunate marriage of their
daughter. Despite the fact of her mis-
fortune, however, Miss Haylett talked
very freely to the Sunday Herald rep
resentative, and said she did not care
how much was said about it, If only St.
Clair was justly punished.
L am not the only one whom he has
deceived she said, and there Is some
consolation in that fact
Miss Haylett told her side of the
story as follows: I did not meet Harry
until two or three days before we were
married. He told me that he was going
,obaoI di1la and that biS