New-York tribune., 1918-07-31
Notice of Wedding,
Twelve Years Late,
Brings indictment
Dujat, County Clerk of
Queens, Held on Bigamy
Charge by Woman

Twelve years Of toll in steam
laundry served TO dispel the once
haunting vision of romance which
Matilda Clifford saw in a secret mar
riage
Besides, a twelve-ycar- son and
lnqulsltive neighbors complicated the
situation, and so after fruitless efforts
to get her alleged husband to acknowl-
edge her as his wife Matilda caused
to be inserted in Brooklyn news
paper ten days ago this belated am
nouncement of her wedding:
Dujat-Clifford.- May IS, 1906,
Mr.. Alexander Dujat, present County
Clerk of Queens Borough, was welded
to Miss Matilda Veronica Clifford at
the Chapel Of the Messiah, 2O6 East
Ninetyffth Street, N. Y. c.. by the
Rev. Frank H. Church."
The day of the widely circulated an
nouncement Matilda learned for the
first time that the man she claims as
husband had given his name to another
woman, Miss Edna Young. Corona,
l.. l., girl, who had been a teacher of
physical culture in a Brooklyn public
school. This marriage was celebrated
June 27, 1917, in st. Leo's Roman
Catholic Church, Corona, l.. l., by the
Rev. George Caruana.
The strange announcement came un-
der the eye of another official of
Queens Borough, Dennis O'Leary, the
,c&r tOE
me life of his associate in Corona
Mr.. O'Lcary lost no time in communi-
eating with Matilda Clifford Dujat
The grand jury of Queens Borough re-
turned an indictment yesterday charg
ing Mr.. Dujat with bigamy He was
notified at his desk in the courthouse
and left at once to appear before Judge
Humphrey in the County Court. He
pleaded not guilty. The County Clerk
was released on 1,5OO bail, which was
readily furnished by friends.
Dujat Asks Fairness
In a typewriter statement Dujat
said:
'My friends know that have never
done wrong to any single person
and will believe me, | hope. when
say ] have not done so in this case
AS to those who do not know me so
we'll, l merely ask that they suspend
judgment until such time as have
had fair trial, when my friends. |
know, will have had their former CON
hdence in me renewed"
District Attorney O'Leary said he
would move for trial in October Mrs
Matilda Dujat went before the grand
jury yesterday. Mrs. Edna Dujat was
not called. Among the other witnesses,
however, was the present minister of
the Chapel of the Messiah, now a col
ored church, the Rev Matthew Wilson,
colored man who is in charge of the
records of all marriages performed at
the chapel by his predecessors. Two
others who appeared before the grand
jury according to Mr.. O'Leary, were
the witnesses to the 1905 marriage
Their names were James B. and Ida
Wilson. The Rev Frank Church, who
is said to have performed the cere-
mony, is supposed to be in San Fran
sico.
Dujat has been very active in Dem
ocratc politics in Queens. He is sew
was a member of the Board of Alder
men for three terms, ana is chairman
Of the Queens County Democratic Com
mittee and pres dent of the North Side
Democratic Club of Queens.
i4tZLle III (dS0
Mrs. Matilda Dujat lives at 1860
Forty-third Street. in the Borough
Park section of Brooklyn. She is stay
ing there with q married sister The
day after her announcement Of the
marriage appeared in Brooklyn paper
Mrs. Dujat said:
"Mr. Dujat never told me he had
married again. There was another
woman whom he called Lizzie' He
urged me to keep silent about our mar
riage, because he said Lizzie woult
make trouble. He has been paying me
$l2 month for the support Of our boy,
who is named for his father. | have
been working in laundry, but recently
my health broke down. The doctor
said | must 20 away if want to live.
"That is why | wanted to clear ur
the secrecy of my marriage Before
had that notice put in the paper wen,
to see Mr.. Duiat at his Office ane
/ begged him to acknowledge me pub
licly. Then I watched the papers al
week, but there was no word from him
SO put in the announcement myself.
Mr.. Dujat and | have known each
other all our lives. He came to see ms