The Washington times., 1922-04-29
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le Clair Denies He Committed
Bigamy-Liked the
! Second Best.

POUGHKEEPSIE, N. Y, April
29-"Major" John Lawrence LIE
Clair has stepped down from his
''high horse"
He read a statement in which
his sister in Hartford said he had
introduced two or three women as
his wives at her home.
Pacing up and down with failing
arms in the Ducess county Jail,
where he is held on a check forgery,
he admitted he had introduced
women as his wives to his sister.
Denies Bigamy.
He quickly amended this by saying
he had never married these women.
but "to make it look right" passed
them off as his wives. He did not
say how he explained to her the null
tiplicity of wives"
LeClair, who also denotes himself
st. Clair, today made vituperative
denials of the charges of bigamy.
He insisted again he had married
only Bertha M. Hayes, listed as No. 8.
He was questioned about the
statement of his sister, Mrs. Robert
Ferguson. of No. 1914 Howard street.
Hartford. She said:
He is one of twenty children, ten
of whom are dead. Our father,
Peter, does not own a machine shop,
as Lawrence said. He works for a
living. Mother made the mistake of
always standing by Lawrence. He
was spoiled and pampered. / was
always severe against his conduct.
He visited my home in March,
1920, with woman he said was
his wife. She was a Danish girl in
an American Red Cross uniform. He
showed me their marriage certificate
issued in France when he was SOL
dier there. That would make nine
wives instead of eight. The girl died.
i believe, a few months later in a
Boston hospital.
Last July Larry told me he had
married Theresa r. Hamilton, of
Hartford, on July 20. In October,
1921, he came here with Annie
Kelly, Of Boston. as his wife. They
lived as husband and wife at No.
So Capon street. Shortly after the
police locke dior him and he dis
appeared.
Wants Him Punished.
ct taxed him about breaking the
hearts of all those girls and he re-
piled he knew the police would get
him sometime. 1 am glad he has
been arrested. Even though he is
my brother, / want to see him
punished for the crimes he has
committed against these girls"
His sisters statement made lie
Clair furious. He denounced her as
crazy" He fairly shouted:
Il never married those women.
Let them show the licenses"
Letters he dictated in his brief
but spectacular stay at the Nelson
House as a major" are being used
by the authorities as clues to other
possible marriages.
1t is evident, as he admits, that
many of his letters were dictated to
his stenographers for purposes of
show. They helped to keep up a
front" But they also displayed his
Ignorance. He pocketed the letters
after debating.
No. 2 Was Best.
(which wife do you like best. and
why?" a correspondent asked LIE
Clair as he leaned against a window
frame in the Jail.
He laughed.
But" the reporter persisted, '.you
must like one better than any OF
the others.
Women are always interested in
knowing why a man likes one par
ticular woman better than another.
Tell me, was 1t the prettiest or
the niftiest dresser or the youngest?"
No, she wasn't the youngest and
she wasn't the prettiest." he said,
with a reminiscent look in his eyes.
"She wasn't so very young and she
wasn't SO very pretty. But she was
on the level. She was a telegraph
operator with the Postal in Glouces-
ter (No. 2 in the list). She was a
good, square girl and always on the
level, and II could have her back,