The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1919-08-08
MOST MARRIEDMA
HAD A WIFE HERE
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who murmured 81 do as Wilson stood
beside them at the altar:
January %, 1900, Elizabeth May
Stanton, Davenport, Iowa: July ID
1908, Mary L. Bailey, Lynchburg, Va;
March 20, 1900, Ethel c. Moore, Hunts
willie, Ala; August 20, 1913, Louise +.
Davis, Detroit; October "a. 1914, Fran
ces Davis, Pittsburgh; June ., 1919
Katherine Morrison. New York city;
August 2S, 1915, Wilhelmina c. Jag
gard, Philadelphia, and on November
10, 1916, Fay ]. Zaff, New York city.
1t was the last of these who brought
complaint against Wilson. charging
him with bigamy.
Weakness For Women.
81 do not believe Wilson married
for money" said Mr.. Barker, though
in a number OF cases he got away
with some money and sometimes the
jewelry of the most recent wife He
seems to have had an unconquerable
weakness for women, and, when ne
admired one particularly, he was
willing to marry her to possess her
for a short time. His method OF
abandoning his wives was to leave
them without a word.
Letters and, the. stories Of some of
the wives indicate that he was an
ardent wooer. Sometimes he aroused
sympathy by telling the woman he
was wooing that he had been married,
but his wife and children had been
burned to death. He had three chill
dren that 1 know of, all by his first
wife. There is nothing to show that
he was other than a good husband
to each of his wives, while he lived
with her"
oddly. enough the Benedict from
GAINESVILLE contracted one marriage
partly against his will, Mr.. Barker's
information shows. In this case he
was compelled to wed by the parents
OF the young woman, with whom he is
sail to have been intimate for some
time before the ceremony. He lived
with this wife less than a year.
In letter to Mr.. Barker. written
in the Jail at Waupun, January 8,
1919. Wilson said:
IT have laid my life on Gods altar,
and He has given me a new heart.
My prayer for months has been that
l might become a channel Of blessing
to men. The Holy Ghost is doing the
rest. to which not a few in Waupun
are living witnesses"
Taught Bible in jail.
Mr.. Barker said that Wilson has
been conducting a Bible study class
in Jail.
Wilson never permitted his right
age to appear on a marriage certih-
cate, Mr. Bankers investigation
shows. Some of his wives displayed
a tendency to cling to him, even after
learning Of his other marriages, while
he went back. once or twice, to live
with the wives he had deserted. Mr..
Bankers recital of Wilson's career
from this point continues:
After he lost his Y. NJ. c. A. work
through his fondness for women. Will
son sold hardware and later insur-
ance. For a long time he was a trav-
cling salesman for novelties. His
travelling made il easier for him to
leave his wives, as his mail all went
to general delivery and there was no
way to trace him.
His Alabama wife went to Wash
ington, D. c., with him and was de-
serted there. She was a trained
nurse and had to work to earn suffi-
cient money to pay her fare home.
To his second and third gives he re-
ferred to his first wife as his sister.
They had not seen her, but later, the
Virginia wife (No. p, got into COM
munication with No. 1 and learned
who she was.
HE abandoned his first wife in
1900 and she sued for separation in
1914 because he had then married
several other women. On October 8,
1909, he applied to the board of educa-
ton here for a position as physical
director in the public schools, but was
turned down. How he managed TO
get the work at Dewitt Clinton never
understood. While there, however,
his first wife had him arrested for
non-support. Later they got together
again and lived at Bridgeport, Conn,
where she got him work with an in
surance company.
ain July. 1912. he worked for the
Fidelity and Casualty Company in d.
troit. When he married Miss Louise
Davis there in 1913 they both left
town at once. Afterward il was dis
covered that he had stolen about
$4,000 at Ashland, Wis. AS result OF
this, Wilson will finish a two-year
term in Waupun next Sunday"
A~NWUR- Ann"