New-York tribune., 1909-02-09
HELD AS A BIGAMIST
EX-CONGRESSMAN'S SON
GIVES HIMSELF UP.
Midnight Marriage in Yorskers T1co
Years Ago Began the Troubles
of G. 3. GeisenhGiner.

! n. j. who has been wanted by the police and
! the District Attorney of Westchester County on
q charge of bigamy, surrendered himself yester-
day afternoon to District Attorney Winslow, at
White Plains. He was accompanied by his
counsel, ex-District Attorney George Andrews
of Tarrytown.
On April 25. 1907 Geisenhainer stepped into
automobile in front of the Hotel Navarro
With him were Miss Lillian Cornwall knight,
of No. 361 West 5Sth street: James Lee, a clerk
! in the Hotel Navarro, and Miss Julia A Budd.
friend of Miss knight. long trip was taken.
which finally brought them to Yonkers, where
close to midnight the party awakened the Rev
Mr.. Howell, curate of St Johns Episcopal
Church. Geisenhainer and Miss Knight were
married. and Lee and Miss Budd were the Wit
nesses.. After the ceremony the party went
away in the automobile. The couple we're mar
ried under the name of Mr.. and Mrs. Charles Won
Geissenheimer. He gave his address IS No '231
West 14th street, and Miss Knight gave hers
as No 961 West 5Sth street.
LAWYER CALLED ON FIRST WIFE.
Mrs Won Geissenheimer then lived in suite
at the Hotel Navarro. Geisenhainer went back
| to his first wife. and she knew nothing Of her
husbands escapade until June 9, 1907 when
lawyer named Lippincott called at the wyoming,
55th street and Seventh avenue, TO see her hus-
pdllO- 1He lawyer sent up a note 20 the apart
ments saying that he had something to discuss
about very important affairs concerning your
wife"
Gesenhainer at the time was asleep, so his
wife opened the note and read It. She invited
the lawyer into their apartments When he
saw Mrs. Geisenhainer the lawyer refused to
! talk except to say that error had been made
! But you say in your note" said Mrs Geisen-
i hainer. you wished to speak with Mr.. Geisen-
hainer about important matter concerning
| his wife. I am his wife. What have you TO
say?"
! The lawyer finally said he had called to see
! Geisenhainer about his wife, who lived In the
! Hotel Navarro.
You may be Mrs Geisenhainer." he said
/ but you are not the Mrs Won Geissenhemer
! whom I represent"
Mrs. Geisenhainer then accused Lippincott OF
1 trying to tangle her domestic affairs by carry
! ing false stories The lawyer insisted, however
! that he represented Mrs. Charles b. Gels
senheimer of the Hotel Navarro. She then
asked him TO tell her everything. and he sx
| planed that he had been retained by Mrs
| Lillian c. Geissenheiner who complained
| that her husband had neglected her.
/ Rushing into her husbands room Mrs. ceisen-
hainer awoke him. He denied the allegations
| she made and tried to explain. The next day
| Mrs. Geisenhainer went to the Hotel Nsvarre
| where she met the second wife and was told Of
| the automobile trip to Yonkers and the mar
| riage She returned to the Wyoming and await
| ed the arrival OF her husband. He did not re
turn until late that night.
EXCUSE FOR SECOND MARRIAGE.
! When told that the two wives had met he
| made a confession and explained that while
out automobile riding the machine broke down.
II was a late hour and. fearing that he could
not get back TO New York, he married the girl
/ to prevent scandal.
few DAYS after the confession TO Mrs Gel
! senhainer she visited sanatorium up the state,
and tried to have her husband placed in this
! institution. The head of the sanatorium refused
TO take the man unless he regularly COM
nitted Finally she had her husband commit
ted TO the institution for treatment for alcohol
/ ism She then set about getting all OF the facts
of the second marriage. and sent her lawyers.
! Gregory & Stewart Of No. "a Pine street. to the
! Yonkers Board OF Health to search for the mar
rage record. The lawyers were unable 20 find
the certificate.
In the mean time friends Of Geisenhaner
| brought proceedings TO have him discharged
! from the sanatorium. and were successful. He
| then disappeared, and his first wife was unable
! 10 learn Of his whereabouts. When the District
! Attorney was asked If he knew his whereabouts
he said II don't know; he may have been around
| the world for ali 1 know
When Gregory & Stewart reported to Mrs
C1eisenhainer that they could not find the mar
riage certificate, she determined to search for It
herself on August she appeared in Yonkers
Finally she came across the certificate bearing
/ the name Charles Won Gessenheimer. of No
/ g31 west 14th street married April 25 1907,
TO Lillian Cornwall Knight" She recognized
the address given by the bridegroom her
! father-in-law's winter home. She had tran
script made of it and appeared before City Judge
| Toseph H BealI, OF Yonkers where she made
/ an affidavit that the named in the certif-
! cate was her husband
| warrant sworn out charging him with
biqamv. Mrs. Geisenhainer's next step to
bring an action for a divorce, naming Lillian c.
Knight as the correspondent The action was
/ brought in Queens County and was sent to
/ Referee Walter Thorne, and his report a
decree was granted by the Supreme Court In
June. 1905 the decree was made final.
! cE1sENHAINER PLEADS NOT GUILTY
When arraigned in court before Judge Platt
Yesterday afternoon, Geisenhainer's attorney
! wanted a copy of the grand jury proceedings on
(which the indictment for bgamy found, but
/ this was opposed by Assistant District Attorney
/ Davis He then refused to plead until he secured
the minutes but the county judge suggested
that he could plead for the present and with
draw the plea later il he wished On this con-
! dition he pleaded not guilty He was then
paroIIed in the custody of his counsel
During the argument Mr.. Andrews told the
! Court that part of the defence would be that
Mrs Geisenhainer was already a wife when
! Ceisenhainer married her, and that therefore.
the marriage was not a legal one
Geisenhainer's father is a wealthy lawyer
with Offices at No. 6S William street. In the
winter he lives in New York and in the summer