Los Angeles herald., 1905-03-09
TWO WIVES VISIT
DYING PATIENT
GLADSToNES BUTLER EMBAR-
RAISED BY TWO WOMEN
John Williams, Suffering From Fatal
illness In the County Hospital,
ls confronted by Pair
OF Wives

JOnn WllldnS, pdueuL III tiV
county hospital, seems to be somewhat
overburdened with wives and the ques-
tion Is. (which is the real Mrs. Will
liams?"
williams, who is a middle aged
Welshman, went to the hospital three
weeks ago, accompanied by young
English woman of refinement who
claimed to be his wife. The man was
given q bed, and his wife, who was
without funds and wanted to be near
the sick man, was allowed to stay and
help in the work of waiting on the
nurses table.
Everything went smoothly for Will
liams until last Friday afternoon, when
another woman claiming to be Mrs.
williams called at the office and de-
manded that she be allowed to see her
husband
In an adjoining bed in the same ward
there is another man of the name of
Williams and DIR. Barber took the wo-
man in to see him. There's your hus-
band" he said as he pointed to the cot
That's not my husband 1 want to
see my husband" declared the woman.
The doctor was puzzled, but the man
on the cot confirmed her words.
There he is" she said. and the next
heated discussion. The woman evident
ly felt she had grievance and de-
manded OF him over and over: "Why
did you do it? Why did you do it?"
Other occupants of the ward gathered
that she was speaking of the disposal
of some property, but at this juncture
a nurse, fearing for the condition of the
patient, ordered the woman to leave
and peace was restored.
Shows Marriage Certificate
The attendants were puzzled and the
woman who came first was notified OF
the others visit and at o'clock that
night she appeared with a lawyer. She
showed a certificate of marriage issued
in December and said that she had be-
come the wife of the sick man at that
time, and believed herself to be the
only one.
Williams was consulted and admitted
that he had met the woman in Wales
and that for nearly fourteen years they
have been living together, but asserted
that he was not married to her.
That night deed to some property
owned by the sick man was drawn up
in favor of the last wife, who is Mrs.
Emily Williams, or Emily Griffiths.
Two of these lots are located at Will
mington, where Williams has been liv-
ing for the past three years. and the wo
man who goes by the name of Mrs.
Sarah Williams is still living in a
three-room shack on one of them.
Emily Griffiths says she met Will
liams about seven months ago. II just
came here from England" she said. II
was alone and did not know anyone. He
was very kind to me and he seemed to
be sick and miserable so we were mar
ried in December. l knew that there
had been some woman who was with
him at Wilmington. but he said that
she had no claim on him, and that lie
had only been taking care of her he
cause she was an invalid. He told me
that he had made all arrangements to
send her to England, and even went so
far as to tell me the date of her de-
parture. That was six months ago, !
and before we were married he to!l
me that she had arrived safely in Eng
land.
Did Not Visit in Wilmington
81 never went to the house in Will |
mington because he kept putting me
sworn on his dying bed that he was
not married to her and l will stay and |
make him as happy as l can during the
few remaining days of his life.
He has made his will leaving me
what he has and / have spent almost |
$500 of my money on him. l have moth
ing left and am almost heart broken |
Williams is suffering from an en-
verge of death. Physicians say the |
disease is usually caused from the ex-
cessive use of liquor, but the patien. |
asserts that he has never used either
years in the employ of Gladstone as his |
butler at Hawarden and says he was a
beneficiary in the Englishman's will.
1t Is the opinion of a number of at
torneys that Williams, in view of the
fact that the Welsh woman who claims