The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1909-09-23
FAKE CENSUS Of
PREACHERS FAMILY
Exhibited Quadruplets Which
Got Sympathy and Money,
But Were Spurious
WAS ASKED TO LEAVE TOWN
6 ghtseers Came for Miles TO Goshen,
Mass, TO See Four o. a Kind that
Are Now Declared Boeus-some
Doubtless Looked Up Records.

Northampton. Mass.-It looks as
though the bankruptcies claimed to
have been born 70 Rev. and Nrs.
Samuel II. Secomte of Chicago, bat
now Of Goshen. a town near this city,
are myths. The people OF the little
town where Mr.. Secombe was engaged
to preach in the Congregational
church are astounded at some Of the
developments
There has been widespread inter.
est in the reported births OF the four
babies which. as it is claimed were
born on May 26 and are still living
very sprightly. The papers in all
parts of the country have had stories
about this interesting and unusual
family.
The parents Of the quadruplets who
came 10 Goshen bringing with them
four other children. have been the OBJ
iect Of sympathy because Of their
needy circumstances. and there have
been large contributions Of money
After u. Se-o--Je had preached in
Goshen a few Sundays, early in the
sumner an investigation led TO his
being shut of from preaching The
family was allowed TO remain in the
parsonage but on the revelation OF
what appeared 10 be facts showing
that the quadruplets are spurious, the
people Of the town became so incensed
that they asked that they leave town
within two days.
Physicians ard others in Chicago
who became Interested in the birth
OF the quadruplets and made investi.
cations found that the Rev. Orin
jerks, an Adventist minister, mar
ried Mr.. and Mrs. Secombe Nov. 9,
1908, and that quadruplets were born
so it was said, on May 26, and the
mother came with the children to
Goshen June q 10 join Mr.. Secombe.
Mrs. Secombe's explanation was that
she was frightened by burglar
breaking into the house and attack
i~g her.
When the mother and babies ar
cI in Goshen the church authori-
asked the pastor to explain the
gorts that he had been married be-
&c and divorced, and why he had ad.
rtised for a wife. He could not ex.
that he could not preach longer. Out
OF sympathy for the family it was
agreed that it could remain in the
parsonage two months.
People who are acquainted with the
Secombe family in Chicago and were
the next door neighbors, living at No.
2143 Fulton street, say no babies were
born in the Secombe household, but
claim that a baby was adopted in
April, and they are sure that Mrs.
Secombe's house was not entered by
burglar
These quadruplets, as 1t is claimed,
weighed from six TO twelve pounds
each at birth.
Mrs. Secombe's story is that she
was attended by lady physician. DR..
G. G. Craig, but no such doctor is reg
istered in Chicago.
Since the family has been in Gosh
en- people have come by teams and
touring cars in great numbers to see
the wonderful bankruptcies, and in
many instances the contributions have
been generous. The last Sunday the
minister preached before being bar
red from further occupying the pulpit
he Is reported 10 have said to some
OF the church people:
Sometimes | feel that the Lord has
overwhelmed me with blessings, and
again I asked myself what have |
done that He should affict me so in
sending me four babies"
Mr.. Secombe is fifty-three years old
and graduate Of Amherst College.
His wife was from Maine, and before
her marriage vas nurse in Lynn. 1t
is fact that no birth of quadruplets
has been recorded up to several days
ago