The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-05-11
MRS. "TRACY,S" $|O,OOO,OOO .
DOVER RIGHT SUIT DROPPED
Cloud on Titles of Fifth Ave. Residences Lifted When
Marriage to Maltster Is Disproved-Certifcate
Called Forgery-Was Already a Wife.

witness to the ceremony was Viola Pine,
then "A child of 10. and a sister of Hor-
tense PIN Their father was a carpen-
ter employed from time to time by
Tracy.
In this action she proved the mar
rlage by submitting a certificate pur-
porting to certify that she had been
married to Edward Tracy on Septem.
Der 22, 1872. The certificate was signed
by &c. r. Stoughton.'' although the con-
tention vas successfully made that the
minister uniting the couple was actually
Norman G. Stoughton. who had at one
time been associated with the Episcopal
Church in Athens, n. Y. As the result
Of this suit, Mrs. Tracy received 800
in settlement of her claims.
A year or so later. when the alleged
Mrs. Tracy brought suit in the courts
of this county against realty owned by
Mr.. Carnegie and others, George A.
Stoves. acting for Dean. Tracy x Nc
Barron, made an investigation Of her
statements and her papers and OF all
records bearing on the case. He dis
covered that there was nowhere any
record OF n person named &C. II. Slough
ton" having existed: and that the Rev.
Norman G. Stoughton had retired from
the Episcopal ministry and had entered
the Catholic faith in 1853. or nineteen
years before the alleged marriage be-
tween MIR. Tracy and Hortense Pine took
place.
Certificate Declared q Forgery.
BY court order Mrs. Tracy was re-
Quircd to submit the doubtful marriage
certificate to the inspection of counse
for the New York city defendants and
OF their handwriting experts. The latter
declared It to be "A forgery. The law
firm OF Merchant. Olena 4 Merchant OF
this city and the Law Arm OF Shaw
Bailey & Murphy OF Troy thereupon
abandoned Mrs. Tracy's case and re.
turned all papers to her. Joseph y
Coughlin of Albany was substituted as
her attorney.
Counsel for the defendants here were
able to show also hat although Ed
ward Tracy made many conveyances oi
real estate after the date of the alleged
marriage he described himself as q
bachelor. They were not able to fine
that the woman setting herself up as
Tracy's widow ever asserted during his
lifetime hat she was his wife.
Recently Howard Z. Tracy of Dean
Tracy & McFarron went to Idaho. wher,
Mrs. Tracy is now living, and obtained
material which was inserted in an aft,
davit as follows:
. Wv Atl'AiltlF VI Nllt Ntlh lldNN
and on the 18th day Of November. 1887
the plaintiff by q ceremonial marriage
married one George Washington Adam,
In the state of Idaho. and thereafte,
she used the name OF Adams for MANY
wears and still continues to use il. Sh,
also entered into other relations utterly
Inconsistent with any alleged marriag,
to the said Tracy"
Mrs. Tracy. or Adams. has been ADJ,
to Obtain money from persons agains
whom she made claims similar TO tn,
ones instituted against the Carnegie
fhipps and other properties. In Janu
airy. 1916. she obtained $4,000 In a cas-,
whore the owners Of the prop.rt'
against which She had filed q lis peud.u
desired to complete "A contract for tn,
sale OF the property and were uuahl
70 rcmove her claim without paying hot
The costs in the sixty-two action
here have amounted to $4,000. II IN
alleged Mrs. Tracy cannot renew thcr
! without paying these costs.