Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-12-30
WIFE NO. / MAKES
| DEMAND FOR FUNDS
ON EX-COUNCTLMAN
Comes From England to
Find Joseph Gubbins Is
Married Again-He
Seeks a Divorce.

Mrs. Mary Gubblns followed her hus-
band, Joseph Gubblus, former Common
Councilman of the 25th Ward. and well-to-
do wool waste dealer, to Philadelphia
from England to find him remarked with
out first having obtained divorce. Mrs.
Gubbins No. 1 said today she was determ-
ined that he should support her.
Her coming has placed the former
Councilman in tangle from which he
is endeavoring to extricate himself by
means OF a divorce suit, charging her
with desertion in England. In addition,
Mrs. Gubbins No. 1 charges that group
of political gangsters," interesting them
selves in the behalf of Gubbins, have Of
fered her $1,000 to leave the country.
II am determined that he shall sup
port me and will not be bought Off or
leave the country" she declared.
Mrs. Gubblns No. declined to mako
any comment today.
Gubbins's attorney, Henry X Fries,
said that It was pure case of black
mail" started by Mrs. Gubbins No. 1.
I'VE have given these people $500. Any
report that Mr.. Gubbins offered her $1,000
10 go back to England is untrue" he
said.
He said that the $500 was not given to
her as ''hush money" but refused to say
why it had been given to her.
"The testimony before Judge Brown In
August showed that the wife deserted the
husband, and not the husband the wife,
as is the contention" he continued.
"Judge Brown dismissed tho petition be-
H., fo,. IrI, rt,,rr
action for support. @After 1 confer with
w. II. Wilson I may make a further
statement"
Gubbins married his first wife in London
in 1850. They had six children, three of
whom are living. In 1890 he came to
America and four years later married
Camden woman. now Mrs. Priscilla Cub
bins. There are two children OF the
second marriage, Winifred, II years old
and Percy. 10 years old. They live at 6lS
olney avenue, olney.
SON APPEALED TO GUBBINs.
William Gubbins, 2S years old, a son
ny the first Wife came to America in
l911 and found his father living in Kens-
ington with Mrs. Gubbins No. 2. He sent
word to his mother, who came to Phila-
delphia last summer.
In March, William Gubblns went to his
father and urged him to support his
mother picturing the hard struggle she
was having in supporting the children
On this occasion, according to the son,
Gubbins had him arrested on a charge of
assault and battery.
Magistrate Campbell, of the Belgrade
and Clearfeld streets station, sentenced
him to Jail, but he was discharged after
serving part of the sentence, through the
Intervention of friends.
Mrs. Gubbins, when she first arrived in
AaID in learned that
husband and his second wife were at
Stone Harbor, n. j., with their children.
She took no action until they returned.
when she had him summoned before
Judge Brown charging him with deser-
tion and asking for separate support.
The petition was dismissed because
Judge Brown could not determine the
status of Gubbins, according to John Nc
Conaghy, Jr., an attorney in the Frank
lin Bank Building, who represented Mrs
Gubbins No. i.
CALLS 1T CASE OF BLACKMAIL
my mother received letter Decem-
ber IS. purporting to be signed by John
NJ. Strong, vice president of the West
End Trust Company, stating that Henry
X Fries, my fathers lawyer. had de-
posted $1,000 in the trust company. This
money was to be paid to my mothers
attorney upon the entry of the divorce
Decree" said William Gubbins.
Notice of the divorce proceedings was
served 10 days ago at the home of George
Tompkinson, 1874 Narragansett avenue,
where Mrs. Gubbins and her son are liv-
ing. Mrs Gubbins. who is 81 years old.
IS employed as a servant in the homo
Of a Germantown family.
The son is a houseman at the Ritz
Carlton Hotel.
Tompl5lnson. who Is familiar with the
case. said Gubbins had given Mrs. Cub
bins No. $500 In cash with a promise
OF $1,000 more II she would leave. She de-
manded weekly allowance. A fourth of
the $500 was retained by the attorney,
said Tompl1inson. six weeks ago, he
said. Mrs Gubbins went to her hus-
bands place of business, 21S0 East Somer-
set street. in an effort to get money,
The libel for divorce asserts that Cub
bins and his first wife were married Oc-
tober 20, 1880. Gubbins accuses his wife
of deserting him nine years later, Just
prior to his coming to America.