The San Francisco call., 1905-05-08

ton, that she was urged by her son.
now 15-and attending San Mateo Col
lege-not to give testimony in the mat
ter, as, if she did. his father would be
disbarred and disgraced and cut off
from the means of earning a livelihood
for his family. Charlotte says she suf-
fered the falSehood TO remain undenied
by her until Collins brought back the
bride from Chicago and announced her
on the hotel register and to his friends
as his wife.
ADMITS SECOND MARRIAGE.
The woman at 2519 Pierce street SAYS
that Collins spent Tuesday and Friday
nights at their home with her. and both
she and her brother assert that he as
sured them he was not married to Miss
McCurdy-
Collins made the following statement
last night:
Miss Clarice McCurdy was married
to me in Chicago on Easter Sunday.
The marriage took place there and at
that time in order that her brother, an
Eastern man, might be present.
The claims put forth by the woman
who pretends to be my wife and who
was in fact my sister-in-law, are un-
founded and proceedings viii be insti-
tuted in court Immediately to have it
so determined. The same claim was
made by her to the Tobins and the Hi
bernia Bank when the disbarment pro-
ceedings were Instituted against me.
The record of the proceedings shows
that at that time l vigorously opposed
her claim and denounced it as being
false in point of fact.
Whatever influences and motives
prompted her then are undoubtedly re-
sponslble for her present accusation.
There is much that / could say in detail
that would show the unreliable charac-
ter of the accuser as well as the falsity
or the accusation, but one must suffer
much in silence to maintain the stand
ard of being a gentleman.
Hundreds Of people can testify that
Agnes NJ. Newman was married tc me.
and tradespeople dealt with her as my
wife. The present claimant knew the
facts as l state them and the death rec
ords and burial plate show that the
claimants sister was my wife The
claimant of to-day was fully CONVEX
SAINT with what ] state and she made
no statement to the contrary until long
after my wife's death.
j want a judicial determination of
this controversy and trust that news
papers and the public will permit the
courts to settle the question.
ALLEGED PROMISE TO AGNES
When Agnes M. Collins died she ex-
acted promise from me that would
always keep our children under the
care of my sister-in-law, and holding
sacred my word of honor have ALWAYS
supported them and Charlotte E. New
man. Now this Charlotte Newman
claims that was never married to Ag-
mes Collins, but am her husband She
took the name Collins several years
ago, but / thought nothing Of it until
the disbarment proceedings were begun
against me.
Il did not like the connections of the
Newman family, but until a year ago I
thought that as ] had been bene-
factor of them / would at least be
shown some respect. l found out that
Miss Newman was other than the
character that I had supposed she was.
so / went to her and called her to ac-
count. She then appealed to me in
most urgent tones, reminding me of
the sacred promise I had made her
dead sister that she should have Gus
tody of the children. Considering this
I left her temporarily in charge of
them, and now she claims to be my
wife"
The young bride told of her mar
riage with Collins on April g. and how
she was surprised when the San Fran
cisco situation was made known
of course. Mr.. Collins told me he
had been married some years ago."
sne SAID, and that his wife was dead"
She knew that he had three children,
but did not expect TO have them re-
moved from the custody of the person
who now has them in charge She was
unaware of the notoriety that was his
at the time disbarment proceedings
were fled against him last year
MRS McCURDY HAS FAITH.
Mrs. s. A. McCurdy, mother of the
young Mrs. Collins, said that she was
present when the marriage was sol
emnized In Chicago. My daughter was
lawfully and legally married to Mr.
Collins, and | am sure there must be
some mistake about him having a wife
living here in San Francisco" she said
Il saw that marriage performed and
will not believe that he has deceived
me-"
Mrs. Charlotte e. Collins has almost
collapsed under the strain of her hus-