The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-09-24
FAKE CENSUS OF =
PREACHERS FAMILY
Exhibited Quadruplets Which
Got Sympathy and Money,
But Were Spurious
WAS ASKED TO LEAVE TOWN
sIohtseers Came for Miles to Goshen
Mass, to See Four of Kind that
Are Now Declared Bogus-Some
Doubtless Looked UP Records.

Northampton, Mass.-It looks as
though the bankruptcies claimed to
have been born to Rev. and Mrs.
Samuel H. Secombe Of Chicago, but
now of Goshen, 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 a 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 to Goshen bringing with them
four other children have been the oo'
ject of sympathy because OF their
needy circumstances, and there have
been large contributions Of money.
After Mr.. Secombe had preached IN
Goshen q few Sundays, early IN the
summer, an investigation led to his
being shut off from preaching. me
family was allowed to remain IN the
parsonage, but on the revelation or
what appeared to 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 and 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. g.
1908, and that quadruplets were born
so it was said, on May 26, and the
mother came with the children tc
Goshen June 81 to Join Mr.. Secombe
Mrs. Secombe's explanation was thai
she was frightened by burglar
breaking into the house and attack
ing her
When the mother and babies ar
rived in Goshen the church authorf
ties asked the pastor to explain the
reports that he had been married be
fore and divorced, and why he had ad
vertised for q wife. He could not eX
plain satisfactorily and he was toll
that he could not preach longer. Gu
of sympathy for the family 1t wa
agreed that 1t could remain In tn
parsonage two months.
People who are acquainted with tn
Secombe family in Chicago and wer
the next door neighbors, living at NJ
2143 Fulton street, say no babies Wer
born in the Secombe household, bu
claim that a baby was adopted !
April, and they are sure that Mrs
Secombe's house was not entered b
a burglar.
These quadruplets, as 1t is claimed
weighed from six to twelve pound
each at birth.
Mrs. Secombe's story is that sh
was attended by a lady physician. d
G. G. Craig, but no such doctor is re;
istered in Chicago.
Since the family has been in Gosl
en- people have come by teams an
touring cars in great numbers to sc
the wonderful bankruptcies, and
many instances the contributions hay
been generous. The last Sunday tt
minister preached before being ba
red from further occupying the pulp
he is reported to have said to son
of the church people:
Sometimes feel that the Lord h'
overwhelmed me with blessings, ar
again I asked myself what have
done that He should afflict me so
sending me- four babiesn
Mr.. Secombe is fifty-three years o
and a graduate of Amherst Colleg
His wife was from Maine, and befo
her marriage was a nurse in Lynn.
Is a fact that no birth of quadruple
has. been recorded up to several da
ago.