The San Francisco call., 1907-01-05
Southerner Tries
to Justify
Conduct

SEATTLE, Jan. 4.-William Seymour
MattingIy against whom an informa-
ton charging bigamy has been pre-
ferred in San Francisco, is now connect
ed with Seattle dry goods house. He
does not deny the plurality of wives
but says he became involved in a man
ner not premeditated.
Il was first mraried in Kentucky
many years ago." said Mattingly to-
night. Several years ago met Mrs
Mildred Goffe in the East I was in
the liquor business in Memphis then,
and the woman that / am married to
now was responsible for my failure in
business there. went to Los Angeles
several years ago and. so far as know,
my first wife is there now.
Il went to San Francisco from Los
Angeles and worked in a dry goods
store for few months and then was
married to Mrs. Goffe, who, / under
stood, had obtained a divorce from her
husband. She had long urged me to
marry her and have letters to that
effect now.
II married her a little more than
year ago and then went to Montesano
We did not get along we'll. She knew
the risk we were taking. We sepa-
rated after a month, but I have since
been supporting her to the best Of my
ability. / have not made much money.
but have given the most Of 1t to her
l sent her money order not more than
few days ago.
STARTS SUIT FOR DIVORCE
Last February I started divorce
proceedings in Montesano against my
first wife. The summons was adver-
tised for sixty days in the papers, but
don't know how far the case went.
w. H. Abel was my attorney. I re-
ceived a letter from him few days
ago asking me for $3.50 to complete
the case, so / guess it wasn't finished.
and 1 really didn't get my divorce, as
l had supposed.
'I have not seen my first wife since
I left her. My second wife was here
for ten days last summer and stopped
at the Otin. She has expensive tastes
and did not think that could support
her as she wished to live. so she went
to Portland. From there she went to
San Francisco. She has written me
every week and I do not believe that
she has made any charges against me.
However, she will be the only person
who has my address,"
Mattingly is about so years of age
and OF excellent appearance. He says
he had intended to go to San Francisco
within few days.
The statement that I knew Mat
tingly had another wife when I mar
ried him will easily be disproved by
letters he has written me, which are
now in possession OF District Attorney
Langdon," said Mrs. Goffe- -Mattingly,
when shown the dispatch from Seattle
last evening. 81 stfll have other letters
in my possession which disprove his
statement but I have no desire to go
into the matter at any length just now.
His conduct throughout his courtship
was deceptive, and l shall never for
-, ~ hou o. 1icfanQ6 IN his
inventions. He not only deceived me
about his first marriage, but he made
me believe when he went to Los An
geles from Memphis that he was in
comfortable circumstances and well
able to provide for a wife AS matter
of fact, his subsequent letters prove
that he failed before leaving Memphis
and had no business to enter upon mar
riage at the time, even though he was
otherwise privileged to assume the
tie.
RECEIVES LITTLE MONEY
"As for my expensive tastes. don't
wish to say further than that he never
showed any disposition to indulge them.
His allowances to me were not only
slender, but were altogether made
ouate for a wife. He knows this him
self just as well as 1 do, and makes
frequent reference to the fact in his
letters He was constantly excusing
himself on this score
THAT / asked him to marry me is
a declaration more than ungentlemanly
and untrue. II is intrinsically absurd.
Enough of his letters have already
been given publicity to sustain me in
saving this. l did not want these
letters published. In fact, had no
desire to prosecute him. I was will
ing to suffer my humiliation in secret
until he began to sue his first wife
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