State of Ohio for Emma V Double v George Stough, 1889-1890

By Pamela Pattison Lash

Williams County Common Pleas Court, Journal 15 p178, 266 – State of Ohio for Emma V Double v George Stough, 21 Dec 1889; p359-360 – 19/20 June 1890; p395 – 28 June 1890; Roll 48 case #2132

The court said he is guilty of bastardy and he must pay a bond of $500; if he does not pay he will be in default and must go to jail.

On 19 and 20 June 1890 the case was brought before a jury; even though George stated he was not guilty, the jury found him guilty.  On 28 June 1890 the court required George to post a bond of $500 surety. 

I have searched both the birth and death records for Williams County to find a baby’s birth within the time frame but so far I have found nothing.  It could be the child’s birth was not recorded or the baby was born in another place.  As you’ll see, Emma married four days before the case was brought to court so it could be her new husband wanted George Stough to pay for the child’s needs or both Emma and her new husband wanted the child acknowledged as belonging to George Stough.

Here’s what I’ve found on the plaintiff:

Emma V Double (11 Mar 1871, Millcreek Twp, Williams Co, OH - ); d/o Andrew Double and Mary Garver); Emma was born in Millcreek Twp, Williams Co, OH (Birth V1 p19)

Andrew Double (30 Mar 1827 PA- 18 Mar 1905 Albert Twp, Montmorency Co, MI); married Mary Garver on 9 Oct 1856 in Ashland Co, OH; Mary Garver (27 Apr 1832 OH – 19 Oct 1905 Lewiston, Albert Twp, Montmorency Co, MI); they lived in Wright twp, Hillsdale Co, MI in 1900

1880 Bridgewater, Williams, Ohio; Roll: 1077; Family History Film: 1255077; Page: 453C; Enumeration District: 002; Image: 0540.

h/h 93/95 Double, Andrew 53 PA-blank-blank farmer

Mary 48 wife OH-PA-PA

Albert 19 son OH teacher blanks on bp of parents

Thomas 15 son OH-PA-PA

Wilbur 11 son OH-PA-PA

Emma 9 dau OH-PA-PA

Noah 6 son OH-PA-PA

Martin 4 son OH-PA-PA

Note that all children have PA-PA for parents except Albert.

About the same time as the case was first brought to court, Emma Double married Lewis Clinton Gump in Williams Co, OH on 17 Dec 1889; the marriage was performed by William F Preston, minister.

About six months prior to this marriage, in the divorce action of Andrew Dryborough v Ida Dryborough, Andrew stated in court that his wife had an affair on 4 June 1889 at the Brunswick Hotel, Bryan, OH with Clinton Gump.

Lewis Clinton Gump was the son of William H and Sarah Jane Lewis Gump. Lewis Clinton Gump (25 Dec 1863 West Unity, Brady Twp, Williams Co, OH – 17 Dec 1937 Montpelier, Superior Twp, Williams Co, OH’ buried in Riverside Cem)

William Henry Gump (24 Jan 1836 Plymouth, Richland Co, OH – 29 Dec 1928 West Unity, Brady Twp, Williams Co, OH; burial Floral Grove Cem)

Sarah Jane Lewis  (Nov 1837 Ashland Co, OH – 16 Nov 1904 West Unity, Brady Twp, Williams Co, OH

1880 Brady, Williams, Ohio; Roll: 1077; Family History Film: 1255077; Page: 514B; Enumeration District: 005; Image: 0663.

h/h Gump, William H 45 OH

Sarah Jane 44 OH

Ella 21 OH

William 18 OH

Clinton 15 OH

Charles 12 OH

Frank 2 OH

I have not been successful in finding out what happened to Emma Double Gump – but it appears by 1916 Lewis Clinton Gump has a new wife.

Lewis Clinton Gump married Jennie Lee Shaull Garn on 8 April 1916 in Williams Co, OH (Marriage V11 p293). Jennie was married to Joshua Shaull and had three children; Joshua died on 10 June 1891; she then married Samuel A Garn on 22 Feb 1900 and lived in Montpelier during the 1900 and 1910 federal census reports.  From Lewis Clinton Gump’s marriage license he stated he was a widower and had been married once before.

Armita Jane Lee (18 Sept 1866, Montpelier – 29 May 1946 Superior Twp, Williams Co, OH’ bur Riverside Cem; d/o George Lee and Susan Brown/Brim); 1880 Superior Twp, Williams Co, OH

In 1916 LC Gump and wife Jennie lived in Montpelier on a 13-acre farm; he set up a restaurant in Montpelier, where he and his wife lived.

1920 Superior, Williams, Ohio; Roll: T625_1450; Page: 13A; Enumeration District: 171; Image: 529.

217 West Main

h/h 335/358 Gump, Louis C 54 OH-OH-OH proprietor of restaurant

Jennie A wife 51 OH-OH-OH waiter in restaurant

1930 Montpelier, Williams, Ohio; Roll: 1891; Page: 3A; Enumeration District: 24; Image: 461.0.

217 West Main St

h/h 72/75 Gump, LC 64 mar @32 OH-OH-OH proprietor of restaurant

Jennie wife 62 mar @18 OH-US-OH cook in restaurant

Lewis Clinton Gump – Bryan Press, 23 Dec 1937, p2; Leader Enterprise, 23 Dec 1937 p4 c3

Jennie Shaull Gump – Bryan Democrat, 30 May 1946, p5

And what of the defendant?  The only George Stough in Williams Co that fits the court dates would be the following (speculative not definite):

George Stough

If this is the defendant in the case, here’s what is currently known of him.

George W. Stough (16 Sept 1857, pos Stark Co, OH – possibly 20 Apr 1931 Nacogdoches Co, TX) was the son of Daniel Stough and Malinda Lawrence; divorced, oil operator

By 1879 he married Martha C. Gowing.

1880 Madison, Williams, Ohio; Roll: 1077; Family History Film: 1255077; Page: 473D; Enumeration District: 003; Image: 0581.

h/h 202/202 Stough, George W 22 OH-OH-OH farmer

Martha C 21 wife OH-OH-OH

There is a George W Stough living in 1894 as a resident of Pioneer, Madison Twp, Williams Co, OH (Atlas, 1894) who was a livery feed salesman and an agent for an insurance company.

1900 Center, Delaware, Indiana; Roll: T623_367; Page: 14B; Enumeration District: 31.

h/h 299/308 Stough, George W 41 (Sept 1858) OH-PA-PA real estate agent

Martha wife 41 (Apr 1859) mar 21Y 5/5 ch OH-PA-PA

Winnie A dau 19 (July 1880) OH-OH-OH bookkeeper

Charles D son 18 (Jan 1882) OH-OH-OH messenger serv

Vernon G son 16 (Sept 1883) OH-OH-OH messenger boy

Emma M dau 15 (Apr 1885) OH-OH-OH

Harry son 13 (May 1887) OH-OH-OH

1910 Goshen, Elkhart Co, IN – Martha Stough 51 OH-PA-OH widow, living w/dau Winnie Goodman and grandson George Wade