The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1911-10-17

IOday II became known that JOnn
"A. Humeston. q piano salesman and
a former manager of piano store In
this city, had. within the last four
years, deserted his wife, formerly
Miss Minnie Jennings, daughter of
G.. W. Jennings, a grocer, corner OF
David and Herman streets. and his
three -year-old son, and had married
a stcnographer and bookkeepcr in
Chicago without securing q divorce
from his first wife. BY his deceptive
actions, he has caused the retirement
from business, forced by nervous col
lapse, of the father or wife No. .,
and. II is supposed, that he lurcd wife
No. from the home Of her parents
after she knew that he had been
married before. Her parents have
not seen or heard from her since last
January. They fear she has met
with foul play.
Although aware that Humeston's
first wife was alive. Mrs. Charles
Kleiber, OF Chicago, mother of wife
No. 2, refralned from prosecuting
Humeston and for some time has been
corresponding with Mrs. Humeston.
hoping to locate her daughter and
avoid publicity.
Yesterday evening she came to Ma
rion. hoping to learn more of the
case which had caused her and her
husband 50 much worry and suffer
ing. Upon her arrival in this city she
went to the home of G.. w. Jennings
where she met the real Mrs. Humes-
ton.
While I'm this city, Mrs. I{leibcr
learned that Mrs Humeston knew
nothing of her husbands whereabouts
and today for the first time decided
to make the matter public. Hereto
fore. Mrs. <leiber has been attempt
ing to locate her daughter and Illegal
husband by employing private detec-
tivos but their efforts have been fu-
tile. She returned TO Chicago this
morning and will continue the search.
Humeston, whose home is In Mead
vile. Pa, came to this city in 1906,
as manager of a branch music store
of the Bradncld piano firm OF Della
ware, Ohio. The following year was
the beginning of a romantic career
which may culminate i'm his arrest on
the charge of bigamy.
While i'm this city Humeston met
Mis-. Jennings and the couple We're
married in Shelby, Ohio, in 1900 For
one year the newly married couple
Travelled in this section of the state
for the piano firm with Marion as
his headquarters.
Later, Humeston and his wife
moved to Chicago whore he accepted
position with piano factory They
lived there one year. At the end Of
that time. Mrs. Humeston grew tired
of Chicago life and came to Marion
to visit her parents. Later. she went
to Meadvine to visit her husbands
parents. Humcston Joined his wife
in Mcadville and remained there Tor
three weeks. This Is the last time
the couple were together.
Humeston returned TO Chicago and
there. IL is said. transferred his af-
fections to Miss rreda Kleiber, a
stenographer. For a second tune,
Humeston decided to enter the holy
bonds of matrimony without ta.lng
the .precaution of securing a divorce
from his first wife. He and Miss
Kleiber were married in Illinois
August t3, 1910.
In the meantime, Humeston con
tinued to correspond with wife NO
1. whom he passed off to wife No.
as a cousin who was caring for
his boy, child by a former mar
riage.
The alleged bigamist cleverly de-
ceived wife No. and her parents un-
iii last November when letter, writ
ten by wife No. fell into their hands
The contents of the letter led wife
No. 2 TO believe that wife No. | eN-
listed. Accordingly, Mrs. kleiber
wrote the first Mrs. Humeston, who
replied that she was Humcston's legal
wife.
This reply caused llumeston much
trouble. He eXtricated himself from
the dilemma for time by explaining
To wife No. that wife No ! was
about to secure divorce and that
ne would soon be a free man. He
went so far as to show her letters,
purporting TO be written by wife NO.
I'm which she stated that she would
receive a divorce and that he should
have the custody of their son. To-day,
the real Mrs. Humeston denied that
she wrote letters of that kind. How
ever. the fictitious letters had their
desired effect on wife No. 2
Wife No. went to live with her
parents In Chicago until the supposed
legal proceedings We're settled. She
remained at her home until January
when she informed her parents that
every obstacle had been cleared away
and that she intended TO join her
husband In Cookstown, Minnesota.
She left for that city and has not been
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