The Washington times., 1905-09-04
MATR|MONY LIKE
PERPETUAL MOTION
Outlines Wife Tells a
Strange Story.
TOOK HUSBANDS AID LiBITUM
Never Bothered About Divorce When
Proposal of Marriage Was Pre-
scented to Her.

NORFOLK. Sept 4-Alternating be-
tween smiles and tears, Mrs. Florence
Murphy ChabbenorA- Barnes-Abner-F For
rest talks freely at the county Jail in
Paterson, n. J., Of her matrimonial ex-
periences. She admits having gone
through the marriage ceremony with
four men. all of whom are living, and
declares that she had never been d.
vorced. so far as she knew Ii is be-
heved, however, that all of her hus-
lands have not been heard from yet
Mrs Forrest is a slight woman She
confesses to being thirty-three years
old. although she would pass for forty.
She prides herself on being a good cook,
and this accomplishment in one case at
least wcn iler husband.
Bride at Fifteen.
II was not fifteen years DID, she says,
when / first married. My father is
James Murphy, an upholsterer for the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company We
lived in New Hope, Pa. but after the
death of my mother / left home and
went to Lambertyille. n. J.. and there
met Michael Chabbenou, a marble-cut-
ter. He proposed to me and we were
at once married by Squire Lyman. ms
daughter, who has since died, acting as
witness.
six monhs after the wedding Chab-
hanou ran away from me and 1 had
every reason to believe that there was
woman in the case / went to Bor-
dentown and lived with my sister for
time, and after wandering about
from town to town working as do
nestle 1 came to Paterson. That was
about three years ago.
One night, on Main street, / met
Charles Abner, farm hand. was
&<~<4 -.
You are a nice little woman and
should not go about in the world alone.
Let's get married, l said. All right.
We went to Mrs. Grahams. on Ham
burg avenue. where I was living. and
justice was called. He married us
right there, but 1 took II all as a joke.
Repudiated Marriage.
Next morning when 1 came down
stairs I demanded to know who the
ugly-looking man in my room was, and
she told me he was the man 1 had
married the night before. 1 repudiated
the whole business, for. do you know
the man was sight-hump-b backed
and crosS-eyed- He went away and /
have not seen him since.
Soon after l met Milton Barnes.
He was working in the Rogers Loco
motive Works. After we were married
we went to Dover, where sister Of
Barnes lives. She told me that Barnes
had wife and two children in Plain
field. n. J. / had previously told
Barnes about the marriage TO Charlie
Abner, but explained that a justice Of
the peace told me that marriage was
not legal.
Wien heard that he had another
wife however, l left him and returned
to Paterson. / found employment as a
cook IN a hotel on River street. 1t was
here | met Forrest He was a guest
and he told me he was very fond of my
cooking We were married nv the Rev.
Mr.. Decker, of Paterson. but before the
marriage l explained all about the other
marriages and told Forrest that only
the tirs- marriage was legal. and 1 be-
lieveG my first husband was divorced.
] left Forrest last week because he was
cruel TO me. and II was spite that caused
him TO make the charge of bigamy."
One Husbands Story.
Forrest is a silk worker employed in
the Addy mill in Paterson. According to
his statement to Justice Cohen. the
woman represented TO him that she had
never been married.
The first I knew of it he said was
when / found among papers in the house
q summons in divorce proceedings. / ac-
cused her of having deceived me. Then
she tried 10 explain matters. but her
explanations didn't go with me. and 1
said TO her: The jail for yours
AT the office of the sheriff II was
learned that when the papers in the
divorce case were served the father of
the much-married woman ACCOMPANIED
the process server and formally identf-
fed her The woman will be brought
before the court for examination next
Friday.