The Seattle Post Intelligencer

SHOWS PROOF OF MARRIAGE.
Mrs. Rebecca Morton Exhibits Her Marriage Certificate.

There was an indignant woman at No. 421 Bell street yesterday morning when the announcements of the death of Mrs. Jennie D. Morton were read in the morning papers, and she is the one who claims to be the wife of Percival B. Morton, instead of allowing that honor to the woman who was buried from the house yesterday. She sent word that she wanted to see a Post-Intelligencer reporter, but when he called on her in the evening, she had changed her mind about making a statement for publication, and had concluded to await the arrival home of Mr. Morton, who has been at Victoria several days on business.

She gave the name of Mrs. Rebecca Morton and said: "I have concluded to wait until my husband gets home. Then he will make a sworn statement setting things right, for I won't stand it to be disgraced in this way. I have relatives who have plenty of money to fight the case, and I can prove that I am Mr. Morton's wife and that the other woman was not. Her marriage to him in Nashville, Tenn., was not a legal one. To be sure, they went through the form of marriage then (1878) and they again went through the form of marriage in Tacoma under the names of Mrs. Jennie D. Brown and J. S. Hammond. Still she was not his wife and never could be as long as a certain other party lived. I am his legal wife, and I will show you my marriage certificate. I've got it hanging up over my bed, but will take it down. It was witnessed by my brother and Mr. and Mrs. Bedell."

With this, Mrs. Morton climbed up on the bed, took down the framed certificate, carefully dusted the back with her handkerchief and laid it on the table. The certificate recorded the joining in "holy bonds of matrimony" Percival B. Morton and Rebecca Trethewey at Port Townsend, April 18, 1892, by R. Yeatman. The certificate was witnessed by Byron C. Bedell, Frankie E. Bedell and Samuel Trethewey.

Mrs. Morton explained that Mr. Yeatman was a Methodist minister, and that she did not know whether he was still at Port Townsend, as Methodist ministers frequently changed their residence.