The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-11-12
Perrin Horton Sumner Mar
ries Paterson Mans Sister,
Who Dies Quickly.
GETS ALL HER PROPERTY
Known Years Ago as the 0rigi-
nal Great American Identifier.
Had PiCturesquely Doubled
Career in New York
City and Elsewhere.

NEW YORK, Nov. pa suit to fe-
cover $4,000 worth of property has
brought to light an amazing story of
the death-bed marriage of 75-year-
old widow to Perrin II. Sumner, who
has been arrested many times on
charges of swindling. forgery and sub
ornation of perjury, and who in June,
1897, was sentenced to six years in Sing
Sing for grand larceny.
Upon his release from prison Sum-
ner, who was also known for years
here as the original Great American
Identifler," dropped the name of Per
rim" and appears on the court records
as Horton Sumner. He lives at S25
West Twenty-ninth street.
1t was as Horton Sumner that the
ex-convict, on June IA last, married, on
her death-bed, aged Auguste Sommer-
korn, his landlady. well-to-do widow.
who had by years of thrift accumu-
lated real estate in this city and In
Florida said to be worth upward of
1000 The old lady died ten days
after the marriage, and within twenty
four hours Sumner had filed a petit
ton to be appointed administrator of
her estate, which was granted. Her
real estate she owned jewelry and
paintings of considerable value.
Frederick r, Glebelhausen, a brother Of
the dead woman, residing in Paterson,
N J., started an inquiry into the cause Of
| his sisters death and the circumstances
/ surrounding the marriage. He employed
Patrick L. Ryan, an attorney in the st.
! Paul building, to assist him, and to find
out what has become OF all the property
Mr. Ryan discovered one piece of prop
erty at 22S West Thirteenth street, valued
at $4,000, which he was informed was
formerly owned by the Widow Sommer-
korn, and which is now said to be in
charge OF Arthur Sumner, a son OF Per-
rim H. Sumner. He is making a search
of the records to find who is the owner
OF recori..
Ryan learned that on March Q. 1907. the
Florida real estate owned by Mrs Som
merkorn was transferred TO Horton
Sumner, the consideration named being
81. He further learned that on May II,
1907, one month prior TO the deathbed mar
riage, there was recorded In the Registers
office in this county deed which trans
ferred property at 110S Stebbins avenue
the Bronx. valued at $1,000. from Mrs. Au-
guste SommerKorn to "A. Ewing Sumner"
who is admitted to be old Summers son
Arthur The consideration named In the
deed was $1,000 and three years services.
at was naturally a great surprise to
u.s." said Mr.. Ryan, Ito find that Horton
Sumner was in reality the ex-conviet, Per-
rim II. Sumner, who has figured so promi-
nently in the police records for many years
past We purpose to sift the matter to
the very bottom. have already brought
an action in the Supreme Court to set
aside the deed of the Bronx property to
Arthur Sumner, and other actions will be
begun as soon as we can collect the neces-
sary data"
In his answer to the complaint, Sumner
says that. while he did all In his power to
assist and help his wife during her last
Illness certain of her relatives called and
assumed to charge that she was being ILL
treated by said Horton Sumner and being
murdered or poisoned by him."
Summers history can be traced back
in the court records to the year 1866
From this best information obtainable II
is believed that he is close TO 20 years old,
though he appears much younger. He won
the title OF the Great American Identi-
fer several years ago by Identifying un-
claimed suicides as a mythical Englishman
named Edgar. The identihcations proved
false. What he wanted OF dead English
man Is a mystery to this day.
Many of the complaints made against
Sumner in the past have been made by
women, some of whom alleged he had tried
to make love to them while carrying out
his business schemes.