If you haven’t read the earlier parts, start at Part 1.

The same day that the interview with O’Neill and Mrs. Roberts ran in the Buffalo News, William Roberts spoke out in the Buffalo Times, claiming he had plans to counter-sue Mrs. Roberts for divorce. He also wanted custody of their three children whom Mrs. Roberts would not permit him to see. And he was ready to spill the tea about his soon-to-be ex-wife!

“Previous to their marriage Mrs. Roberts represented herself as a widow of two or three years standing, and was known as Mrs. Anderson. About two months after Roberts led his wife to the altar, she was delivered of a child of which Roberts denies the paternity,” the Buffalo Times explained.

“Roberts claims that he has discovered that the woman was never married and that her real name was Woods. The couple came to Buffalo a few years ago. Roberts opened a saloon on Carroll Street. His wife conducted this during the day, while he worked in the baggage room at the New York Central station. In a short time Roberts discovered that Mrs. Roberts could drink more whisky than an Indian. She also spent four or five dollars a day in the policy shops. Due to these two heavy drains Roberts soon succumbed and had to close his saloon.” Policy shops, from what I could learn, were similar to casinos in that you could place bets there, but not necessarily like a casino in that you wouldn’t spend all night gambling there.

In addition to her drinking and gambling, Mrs. Roberts liked to carouse. “She used to go to picnics with different men, and would not get home until the wee small hours of the morning,” Roberts revealed. “She was generally loaded when she staggered in to bed.”

Roberts said he had always supported his wife, giving her at least $5 a week. He accused his wife of attempting to blacken his name with lies in her desperation to secure a divorce, including attempts to pay off two female family friends to lie and say they had been “criminally intimate” with Roberts.

Meanwhile, the Smallenburgs were outraged by O’Neill’s accusations and his threat to sue them. “I would want nothing better,” said Mr. Smallenburg to a News reporter the next day. “The truth of the whole matter is that when Mrs. O’Neill needed money we gave it to her, supplied her with articles she badly needed, and took care of her when her husband paid absolutely no attention to her wants. He says in the News interview that I poisoned the mind of his wife by telling her of his wrong doings? We tried to conceal many things from her.” As to the furniture, Mrs. O’Neill insisted on mortgaging it to them and it would be auctioned off the following week. “The proceeds will not go into my pocket. I am entirely disinterested. I intend to buy a monument to erect over her grave. I have even told the lawyers to buy it and will not even touch the money.”

After that, as they so often did, the newspapers reported not another word on the story. I was unable to find another scrap of information about James O’Neill, his son, Mr. and Mrs. Roberts, or the Smallenburgs. They all seemingly returned to obscurity.

What are your thoughts on this sad but fascinating tale?