New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-10-27
NEW HAVEN WIFE
SUES VI. MAYO;
DEMANDS
Bases Action Against Man
ufacturer Upon Her Big
amOuS Marriage.
COOK CASE EXPOSED
PREVIOUS WEDDING
Plaintiff Met Him in a Jail and
Became Bride In Mormon
Church In Brooklyn.

Wilhelmina Meyer, the New Haven
wife" of Virginus J. Mayo, he Of the
many pseudo do-matrimonial entangle-
ments which were exposed last March
when Lillian May Cook. his stenog-
rapher, committed suicide, has at last
turned against the rich manufacturer
and brought suit against him in tie
Supreme Court yesterday for S25O,OOO
Through the cloud Of denunciation
which enveloped Mayo, following the
discovery Of Miss Cooks body on West
Rock, near New Haven. with a revolver
clasped in her hand, the woman who
had filled the place of his wife in the
New England town stood by him
/ When Mayo's first wife in Scran-
ton brought a suit for divorce for
desertion. and his second wife In
Brooklyn was discovered, to be
followed by three or four other women
who claimed relationship with him
Wilhelmina Meyer. realizing for the
first time that she was not his true
Wlle, remained Slient.
Only yesterday she began action
against him, charging fraud. The
woman, who is little mors than thirty
says that Mayo swore 70 her that he
was single man when she promised
to marry him.
For nearly ten years she lived with
the manufacturer in New Haven as his
wife, not knowing that he had deserted
his lawful mate, Florence Weeks Mayo
whom he married In Binghamton in
1890, and who was then living with her
three daughters in Scranton, Penn.
Mayo had told Miss Meyer that he had
been married before, but that his wife
was dead. His wife, on the other hand
believed him to be dead until his pict-
ure was published in the newspapers a.
the time of the Cook scandal.
Despite a former bitter experiences
the girl believed him. Her meeting
with the manufacturer had been un-
usual and in manner prophetic. She
was engaged to marry a Dane-Alfred
Peterson-but discovered that he al
ready had a wife and children. He was
arrested andyjailed in Newark, where
the girl lived with her grandparents
On visiting him one day she met the
susve and courtly Mayo, siso visitor
70 the jail.
The couple were married In the
Mormon Church Of Brooklyn on April
2. 1904. Soon thereafter they went TO
New Haven, where Mayo had a pros
porous business. The man became en-
tangled with Lois Waterbury. for whom
| he set up All establishment In Brook
lyn, where she bore him children un-
der the name of Mrs. Dudley. Susie
Wahlers, his stenographer in New Hs-
ven; Lillian Cook, also his stenog-
rapher, and several other women are
believed to have had improper rela-
tions with him.
Immediately after the Cook girls
suicide Mrs. Florence Weeks Mayo
the manufacturers first wife, brought
suit for divorce. Susie Wahlers and
several others then came forward
claiming that their children also were
Mayo's and demanding reparation.
The New Haven wife" Of the much
married man Is suing for damages for
fraud and not for an snnulment OF the
marriage. II is expected, however, that
evidence presented at the trial will
make the annulment q matter OF
sequence. The woman Is said to be the
niece of Henry Stengel, a rich leather
manufacturer. lie was a survivor OF
the Titanic disaster. but has since died.