The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-07-18
ELLIS, Confessed Bisamist, Defeated
by His Daughters Testimony.


From the New York World
Herbert r. Ketcham, a well-known law
yer Of No. lS9 Montague street, Brook
Ign, will record his decision next week
in most remarkable case in which he
was appointed referee.
Lawyer Ketcham's decision will be the
elimination of a series of legal battles ex-
tending over a term Of two years for
money left by a woman who was found
dead in the streets of Brooklyn.
In 1856 II. Wayne Ellis, now a noted
playwright, was singing in grand opera
in Boston. While there he met Rachel
Augsburg, an heress, who, captivated by
has voice and presence, consented 10 an
immediate marriage. Ellis married her
and left the stage, and together they set
tied in Boston. and were apparently hap
by.
In the early seventies Ellis received
word from England that his mother was
dying. Leaving his wife in Boston, he
started for England.
Before departing from England on the
operate tour that terminated In his mar
riage with Miss Augsburg. Ellis had WOO
ed and won Caroline Harriet Coils, a
beautiful English girl They were married
in Bristol In 1852.
inns mt ulH i~llAliNl WIG from WnOm
he had in the mean time become estraug-
ed, at the bedside of his mother. The
old love revived and they became recon-
ciled.
on the death Of his English wife. a
little more than year later, Ellis re-
turned to- America and went to Boston
His American wife had disappeared Art
er a vain search ana the lapse Of several
years. Ellis, believing the woman he had
gone through the marriage ceremony with
in Boston was dead. embarked once more
in matrimonial venture.
Two years ago Ellis read OF the finding
OF a woman's body in street in Brooklyn
Certain portions of the story arousing his
curiosity, he Investigated, and learned thnt
the dead woman was the once beautiful
Boston heiress, Rachel AUGSBURG and the
woman who bore his name He also learn
ed that during his absence she had married
John Mahon, the builder of the famous big
Rockaway Beach Hotel, since torn down
When he learned that the woman left
about $1,000 in banks in Brooklyn both
Ellis and Mahon filed claims against The
estate. The dead womans relatives in
Boston retained Miller, Decker & Miller to
oppose the suits Of both husbands
When the case was first presented moth
ing was known Of the fact that Ellis was
a married man al the time he went through
the ceremony with the beautiful Bos on
1t looked as though Ellis would he
awarded The dead woman's fortune he hnV-
ing proved his Boston marriage when his
daughter Blanche came forward and de-
clared that her father had married in
England before he had married che Boston
neiress. and that the English woman, Car
oine G. Coils, was her mother. Her tesu-
mony, given, as she declared, to protect
her mothers good name, cost her father the
fortune he was striving for, as the Boston
marriage was not binding in the face of
the previous marriage in England.
Blanche EHis was famous as a comic
opera prma donna a number Of years
ago. She IS the divorced wife of The late
James j. Brcslin
Though EHs IS eliminated from the list
OF claimants for the dead womans for
tune. il Is not likely that Mahon win he
awarded any of the amount, as previous
to her death he had instituted divorce
proceedings against her In this city.
when 1his found that his Boston wife
had not cd unlil long after his third
marriage he insisted on having the GER
emory performed anew. He took his wife
to New Rochelle and there Justice Of the
Peace Waiter Thompson performed the
ceremony. 70 complete the list of dra-
maiic events ccnnecfC1 with the strange
tangle Thompson cOmmi ted suicide two
weeks later without known cause.
The daughter OF Ellis and the Boston
woman was accdentiy shot and killed.
Blanche Ellis Is now living in this city.