New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-07-09
SUES TO RECOVER GIFTS
Thomas CroWther Wants Former
Wife to Return $780, 900.
WAS HER SEVENTH HUSBAND
Charges That She Obtained His
Property by Fraud-She Has
Been Married Again.

The month of May-the calm, halmy
month when the thoughts Of TIE merry
children turn to the May pole and frol1c
on the green and the spring poet is busiest
with his muse-has figured consplcuouslg
in the life of Thomas Crowther. but not III
q manner that would inspire any pretty
sentiments in his heart and soul yer
hans the month of May. 1901. would come
nearest doing SO, for then he married Mrs
Mary ". S P. G. G. Lindley, the Initials
representing the names of her former hus-
bands. Lindley being another
In May 1904, Crowther decided to ms
wife about 100000 in property Just
year to the month after that Mrs Crow
Their obtained divorce from Crowther, ne
being her fourth husband 10 meet that
fate Crowther had been thrice married
his first two wives being dead On May
is last Crowther placed lis pendens on
the property that he transferred to his
wife, and now he has fled suit in the Su-
irene Court against his former wife. who
has since married for the eighth time ana
is now Mrs. Lappage. in which he seeks
10 have set aside the conveyances Of the
property. alleging that they were fraudu-
lentIy obtained He will try also to have
returned about $1,000 worth of jeHelry
that belonged TO his second wife
Crowther formerly owned several well
paving cafes and was well known in the
sporting world. When he and the then
Mrs Lindley were married he was fifty
five years old and she thfrty-three. The
bride had been successfully Mrs. Mary j
wakeman Saunders Powers Godfrey =
Gay-Lindley. She was fourteen years old
when she married Wakeman, who was
seventeen years old and clerk in a hat
store in Connecticut. which is the native
state Of the often married woman Her
husbands were young men and old men,
slim and stout One was d railroad official.
another was a grocer, third ran q res
taurant and another was capitalist Two
Of the husbands died. She obtained d.
Vorces from four and an annulment Of the
marriage 10 another.
Crowther accumulated a comfortable
fortune and invested il in real estate. He
bought the tenement property at Nos. 534,
536 and 53S West 35th street He also
bought a cottage in Connecticut for the
use OF himself and wife. Then, as he says
in his complaint. he became addicted to
strong drink. He declares that his wife
was responsible for his inebriety. and
that il was while he was intoxicated that
she induced him TO deed his property to
her. Crowther alleges that she obtained
the deeds under fraudulent representation
He SAYS that his wife represented to him
that he would lose the property because
of his physical condition. She promised,
II is alleged, to take care of the property
and give the income to her husba nd But
he SAYS he never received anything from
the property after transferring II. When
Mrs Crowther left her husband a year
later he was penniless, and she provided
him with q place to sleep. He is to-day
depending entirely on wealthy relatives
Mrs. Lappage makes a denial Of all the
allegations of Crowtler and says that the
property that he sues for is lawfully hers
The next move that Will be made, accord
ing 70 Moses .. Moss, counsel for Crow
Their, viii be 10 apply to the court for the
appointment OF q receiver for the rents Of
the property in dispute
In an interview with Mrs Lappage a
few years ago on her matrimonial ven
lures she gave this bit Of advice 10 her
less experienced sisters:
At twenty-one show that you know
something of the world. Instead OF being
tinlid, assert yourself Insist upon being
treated as an equal-even a superior"