Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-12-05
BRIDE OF SIXTEEN WE'D
4OF Them IN NORFOLK
Helen Fcrguson-Drexler, ct
al, Married Many Sailors
for AlIotments.
rs A NATIVE OF NonFoLK
Reniiy Loved Her First Husband.
she Sophisticated Matrimonial
ventures After Taylor Synn Killed
in France In War.

NORFOLK, VA, Dec. 4.-Mrs. Helen
ferguson Drcxler- Taylor Kelley and
fourteen others, names, who is under
arrest In Chicago. charged with hay-
inS married ten sailors and soldiers
Tor their allotmcnts. formerly lived in
Norfolk. and married four Of her hus-
bands here. according to hcr state
'nent. in dispatches received here last
night
Mrs Kelley, who is unusually
young and attractive, is a native Of
Norfolk. she said. and declared that
nor mother died here and her father
deserted her while che lived here.
She also claims that her matrimonial
career began here three years ago
ana that she was on the point or
marrying seventeenth husband
"h"n her apprehension stopped her.
The young woman WAS caught by
government agents IN waukcsan. not
lar from the Great Lakes Training
station. To which several OF her al
!'Gcd husbands were attached.
I'ir>t Welded for Love.
You men are silly" the Federal
agents said shc told them "Ail you
know Of is ten men. have had six
'r"n and was going to wed another ~
you hadn't in'crfcred with my plans.
Ny FIRST husband really married
Tor love He was wiifred Taylor. "a
salesman. whom met In Norfolk
"nlIc working in "A department store
there had just gone back homo
where my mother had died and my
iathc. deserted me right after that
Ih"n my only brother was Killed in
tho war.
i Was lonely and tired Of working
hhrd, 20 when Taylor asked me 10 get
married. though he ,>ls only a few
months over twenty and I a year
N"unf"r said Yes so We were mar
RED and went to live In an apart
'ncnt until he was called into the war.
~ was cent to France, and soon after
mat got word ne had been killed
N' course. ! was getting his alI0t-
m"n'. bun WAC lonely again and
pretty soon found another man who
wanted I" marry me. He was from
Sow York ! livcd with him in Nor
f"lk for q While. then hc took ,ne to
Sew York. where. after a couple OF
months. he Joined the navy.
Likes sailors.
~ woman friend OF mine. who
heard, nf the TWO aIir,rpcnta was
then getting. suggested that get
>on" more" IL listened good TO me.
50 married the third. IT was so
easy that married fourth ] can
not remember their namcs now. but
there were sixteen OF them IN nil.
counting tn. nrst one. who died
b. the tine ! had married ten.
among them John Kelley, a sailor "a,
Spr'olk, where had returned SO as
10 be near ravy-yard FOR like
SAilors. was getting about $500 n
month in allotm"nts, for none Of my
husbands stopped my allo,monts.
Then got tired o. Norfolk and
decided To go to Chicago. got No.
II and IL there. but did not ike to
be near the Naval Training station.
out there married Thomas Jo-
seph Means. Patrick Moellcr and Paul
Gray. all Of them sailors attached To
The station. None Of them knew !
was married when they married me.
and all Of them made me allotmonts
- ,hcir pay without making any fuss
when asked for ii.
The last one was Albert preslcr.
whom married some time last An
gust. He was soldier at Camp
Grant.
And then l was going To marry a
young sailor ~ the station as the
seventeenth. liked all the boys, but
| did not love any OF them"
Mrs DrcSler is held under bond OF
10000