The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1902-05-08
TOO MANY WIVES.
South Carolina Man Arrested in
(IeOrgia for BigamY.

Georgia for Blgamy.
ToccoA, GA, April S0.-Claud E. Chap
man, of Greenville, S. c., was today sent
to the county jail to await the next term
of the superior court of Habersham coun-
ty, charged with bigamy.
Chapman isa young man about 24years
of age, and first appeared in Toccoa about
one month ago as fruit tree agent. Soon
after he came here his wife appeared, and
they spent two or three weeks together at
a boarding house in the city. During ngthis
time, while Mrs. Chapman was still in
Toccoa, Chapman was paying consider
able attention to Miss Gussie Lowell, the
daughter of G. H. Lowell, Of this place.
For some reason Mrs. Chapman return
ed to South Carolina to Chapman's faith
er's last Tuesday, April %. Onthe same
day Chapman requested of Mr.. Lovellthe
hand of his daughter, Miss Gussie, in mar
riage. 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 IL
cense, went to the residence of Rev. w.
s. Whitmire, accompanied by Miss Lowell,
and there the twain were made one.
CHAPMAN IS ARRESTED.
They returned to Mr.. Lovelrs, where
they remained until the next morning.
During the day Mr.. Lowell heard that
Chapman had introduced woman in
Toccoa as his wife, and had lived with
her here for several weeks. He 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 his 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 sending him to prison if
she remained in Georgia, she made her
visit very short. Eluding the officers,
who were watching her, she returned at
once to Carolina.
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 marriage 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 Chapman before he could de-
mand a release Mr.. Attaway's little
daughter, Bertha, 1s years old, who wit
messed the ceremony, which was private
one, was induced to come to Georgia to
furnish the evidence. She arrived here
this morning, accompanied by her aunt,
Miss Rosa Attaway, of Williamson, s. G.
When Chapman found that sufficient evi-
dence was at hand he waived trial and
was sent to Jail in default of bond.
BE DENIES MARRIAGE.
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 Greenville
county, South Carolina.
Chapman is young man of prepossess-
ing appearance and made good impress
sion upon the people of this community
He dresses we'll and it now develops that
he owns considerable amount of prop
erty 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 not know that he
would get into trouble by marrying a Sec
ond time, Chapman replied that he had
lived in many states and had different
wife in every state in which he had lived,
but that no one would ever be able to Sc
cure evidence to convict him Of bigamy.
Miss Lowell, whose father is man of
very modest means, but highly respect
ed citizen, says that she will have nothing
further to do with Chapman and that she
wishes him to be punished.