Notes for: John O'Byrne
Newspaper article, "Daily Intelligencer," Wheeling, W.Va., August 18 1862, in its entirety:
A MATRIMONIAL SPECULATION
HOW A TOMBSTONE MAN FLOURISHED FOR A WHILE AND HOW HE CAME TO GRIEF
There is a marble shop in this city, over which stands the name, "J. O'Byrne." ln and about the shop there are many fine specimens of marble, intendel to mark the last resting places of the dead. Mr. O'Byrne has been in business in this city for about four years. As his name indicates, he is an Irishman. A few weeks ago he took a trip to Doddridge county with a view of increasing his trade. In Doddridge county he made the acquaintance of a young widow whose maiden name was Pritcbard. Mr. O'B. applied to the widow and asked the privilege of putting a tombstone at the head of the grave of her departed husband. Mr. O'B. soon discovered that the widow was young and very wealthy, and being a marrying man be set himself at once about winning ber affections. As this would require a little more time than O'B. cared about devoting to the object, he decided to facilitate the business by employing a couple of persons in the neighborhood to favor his suit. He was to reward these persons handsomely in case of success. They were to represent that Mr. O'B. was wealthy, and sustained a good character in this city. These representations were duly made, and, together with the constant attentions, compliments and fascinations of the elegant O'B., soon succeeded. O'B. married the widow and brought ber to this city. The pair remained a couple of days in town and then went to Pittsburgh. From Pittsburgh Mr. O'B. wrote to the person in Doddridge county who had charge of the widow's affairs, and requested him to send immediately to Pittsburgh the modest sum of five hundred dollnrs to the address of "yours affectionately, J. O'Byrne." The widow has two big brothers living in Doddridge. --- These brothers, in the meantime, had found out that O'B. had a wife in Cincinnati, another in Ireland, and perhaps one or two more. Instead of sending the money the brothers packed up a few little traps and started for Pittsburgh. Arriving at that point, the first thing they did was to hunt up a policeman. The first thing the policeman did was to station himself at the general delivery of the post-office for the purpose of arresting O'Byrne when he called for the expected letter. About the first thing that 0'Byrne did that morning, after arranging his toilet and saying his devotions, was to call for the letter. --- He was instantly seized and requested to conduct the policeman and the Pritchards to his lodgings, which Mr. O'B. did without hesitation. O'B. and the widow were brought down to this city on Saturday night. O'B. was lodged in jail. One of the brothers took his sister home, and the other remains here to see that O'Byrne is prosecuted for bigamy, false pretences and that sort of thing.
The Pritchards claim that their sister's mind has been seriously affected for some time in consequence of chronic dyspepsia, and that O'Byrne lied to her and employed every conceivable deception. It is said the widow is worth a hundred thousand dollars. O'Byrne, it is said, bad a wife in this city some time ago with whom he did not live peaceably, and a separation took place, the wife going to Cincinnati. It is also said he has a wife in Ireland.
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84026845/1862-08-18/ed-1/seq-3/
News item, "Pittsburgh Gazette," Saturday, September 27, 1862, in its entirety:
O'BYRNE, THE BIGAMIST -- The authorities of Doddridge county, Va., have remanded O'Byrne, the bigamist, for trial before the Circuit Court. It was proved that O'Byrne lived with a woman for several years, representing her to be his wife. It was also established that he recently married a wealthy widow in Doddridge county, named Maxwell. It is claimed by O'Byrne that the woman with whom he lived was not his wife.
Newspaper article, "Daily Intelligencer," Wheeling, W.Va., December 20, 1862:
TRIAL OF O'BYRNE THE BIGAMIST
Some of the witnesses from this city who have been attending the trial of John O'Byrne, the alleged bigamist, returned yesterday from Doddridge court. They report that there is little hope for the accused, though the jury had not returned a verdict when the witnesses left.
Some of our readers doubtless recollect the particulars of this case. O'Byrne is an Irishman. He carried on a marble establishment in this city for some two or three years and lived with a woman said to be his wife. Some months ago, it is alleged he sent the woman with whom he bad been living, away,and shortly afterwards, while on a business tour up in Doddridge county became acquainted with a widow Maxwell, whose husband bad been dead for a year or so and over whose grave the sympathetic O'Byrne proposed, for a consideration, to place a monument. Mrs. Maxwell's wealth is counted by tens of thousands of dollars. O'Byrne succeeded, while making the dicker about the tombstone, in winning her heart, and without the knowledge or consent of relations, married her and passing through this city went to Pittsburgh to spend the honeymoon. While in Pittsburgh he ran out of money and he wrote to his wife's brother to send him $500. The former Mrs. Maxwell's brother, a Mr. Pritchard, in the meantime discovered that O'Byrne had another wife living, and perhaps two of them, so instead of sending the $500 he left bis quiet home in Doddridge and went to Pittsburgh himself. Not knowing the exact locality which had been selected by Mr. O'Byrne and lady to hang out during their sojourn, Mr. Pritchard consulted with a policeman. The policeman stood watch at the post office and when Mr O'Byrne called at that establishment for the $500 which be confidently expected, the policeman nabbed him and himself and wife were taken back to Doddridge. This week he has been undergoing a trial for bigamy. It is said that the facts have been pretty clearly established against Mr. O'Byrne, and that in all human probability he will be sent to the penitentiary.