Charged With Having Too Many Wives

William Parsons, Alias Smith is Held, to Gallipolis on Bigamy Charge, Say He Got Third Wife in Mansfield.

William Parsons, a man who was married in Mansfield in September, 1908, under the name of William Smith, was arrested in Gallipolis Tuesday on the charge of having three wives and was bound over to common pleas court by the mayor, before whom the preliminary examination was conducted.

It is claimed that Parsons was married in Gallipolis in 1904 and that in 1907 he was married to Rosa Thompson, in Huntington, W. Va., also that in September of last year he was married to a girl in Mansfield. The charge is that all of these wives are living and that none of them have been divorced.

Parsons stated after he was arrested that he did not know whether he had married the West Virginia girl or not. He said that he awoke one morning after a spree and that she claimed to be his wife.

Wife No. 2 made the complaint against him and Wife No. 3, who is said to be the Mansfield girl, produced a marriage certificate in court Tuesday.

The record of the marriage license department of the probate court of Richard county shows that on September 10, 1908, a marriage license was issued to William Smith, aged 23 years, and Pearl Loiselle, aged 21. Smith's place of residence was given as Mansfield and his occupation as a cook. Lucas was given as the bride's place of residence. The Rev. S. L. Stewart was mentioned in the license as the officiating clergyman but it appears that other arrangements were made as the return of the ceremony having been performed was made by Justice Dickey, the date of the ceremony having been Sept. 14, four days after the license was issued.

--The Mansfield News, Mansfield, Ohio, April 21, 1909, page 6.