C.S. Bowman Converses with the Wronged Wife of William Bristol while on Santa Fe Train
NEWTON – While on his recent trip to Kansas City and St. Joe, Mo., C. S. Bowman rode in the same car with Mrs. Bristol, the wronged wife of William Bristol, whose perfidy was told in these columns the other day. Mr. Bowman sat in the seat directly behind the woman perusing a copy of the Topeka Journal, containing the sensational story of “man’s duplicity and woman’s worse than weakness.” Mrs. Bristol was on her way from St. Joe, to Topeka, where she filed information against her husband and his paramour. When Mr. Bowman laid down his paper, the woman asked him if she might take it a few moments. He noted that she immediately riveted her gaze on the article pertaining to her husband’s escapade, and surmised that she was the wife of the villain of the story. Entering into conversation with her, he soon discovered that his suspicions were well founded and she admitted that she was his legal wife. After reading the article carefully, she confessed that it was true and told Mr. Bowman that the first intimation she had had of her husband’s dual life came to her from a telegram he received while in St. Joe, signed “Blanche,” which was dated from Newton, and stated that the “baby was quite sick.” Mr. Bristol was away from the house at the time and she opened the telegram. When he returned home he explained to her that it was all a mistake, and that it was undoubtedly intended for some other Bristol. Her suspicions were aroused however, and she at once set about to discover, if possible, who “Blanche” was. She did, and the result is known to the Kansan readers. She told Mr. Bowman that it was a heart-rending thing for her to prosecute her husband, but seemed to think that it was the only thing left for her to do. She was firm in her conviction that such rascality should be stopped and was of the opinion that the disgrace would be no greater for her and her children to bring the matter into court, than it would be to let the villain go unpunished. And perhaps she was right. The Evening Kansan-Republican, Newton Kansas. Thursday, June 13, 1901. Page 1. PC026 © Transcribed by Marty Fuller for the Harvey County Genealogical Society.
