The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-08-13
Former HOlyoke Soldier in
Trouble Over Matri-
mOnial Affairs
WIFE NO. 1 SAYS SHE
WAS MARRIED HERE
But Town Clerk Hopkins Cannot Find
Record to Prove It-Russeu Penni-
man Says He Supposed First Wife
Was Dead.

Russell p Penniman of Northampton,
Mass, was arrested in that city yesterday
morning on complaint of Miss Blanche
Premier, the Holyoke young woman whorn
he married July 30, who charges that at
the time Of the marriage he had another
wife living He was taken to Holyoke
and lodged in the police station for hear
ing
Penniman claims that at the time Of the
second marriage he thought that wife No.
was dead and that he was free to marry
again He says that he came to North
ampton from the naval hospital at Chel-
sea because of a telegram which he re-
ceived there which read; Come at once.
Wife dying. Last request to see you.
Wire when coming.
He claimed that he was at the hospital
for the purpose of having an operation
performed when he received the telegram,
and left at once for Northampton lie
went to the home of his sister there, and
was placed under arrest by Capt LIONS
and Officer Moriarty of the Northampton
| police and later turned over to the Hol-
| yoke officers. The warrant for his arrest
had been sent To the naval hospital at
| Chelsea from Holyoke, but when it ar.
| rived Penniman had gone, and the local
department wired Chelsea yesterday morn
ing for the return OF the warrant.
Penniman came into public notice at the
time he was At the border with the
| Northampton company, where he claimed
90 have been shot IN the leg while on out
post duty His account OF the shooting
was viewed with suspicion for some time
there being a belief that the wound was
scf-inflicted Later he joined tire navy
serving as engineer it Is claimed, on the
| former German liner kronprnzessiI
Cecilc
According to Mrs Olive Penninan O
Syracuse, \. Y, he married her in Brat
tleboro but she claims that the marriag,
certificate was destroyed by Pennimal
after the marriage The records will show
that the marriage took. place, she states,
Town Clerk Carl s. Hopkins has looked
through his marriage records for the pas
dozen years and does not find the name
!, Penniman, which adds to the complca
tionS
On July 30 last, Penniman married Mis-
Rranche Premier, %, of III Lyman street
Holyoke, at Perpetual Help church in tina
city Several weeks previous to this man
iiagc Penniman attempted to secure tn
consent of Judge Chaplin for an mmediat
marriage, but later agreed to a postpone
ment
At that time Pennman was anxiou
that no publicity be given to the propose
marriage, claiming that he did not wis
to undergo the jollying that would tax
place on shipboard should his marriage be
come known. At the time Of his secon
marriage he said he was stationed on tn
United States Virginia He was marie
in his naval uniform
!, Miss Frenier few days ago swore OF
warrant against Pennman, charging hii
: with bigamy She stated that she ha
: met him in Northampton and had ker
company with him for five months SE
! was engaged to marry Holyole youn
:. man at the time At that time Pennima
stated that he had been married befor,
c but displayed insurance papers to sho
:, that he had collected insurance on h
wifes death