The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-06-02
WIFE ABANDONED
BIGAMIST GAOLED
Sad Wife Was Dead and
Collected Insurance.
PAPERS WERE FORGED
The Sensational End of a Sensational
Double Wedding.
THE Stairs PRISON NOW IN VIEW
". ]. Tyson. 70 m lily Of Raleigh Deserts Wife
and five Children MarrieS in Raleigh
and is Arrested at Virginia
Beach.

Charged with deserving wife and five
children, collecting insurance money on
proof of his wife's death, and committing
bigamy. Will j. Tyson, young white man,
carpenter by trade, is behind the bars
in Wake county Jail. waiting the day of
trial on three grave charges.
Tyson was located in Virginia some time
ago and papers were sent there for him.
When the Tabernacle Sunday school ex-
cursion went to Norfolk, on it went Mr..
w. H. Hood. of the Register of Deeds
office. He saw Tyson at Virginia Beach
and informed Constable Upchurch of the
fact. Upchurch arrested Tyson, who
waived the formality of requisition pa
pers and was brought back to Raleigh
Thursday night.
Tyson came to Raleigh from Fayette-
vile. He is a native of Cumberland
county, having been born near Hope Mills,
where his people now live. He is a car
penter anad a few months ago left here
to attend his wife's funeral, as he said,
in Fayetteville.
ministration on his wife's estate and col
lected the insurance which she carried
on her life This was in the Life In
surance Company of Virginia and amount
ed to $1446 so. The evidence of his wife's
death were conclusive and apparently
regular
On March a. of this year Tyson mar
ried Lizzie Powell, of East Raleigh, and
at the same time E. p Saintsing, whose
wife had been dead but one week married
her half sister, Callie Clemonds, Of the
same section of the city, the ceremony
being performed by Justice of the Peace
Barbee In a few days Saintsing and his
bride parted, the wife quitting because
Saintsing was drunk all the time
Tyson and wife went to Virginia and
shortly after the insurance company here
had letter from woman they supposed
was dead. 1t was from Mrs. Tyson No. l
at Fayetteville, and she asked about her
insurance. saying that she understood
that her husband had collected the money
saying she was dead, and had married
another woman. Upon investigation the
proofs which Tyson had furnished the
company, of which Mr. N E. Bradford is
the superintendent of agents here and
Mr.. r. B. Pegram is supervisor, We're
found to be fcrgeries even to the sigma
ture of the Justice of the Peace at Hope
Mills, and that the statement about
Tyson's having married again was cor
rect.
The company then began to search for
Tyson and his arrest took place as
stated. Mrs. Tyson No. 2 came with him
when he was arrested and is in East Raj
eigh. She says that she new nothing Of
Tyson having another wife till after he
was arrested: that she loved him, and
that he had treated her we'll She took
dinner to him yesterday and says she will
do all she can for him, but that if Mrs.
Tyson No. /, will make no charge against
him that she will give him up, as she
thinks he ought to go back TO the wife
who has borne him five children. She
was very much relieved when she learn
ed that she would not be involved in
Tyson's trouble and spoke freely of her
future plans for a better life.
Tyson has employed Mr. j. G. L. Har-
ris to represent him and is expecting his
father to come to his aid. He intimated
that others besides himself were con-
cerned in the forgery of the proofs of his
wife's death. but refused to name them.
AS to wife No. 1, he says that he could
not get along with her and went to Dur
ham from Fayetteville, and that while
there she wrote him that she would not
live with him. He said that some of his
children were with his father, and that
his father would take them all if his
wife would let them go. He said he was
sorry for the whole thing, but it was too
late now to think of that.
Tyson is about 80 years old and is
rather good looking, talking easily and
smoothly. Mrs TYSON No 2 is proposes
sing in appearance, and all her express
sions show that she will be glad if will"
can get out of his trouble, without think
ing at all about herself.