The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-11-14
DANVILLE HAS ANOTHER CASE
OF AFFINITY.
Wife No. I Fails 10 Induce Her Husband
10 Go Home With Her.

When the people of Danville
learned of the Hyke-Sperring "af-
fnity" case which only a few days
ago stirred Philadelphia and Dan.
vile, they thought the sensational
nature of the episode would be
enough to supply them with gossip
for some time to come. Now, less
than a week after, another "affini-
ty" has been found in Danville,
and the denouement in this instance
was III some respects even more
startling than i'll the first one.
On Thursday night a detective,
II. Il. Martz, of Reading, came to
Ddnville to look, he told the police,
for J. J. Higgins. They directed
him to his man, who was found at
2G, Lower Mulberry street, with a
young woman to whom he claimed
to be married. The detective at
once wired to another woman, who
arrived in Danville that night. She
claimed to be Mrs. Higgins No. 1,
and there seems to be no plausible
reason to doubt her assertion.
Last January, J. j. Higgins came
to Danville. bringing with him
former Danville girl, Miss Anna
Helm. They said they had Just
been married in Reading, and ex-
hibited a marriage certificate. Hig-
gins said he was a physician and a
graduate of Johns Hopkins Uni
versity. He maintained a doctors 5
carriage and a fine horse, although
he never attempted to practice.
Their home, on Lower Mulberry
street. was handsomely furnished
and the couple lived in sumptuous
style, Mrs. Higgins or Miss Helm,
appearing in costly gowns. Dan
Vile accepted the couple as man
! and wife, and the comment caused
by the return OF Miss Helm and
Mr.. Higgins TO Danville had long
= ago died out. Great was the SEN
| sation when the story of the alleged
e. deserted wife became known.
: Mrs. Higgins No. l on her ar
| rival in Danville employed law
: yer and the Reading detective was
= sent to the Higgins home. Mr..
) Higgins was brought to the office
of the lawyer and when confronted
by his real wife his surprise and
| CONSERVATION almost Frustrated him.
= Mrs. Higgins says she and Mr..
Higgins are natives of Norwalk
Conn, where both came from good
= families. They had been happily
. married for about twelve years.
Mr.. Higgins was a professional
nurse. One of the charges that
came under his care was an aged
man who. when he died, left a leg
5 acy of $4,000 to Higgins.
When Higgins came into his
money his vile was on a visit with
s relatives in Norwalk, Conn. She
5 never heard from him after that
ard although she had maintained
2 a vigorous search it was only re-
+ Gently she stumbled upon a clew.
t She learned in Reading that just
} before her husband S disappearance
> he had been seen much in the COM
pany of Miss Helm. She employed
, detective, who traced the girl to
: Danville and found Higgins with
, her.
II At the attorneys Office pitiful
scene was enacted. Mrs. Higgins
begged her husband to return to
, her. But he was obdurate and each
steadfast refusal seemed to add to
r her desire to win back his love.
, Higgins, however, would listen to
neither the pleadings of his wife
nor the advice of the attorney. He
announced his unalterable intention
of staying in Danville with his
soul love-" be the consequences
what they may.
Finding that her entreaties were
in vain Mrs. Higgins proceeded
with a part of the program which
up this time had been kept in the
background. Mr.. and Mrs. Hig-
gins during their married life had
amassed property of some proper
tions. The money they had earned
they had invested in real estate in
Norwalk, Conn, and in New York
city, which is valued at about
| $40, 600.
At word from Mrs. Higgins
the attorney explained to the erring
| husband that there were several
charges in connection with his de-
sertion of his wife that if pushed
would prove serious, and that it
was her Intention to take the mat.
ter into the courts unless he signed
over to her his half share in the