Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1905-09-09
COOKING DID TRICK
Woman of Many Spouses
Tells How She Won Men.
ADMITS TO FOUR MARRIAGES
Eut IT Is Relieved That She Has Beer
a Bride Not Less Than Dozen
Times - To He Placed ON
Trial Friday.

PATTERSON, n. j., Sept. J.-Alternat
ing between smiles and tears, Florence
Murphy Chabbenau Barnes Abner
Forrest at the county jail talked freely
Of her matrimonial experience. She
admitted having gone through the mar
riage ceremony with four men, all OF
whom are living, and declared that she
had never been divorced, so far as she
knew. 1t is believed, however, that al
Of the husbands have not been heard
from and that when the record is com
pleted it will be found that the woman
has been a bride not less than a dozen
times.
Mrs. Forrest Ferrest is the name OF
the last husband prides herself on be
ing q good cook, and says this accom-.
plishment won at least one husband
Speaking of her experience, she said:
Il was rot fifteen years old when
first married. My father is James
Murphy, an upholsterer for the Penn
sylvania Railroad company. We lived
IN New Hope, Pa, but after the death
Of my mother / left home and went to
Iambertville. n. j., and there met
Michael Chabbenau, marble cutter
He proposed to me and we were al
once married by Squire Lyman, his
daughter. who has since died, acting as
witness. Six months after the wed.
ding Chabbenau ran away from me
and I had every reason TO believe that
xxr0a n in hn
went to Bordentown and lived with
my sister for time, and after wan
dering about from town to town work.
ing as a domestic | came to Paterson
That was about three years ago.
"Ore night in Main street | met
Charles Abner, farm hand. | must
admit that | was intoxicated, and
when he said to me, 'You are a nice
little woman and should not go about
in the world alone; let's get married,
/ said, 'All right We went TO Mrs
Graham's, in Hamburg avenue, where
l was living, and a justice was called.
He married us right there, but | took
it all as a joke. Next morning when
1 came downstairs / demanded to
know who the ugly looking man in my
room was and they told me he was the
man l had married the night before.
/ repudiated the whole business, for,
do you know, the man was sight
hunchbacked and cross eyed He went
away and / have not seen him since
Soon after | met Milton Barnes. He
was working in the Rogers Locomotive
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. l had previously told
Barnes about the marriage to Charlie
Abner, but explained that a justice of
the peace told me that the marriage
was not legal. When / heard that he
had another wife, however, | left him
and returned to Paterson.
Il found employment as a cook in a
hotel in River street. 1t was here /
met Forrest. He was a guest at the
hotel, and he told me he was very
fond of my cooking. We were mar
ried by the Rev. Mr. Decker of Pater-
son, but before the marriage | ex-
planned all about the other marriage
and told Forrest that only the first
marriage was legal, and l believed
my first husband was divorced | left
Forrest last week because lie was
cruel to me, and it was spite that
caused him to make the charge of
bigamy"
The alleged polygamist will be
brought before the court for trial on
Friday next.