New-York tribune., 1921-03-05
Two Wives Sue
Sailor; IL More
AreHeardFron
Harold Hammond, 20 Years
Old, Met, Wooed and Wed
Dozen Women in Short
Space of Three Months
Just Having Lot of Fun
Lawyer Admits Navy De-
serter Married Girls
From Maine to Virginia.

What appears to have been a record
for wartime romances, in which four
teen young women of Atlantic coast
cities became the wives of Harold Ham
mond, twenty years old, now serving
a term in Portsmouth Naval Prison for
desertion from the Navy, came to light
yesterday, following actions brought by
the first and second wives for divorce
and annulment, respectively, before Su-
preme Court Justice Keogh at White
Plains.
The testimony, which was heard by
Justice Keogh on February Is, reveals
that Hammond, who had previously de-
serted from the Army and was then
in the Navy, met, wooed and married
twelve of the young women I'm the short
space of three months.
The suits are those of Mrs. Elizabeth
Marie Hammond, daughter OF Mr.. and
Mrs. Joseph j. Fitzhenry, of Hollands
L. L., who married Hammond at New
York City Hall on October 5, 1917
when Hammond, then a soldier, was
absent without leave from Fort Ethar
| Allen, Vermont, and Mrs. Loretta F
Hammond, nee Burke, of Jersey City
who asks an annulment on the grount
that Hammond was married to Mrs
Elizabeth Marie Hammond when sh'
also became his wife. The first Mrs
Hammond asks for a divorce on th
ground that her husband lived will
Mrs. Loretta f. Hammond. She ais
is suing for support for her baby
Robert. The mother and child, who i
J not yet two years old, are living will
the mothers parents. Mr.. Fitzhenry i
in the trucking business, with Offices a
! 125 Greenwich Street, Manhattan.
! According to Julian V. Carabba,
lawyer, Of lis Broadway, who defende,
Hammond when he was tried in Jerse,
/ City for bigamy, Hammond marie,
Bliss Burke after deserving his frs
wife and while an enlisted nina in th
Naval Reserve. He was "a. w. o. l..
at the time, and when tried by tn
civil court on the bigamy charge an,
convicted pleaded guilty to the charge
When, on completion of his sentence
he was discharged from custody nava
authorities took him in charge as a de
| serter.
Some Of the Young women Harmon,
married during his service in tie Nava
Reserve were said to be Miss Ela;n,
/ O'Grady, of South Philadelphia; Mis-
May Bennett. of Bath Beach. Benson
hurst, and Miss Margaret O'Brien. O
Newport News, Va. There was on
other young woman whom he marrie
at Bath Beach, two or three others q
Newport News, and to quote Mr.. Car
abba, the young man married girls al
the way from Maine to Virginia."
Two of the young women, Mr.. Car
abba said, his client told him he ha,
married on the same day.
Mr.. Carabba said Hammond come
of good family, resident now at Batl
Beach. and that the young bigamis
only thought he was having "a lot O.
fun"
Justice Keogh indicated at the con
cluslon Of the hearing last Saturda
that he would grant the divorce an
annulment asked respectively by Mrs
Elizabeth Marie Hammond and Mrs
Loretta +. Hammond. These action
are expected to be taken on Monday
when all the papers in the suits, in
cluding the DEGREES, will be laid be
fore Justice Keogh for his signature.