The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1904-04-27
A REMARKABLE CASE.
Eow the Dead Body Of Woman in a
Trunk
IN TIE CITY OF LONDON, ENG,
Cnmasked the Most Inge 10 u S
Wife Murderer Since the
Days Of the Pirate
ri
Blue Beard.

Days OF the Pirate
Blue Beard.
One husband with four wives all III
the same Eouse, three living each 10
ignorance Of her husbands real reia-
tions with the other TWO, and one
dead, murdered, and her body buried
in cement in trunk in the cellar
this is the extraordinary domestic
situation revealed in the London su-
burb Of kenSal Rise through the sui
eide Of George Albert Crossman when
his oily tongue could no longer satisfy
those who suspected him.
Only the strange fascination which
ne exercised over woman, his utter
lack Of scrupleS and the persuasive
powers OF the bigamous murderer enc
suicide made such a situation possible
And the criminal investigation ha!
shown that at least four other wire;
had become his victims before the ao.
vent OF thoSe-making a total o1
eight.
There was nothing Mormon about
this household. Each OF tie living
wives believed herself to be the only
one and her husband faithful, al
though all lived under the same roof.
When CroSsman's persuasive tongue
was stilled by his own hanG 1t was
only necessary for the three living
ones to speak freely to each other ID
comparing notes, and the mystery was
explained.
An account Of this drama OF COM
plicationS properly begins before the
advent Of living wife No. ;. Wife
No. l, known to tradesman and all in
the neighborhood as Mrs. CrosSman-
as she truly was-occupied living and
sleeping rooms with their child on the
second floor of the house in keDsal
Rise known as "Sunnyside." Wife
No. ? and her child-also CroSSman's
chiId-were similarly situated on the
third floor. She was known to wife
No. l and to the neighborhood as
Mrs. Clark, the widow Of the lifelong
friend of Crossman, who, dying, had
made Crossman his executor and
guardian Of bis child. When wife No.
l objected to his spending so much
time with Mrs. Clark he would ap-
pease her with this explanations:
EIs INGENIOUS EXPLANATIONS.
MY dear wife, if l seem to you un-
duly attentive to Mrs. Clard, upstairs,
you must remember that / am fulfill
ing a sacred trust reposed in M by
my dear friend, her late husband, on
his death bed. Besides, the position
Of executor in this case is lucrative,
and, like many inexperienced woman,
Mrs. Clark has a passion for going
into detail AS she is extremely Sc
cretive about her affairs, l beg that
you will never appear curious"
And so Crcssman was free to enjoy
Mrs. Clark's" and their child's So
ciety, going and coming at bis pleas
ure.
Tosatisfy wife No. ? about the pub
lie recognition accorded to wife No.
I as Mrs. Crossman was easily within
the limit Of CroSSman'S ingenuity. He
told her.
my darling wife, of course you
know that the relations between Mrs.
Crossman and me are only what those
Of brother.in-law and sister-in-law
should be. Her husband is in India,
and for reasons involving considerable
property it is necessary for her to be
supposed to be living with her bus
band. That is the role have to pay
-distasteful though it is. OF course,
you won't mention it. If the little
deception should become known the
result would practically mean ruin for
the poor woman, and, besides. the ar
rangement is rather profitable to me
something to be grateful for these
hard times"
There was no resisting the fascina-
tions Of this man, and neither wife
dreamed Of doubling his word. So
everything went on smoothly, the
household expenses being paid out Of
money Crossnan's two brides brought
to him on the wedding day. There
was only one complaint from the two
wives. This was bad odor which
seemed to come from the cellar.
s'I'l attend to that the first day l
have time,:.' Crossman would say.
THE smell comes from box full Of
cement left By the masons. I'll at
tend to it presently
LOW FUNDS CALL FOR ANOTHER WIFE.
But funds were running :ow, and
Crossman had a more i'm nportaut task
before him. he needed another wife
one with money-and be was al.
ready advertising for her in the name
of Frank Seaton." Frequently he was
away for day or two. At length he
announced TO wives No. l ard-2, sep
arately, that he was about to install
on the first floor as housekeepers an
old and intimate friend OF his sister
in Manchester, adding:
1T is enough for me to remind you
that she is my sisters school chum,
that we are named in her will as heirs
to all her property and that she will
trust no one but the brother OF her
girlhood'S chum."
Separately, wives No. ! and ? beg
ged him not to mention it. Together,
Mrs. Crossman and MIS-. Clark urged
him to 60 at once and bring home
Mrs. Seaton.
Thereupon, grunbliDgly, CroSsman
posted of, not to Manchester, but to
Reading, where Miss Annie Welsh,
not especially attractive, but with a
neat savings bank account at the 10
cal post Office, awaited her dashing
fance, Frank Seaton." For Crossman
was only thirty five, and in spite Of
four years spent in jail for bigamJ,
presented youthful and attractive
appearance.
They were Immediately married at
O. Haorno.S rN,,rcb in Poo o6jnr and