The Washington times., 1904-08-05
DANA FEARED WIFE
WAS NOT DIVORCED
Bank Clerks Dropping OF
Suit Thus Explained.
A DECREE THREE WEEKS AGO
Bullet Removed From Behind Young
Mans Lung-He Is Taken
to Bellevue Hospital.

NEW YORK. Aug. 5.-Dispatches from
Seattle, Wash, and revelations by an at
torney in this city 10th cleared and
complicated the status Of the marriage
between Samuel L. Dana. found wound
ed last week in Central Park, and Mrs.
Beatrice W. Degnon.
William Cummings, attorney for young
Dana admitted that a few weeks after
the Dana-Dcgnon nuptials he had been
Instructed to bring suit for the an
nUlment of the marriage, which suit
was ordered abandoned a short time
before young Dana was found shot.
A dispatch from Seattle telling OF the
brides antecedents offered an explana-
ton of why the action had been brought
in this city
Known in Dawson.
According to this dispatch. Mrs. Deg
non CT Mrs. Dana is the daughter Of a
woman well known In Wrangle and
Dawson. Alaska. as Mother" Woods.
Mrs. Degron, it is stated was famil-
iarly known as Babe Womach I'm her
younger days, and seven years ago she
was cashier in the Merchants Cafe.
Seattle. She had many admirers. it IS
stated and five years ago became Mrs.
| Degnon
After three years Of married life she
| left her husband and was not heard Of
| by him until two years ago. when he re-
| ceived papers from the East notifying
| him that divorce proceedings had been
begun against him Word came later
| that the divorce had been granted
Recently Got Divorce.
There was much surprise in Seattle
| three weeks ago when she appeared 70
prosecute a second suit for divorce
against Degnon on the ground Of aban-
! Comment The suit was undefended and
| for the second time she was freed from
| Degnon. Then she returned TO New
| York city and went 10 the Martha Wash
| ington Hotel
| The servants of the hotel at which
/ she stopped in Seattle are reported 10
/ have been sorry 10 see her depart, as
/ she was most liberal
! After a comparatively short acquaint-
ance Dana and Mrs. DegnOn, known as a
/ widow. were married at Railway, y. J.,
| on ADrfl % While visiting his wife sew
/ eral weeks later at the Martha Wash
! ington Hotel the bank clerk discovered
! that his wife was involved In legal pro-
J ceedings regarding her former marriage
| In the State Of Washington. ne became
convinced that she was not a widow and
that she had not completed divorce pro-
| ceedings.
Dana Agitated.
Dana was much agitated by the dis
eovery. He went 10 Mr.. Cummings and
told him he had learned that his wife 5
former husband was living. Proceedings
were begun to annul his marriage AS
suddenly as he had ordered the suit In
Istituted the young man oroereo II
droDped. He gave no explanation; IL
was next learned that ne hau DeeH
found wounded In the park:
nnings. has been that Of an hcnorap Die
man throughout these proceedings. his
4 accounts at the bank are perfectly cor
rect. An examination has proved that.
1 ''Vhether his wife influenced MIN tc
! withdraw the legal proceedings can
not say. In fact, know very httle
labout her. beyond the fact that she is an
interesting and attractive woman
Slowly Improving.
At the Presbyterian Hospital it was
Isaid yesterday that the condition Of the
Young man was improving slowly. The
bullet which caused his wound was re-
moved yesterday. II had lodged back OIL
the right lung The bullet was OF the
Isame caliber and manufacture as those
IN the cartridges found in Dana's rooms
| The wounded man was transferred
from the Presbyterian Hospital 10 Belle
yue last evening. In giving his name al
Bellevue he refused TO state Whether nc
was married or single. When ne was
carried from the ambulance into the re
ceptiOn room he kept a newspaper over
bfs face so that no one could see his Tea
turcs. He was placed in the prison
ward.