The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-02-13
Intimated Many Marriages.

In the hearing before Judge Edwards
in the desertion case Of Elizabeth \.
O'Boyle against James j. QBoyle, of
the South Side, the defense attempted
to justify it's Offense by showing that
the plaintiff was a very much married
woman.
The O'BOyles were married March %,
1898, and lived together year less a
day Prior to their marriage they lived
together in Philadelphia for about a
year, and the marriage, according to
the husbands story, was to escape
prosecution threatened by his wife for
certain offense and its co-relative i'm
pending offense.
When they secured a marriage license
here, Mrs. OBoyle stated that she had
been married before to one James
Chester. of 315 Oakford court and later
of Portland, Oregon, and that Chester
was dead.
Now she says that she was never
married to Chester and that while she
believes him dead. she AYERS she only
told the marriage license clerk that she
had heard he was dead, and did not
state positively that he was. Chester,
she says, was only brought into the
case because she had lived with him
as his housekeeper and had to be
known as Mrs. Chester. Her intending
husband wanted the matter set straight
and as the most convenient way out of
it she proceeded with the application
as il she really was Mrs. Chester. At
that time. she also produced letter
purpOrting to be from Martha Chester,
her pseudo husbands sister, stating
hnI Lii I,I ,l.ss
by falling tree and that his remains
| had been brought to Richmond, IndI-
ana, and there inferred.
The defense opened its case by pre-
senting the copy of a marriage certifl-
cate issued by +. A. Slocum, a justice
of the peace of Clarke county, Wash
ington, dated May 10, 1891. in which
James Chester and l.. l.. Fleming ap-
peared as groom and bride, respect
lively.
Mrs. O'Boyle denied that she was the
bride in question, or that she had ever
been in Clarke county, Washington.
She had heard Chester say. however.
that he was married to girl named
l.. l.. Fleming in Clarke county, Wash
, ington. and that he supposed she was
! dead, but didn't know for sure.
Her own name, she admitted. was
Kennedy, but her initials were "E A."
/, Eliza Ann. She also admitted that she
was sometimes addressed as Lottie,
| and further that she was in Portland,
| Oregon, in the early '90s with Chester.
, Clarke county, Washington. it was
shown, is just across the river from
Portland. Oregon. In the letter from
| Chester's sister she was referred to as
"Lottie"
She denied that she knew man
| named Arnold. or that she had passed
! as Mrs. Arnold, at Bolsby's boarding
house. on Franklin avenue. or that she
had ever been married to a man named
Kennedy, though she admitted she had
| young daughter who was known by
| the name of Kennedy.
In concluding it's case the defense
produced letter from Martha Chester.
of Richmond. Indiana, denying that
! her brother Jim Chester, the husband
of Lottie Fleming Chester. had been
buried i'm Richmond or that his family
i'm Chester knew anything of his where
| abouts. The letter produced by Mrs.
O'Boyle, and purporting to be from
| Martha Chester. was branded as a for
| gerry, Miss Chester denying absolutely
that she had had any correspondence
whatever with Lottie or Mrs. O'Boyle,
| as she is known.