The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-12-31
RUNAWAY couPLE.iN PORTLAND.
Married In Secret, First Husband
Proves Nemesis.

Proves Nemesis.
PORTLAND, Ore. Dec. 31.-Waile
the local police have been exerting
| themselves to locate DR.. Edwin
Hughes and the former wife of Theo-
pIilus Hatch of North Yakima. Wash,
they have been quietly living in neat
cottage in a suburb of this city. I'm
til Tuesday night city detectives were
assured that they had left Portland for
California At that time the police
received positive information that
they were in this city, and yet, armed
with this information, had been un-
able to locate them.
Moreover there comes the surpris-
ing information that DR.. Hughes and
Mrs. Hatch were married in Washing
ton before they came to Portland.
They declare that their only motive for
concealment is fear that they will be
prosecuted for contempt of court the
divorce decree granted Mrs. Hatch be-
ing interlocutory and marriage with a
third party being prohibited within sly
months.
DR.. Hughes denies that he had a
wife living in Minnesota when he
married Mrs. Hatch. A statement
prepared by the couples attorney fol-
lows:
Mr. Hatch is a farmer and a stock
raiser, located near Almira, Wash,
and is worth $4,000. With his wife
he lived on the farm for more than IA
years. She is "a years old, IS years
younger than her husband. They had
three children, girl, aged Is years,
boy aged II years and a girl aged
s.
Though prepossessing in appear
ance, Mrs. Hatch has always been a
hard working woman. 1t is her con-
tention that the accumulation of Mr..
Hatchs fortune was in large meas
ure due to her own work and good
management. She also says that du-
ring the last few years of her life on
the Almira farm Mr.. Hatch was cruel
to her and over-bearing in his de-
meanor at all times. She became i'll,
and life as a result grew burdensOme.
For this reason she applied for a
divorce, which was duly granted, and
by the decree she was given the GUS
toby of the two girls and one half of
the real property, while $500. two
horses and a carriage were given her
for her interest in the stock on the
farm. Before the statutory period for
an appeal from the decree of divorce
had expired, being ignorant of the law,
Mrs. Hatch married DR.. Edwin
Hughes, the family physician. The
pair moved to Seattle, where DIR.
Hughes established an office and soon
enjoyed a lucrative practice.
ION account of this marriage to Dr.
Hughes, Mr.. Hatch believed that his
wife had been unduly influenced to Sc
cure a divorce from him, and taking
advantage of the union with the ply
sician before the statutory period had
elapsed, sought to hold her husband
for contempt of court. Conviction
would have rendered him liable to fine
and imprisonment. Mr.. Hatch also
garn1sheed an account of the doctor
in an Almira bank, attached all the
property he could get hold Of and en-
joined his former wife from disposing
of any of her property 1t is under
stood he now claims he will spend his
wealth to keep DR.. Hughes and his
wife from realizing anything from the
property by the decree of divorce.
DIR. Hughes and his wife came to
Portland several days ago to avoid
proceedings against him for contempt
of court. 1t is the intention of Mrs.
Hughes, in accordance with the de-
cree of divorce, to keep the two girls.
Within few days she expects to be-
gin a legal contest for possession of
her property.
1T is untrue that Dr. Hughes was
| ever married until he was united to
Mrs. Hatch. The allegations of fraud
and undue influence made by Mr.
Hatch will be proved false Though
he has no fears regarding the ultimate
outcome of the matter, DR.. Hughes
| does not care to return to the state
of Washington for a while. because of
the contempt proceedings which would
surely follow such move In the in
terest of my clients 1 visited eastern
Washington, and am satisfied of the
truth of the representations made to