The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1902-05-08
HAS WIVES IN FIVE STATES
\ Former Grecnvi11e Man Charr-
cd With Bigamy in Georgia.

cd With Bigany in Georgia.
Atlanta Constitution.
ToccoA, Ca, April 30.--Claude T..
Chapman of GreenVille, 5. g., was TO-
day sent to the county Jail to await the
next term of the superior court OF
llabcrsham county, charged with big
amy.
Chapman is a young man about ~
years of age and first appcrcd IN
Tocc0a about one month ago as a fruit
tree agent. Soon after he came here
his wife appeared and they spent two
or three weeks together at Il boarding
house in the city. During this time,
while Mrs. Chapman was still in
Toccoa, Chapman was paying consid-
erablc attention to Miss Gussio Lowell,
the daughter of G. II. Lowell, Of this
place.
For some reason Mrs. Chapman ro-
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, III marriage. Mr.. Lowell
replied that he could not consent to
the marriage until he could learn
something of the man who desired to
marry his daughter. Two days later
Thursday night, Chapman procured
license, went to the residence of Rev.
w. 5. Whitmlre, accompanied by Miss
Lowell, and there the twain were
made one.
They returned TO Mr.. I.ovell's, where
they remained until the next morning.
During the day Mr.. Lowell heard that
Chapman had introduced Il woman in
Toccoa as his wife, and had lived with
her here for several weeks. lie at once
had Chapman arrested.
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 Il very
cold reception at the hands of her hus-
band. Finding that she would be the
means of sending him to prison if she
remained in Georgia, she made her
visit very short. Finding The ohiccrs,
who were watching her, she returned
at once to Carolina.
a search for evidence of tho South
Carolina marriage. This was no easy
task, as in that State no record Of mar
riage is kept by the county authorities.
After three days it was ascertaincd
that the marriage ceremony was per-
formed in Greenvillc County by Rev.
j. Il. Attaway, who is now stationed
near Pickcns.
Mr.. Attaway could not be reached
in time to try Chapman before he
could demand a release. Mr.. Alta
ways little daughter, Bertha, Il years
old, who witnessed the ceremony,
which was a private one, was induced
to come to Georgia to furnish the oviss
dencc. She arrived here this morning
accompanied by her aunt, Miss Rosa
Attaway, of Williamston, 5. G.. When
Chapman found that sufficient evidence
was at hand nc waived trial and was
sent to Jail III 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.
arc both Of good family and are well
known in Grecnvillc County, South
Carolina.
Chapman is a young man Of prepos-
sessing appearance and made a good
impression upon the people OF this
|, community. He dresses well and it
now develops that he owns consid-
e1ablc amount of property in South
Carolina. Mrs. Chapman No. is a
, very modest woman, and whilo here
with Chapman remained at her board
ing house and it was not generally
known that he had wife with hm.
When asked if he did not know that
he would get into trouble by marrying
, q second time Chapman replied that he
. . had lived in many States and had a
different wife in every State in which
he had lived, but that no one would
ever be able to secure evidence to con
vict him OF bigamy.
Miss Lowell, whose father is n man
of very modest means but highly
= respected citizen, says that she vii
u have nothing further to do with Chap
y man and that she wishes him TO be
u punished.
l. ~ "a g. T ~ nG "a