BRICKER, MITCHELL, QUILLMAN, SIMMERMAN "The Kansas City Times" (Missouri) Friday, December 15, 1905 FAILED TO PROVE BIGAMY. E. C. SIMMERMAN, charged with bigamy by Cora BRICKER SIMMERMAN, who says she is his third wife, was given a preliminary hearing yesterday afternoon before Justice SHOEMAKER. After hearing the testimony offered by the state, the justice discharged the prisoner. He was immediately taken into custody by waiting officers and returned to the county jail, where the information will be filed against him on the same charge in the criminal court. SIMMERMAN was arrested in Harrison, Ark., three weeks ago at the request of the Kansas City police, who brought him here Thanksgiving day. Mrs. Cora BRICKER SIMMERMAN had sworn that she was married to him more than a year before, had lived with him as his wife for nine months, and after leaving him had learned that another wife was living in Pinkneyville, Ill. This wife , who was said to be Mrs. SIMMERMAN No. 2, had been a Miss Mary QUILLMAN, and had, it was alleged, been deserted by her husband before he met Miss BRICKER. SIMMERMAN's first wife, who had been a Miss Lily MITCHELL, had died before his second marriage, leaving two daughters. The state failed to produce at yesterday's hearing any evidence that Mrs. SIMMER- MAN No. 2 was alive, or had never been divorced, other than a statement by Mrs. BRICKER SIMMERMAN that she had received letters from the Pinkneyville woman. A certified copy of the marriage license, with the officiating minister's endorsement, issued to SIMMERMAN for his marriage to Miss QUILLMAN, was introduced to show that the wedding had actually occurred. George SIMMERMAN, a laundryman of 2011 College avenue, brother of the prisoner, was called upon to testify by the state, but denied any knowledge of his brother's matrimonial enterprises. He said that he did not know whether his brother had ever been married, further than his statement that he had two children living in Illinois. ================================================= (I have no connection with these people but I'd appreciate knowing if you found this posting helpful.) =================================================