Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1902-05-07
WANTED NEW WIFE ONCE IN A WHILE.
Former GrcenviIe Man Charged with BlgamY
In Georga-Now Awaits Trial.

Toccoa, Ga, April 3O.-Claude f. Chap
man, of Gieenville, S. c., was to-day sent
to the county Jail to await the next term
of the Superior Court, charged with big
amy. Chapman is young man about
"a years of age, and first appeared in
Toccoa about month ago as a fruit tree
agent. Soon after he came here his wife
appeared and they spent two or three
weeks together at a boarding house.
During this time, while Mrs. Chapman
was still in Tocooa, Chapman was pay
ing considerable attention to Miss Gussie
Lowell, the daughter of G. II. Lowell, of
this place.
For some reason Mrs. Chapman re-
turned to South Carolina to Chapman's
fathers last Tuesday, April %. On the
same day Chapman requested of Mr..
Lowell the hand of his daughter, Miss
Gussie, in marriage. Mr.. Lowell replied
that he could not consent to the mar
riage until he could learn something of
the man who desired to marry his daugh-
Chapman procured license, went to the
residence of Rev. w. S. Whitmire, accom-
panied by Miss Lowell, and there the
twain were made one. They returned to
Mr.. LovelPs, where they remained until
the next morning. During the day Mr..
Lowell heard that Chapman had intro
duced woman in Toccoa as his wife,
and had lived with her here for several
weeks. He at once had Chapman ar
rested. Mrs. Chapman No. was notified
that her husband was in serious trouble
in Georgia. She at once came to see him,
thinking that she could be of some help
to him in the trouble. No one here knew
whether they were really husband and
wife. When Mrs. Chapman No. / arrived
she met very cold reception at the
hands of her husband. Finding that she
would be the means of sonding him to
prison if she remained in Georgia, she
made her visit very short.
Mr.. Lowell without delay instituted a
search for evidence of the South Carolina
marriage. This was no easy task, as in
that State no record of marriages is kept
by the county authorities. After three
days it was ascertained that the marriage
ceremony was performed in Greenville
county by Rev. j. p. Attaway, who is now
stationed near Pickens. Mr.. Attaway
could not be reached in time to try Chap
man before he could demand a release.
Mr.. Attaway's little daughter, Bertha, 13
years old, who witnessed the ceremony,
which was private one, was induced to
come to Georgia to furnish the evidence.
ohe aIIiNeu mere CnlS morning, accom-
panied by her aunt, Miss Rosa Attaway,
of Williamston, S. G.. When Chapman
found that sufficient evidence was at hand
he waived trial and was sent to Jail in
default of bond.
Chapman has all along maintained his
innocence, saying that although he was
living with Miss Julia Jacobs, wife No. l,
he was not married to her. Chapman
and Mrs. Chapman No. 1 are both of
good family and are well known in Green
vile county, South Carolina.
Chapman is young man of prepos-
sessing appearance and made good inn
preston upon The people of the commu-
nifty. He dresses we'll, and it now devel-
ops that he owns a considerable amount
of property in South Carolina. Mrs.
Chapman No. / is very modest woman,
and while here with Chapman remained
at her boarding house, and it was not
generally known that he had wife with
him.
When asked if he did no know that he
wonld get into trouble by marrying a
second time, Chapman replied that he
had lived in many States and had diff
ferent wife in every State in which he
had lived, but that no one would ever be
able to secure evidence to convict him of
bigamy. Miss Lowell, whose father is q
man of very modest means, but highly
respected citizen, says that she will have
nothing further to do with Chapman and
that she wishes him to be punished.
The Atlanta Semi Weekly Journal
and THE COURIER for $1.75 year.