DEPOSITION "B"
Case of Catherine A Duff <>, No. 521.233
On this 22nd day of Aug , 1894 , at Erin Srings , County of Pickens State of Chickasaw Nat I.T. , before me, [____] [____] , a Special Examiner of the Pension Office, personally appeared Catherine A Duff , who, being by me first duly sworn to answer truly all interrogatories propounded to her during this Special Examination of afore- said pension claim, aeposes and says: I am between 45 + 47 years old. Keep
Statis or Boarding House at Erin Springs Chickasaw Nat I.T. which is my residence and Post Office address. My maiden name was Catherine A Kenaly under which name I was married to Christopher Duff at St. Patricks Church Phila. Penn. on the 5th day of May 1863. Mr Duff hou y___ to own marriage been a soldier in the 7th US Infty and often out many a again re-enlisted in the ___ organzation __ having saved __ year-terms of ___ before his marriage to me and ___ I few year tems after our marriage I had not been previously married was only about 14 years old when married to the deceased soldier Mr Duff had not been previously married that I had any knowledge of. I have no other claim for pension proceeded and have filed no other claim. The only claim I have filed + caused to be filed is my claim for pension as the widow of Christopher Duff Drummer and Ordnance Sergt, 7th US Infty. I have not remarried since the death of my husband, who died on the 6th day of Jany 1889. I have no knowledge that he and I had been divorced from each other prior to his death. I told Mr Duff I intended to file a petion in the once and Mr Duff told me to leave it to him and he would get the divorce but if he got a divorce from me, I have never been notified of der each of his divorce. The deceased soldier and I lived together as husband and wife until about 1874 when he wento Texas. He went to Texas from Fort Smith with a woman whose name I understood to be Ellen Gear. I do not know what her name was as a matter of each. When I spoke __ _____ _____ in divorce I think I consulted the firm of Duval + Cravens
Page 11 Deposition B
Page 12 Attorneys at Fort Smith Ark but I am not posative about this
are the new ____ my memory is def___ and this is quite a while ago. No Attorney or Attorneys prepared a devorce petition for me. I never signed an affidavit or petition in divorce
Mrs Duff I now hand you a certified copy of the records of the Ft Smith ___ of Sebastian Co. Ark wherein appear the ____ proceedings of said court on the 6th day of Jany 1880, you appearing on said day in said court eg Duval + Cravens in _____ testimony in Quppuh of your taken and was divorced from the defendant Christopher Duff. More are requested to side wh____ you were present at Ft Smith and or said court on the said 6th day of Jany 1880. and testified on your own behalf.
I was not at Fort Smith Ark on the 6th day of Jany 1880 and ______ did not personally testify. On the 6th day of Jany 1880 I was here in the Chickasaw Nation more than 200 miles from Ft Smith
New you notified by Duval + Cravens your attorneys that your case had been determined and divorce grandted you?
No sire I was not notified by ___ Duval + Cravens or any other traly or patio that I had received divorce
Do you remember making a statement to your attorneys Duval + Cravens and seeing it ordered to ___ by your attornyes or a clerk in their employ and ___ ___ sign the order?
I did not sign any paper. ___ did per item ofin ho___ my statement prepair a paper
Then you did authoize Mesrs Duval + Cravens to commence a suit in divorce at one time
Yes I did. I had heard that Mr Duff was dead and did not believe it thinking it a false rumor originaly uut the woman who went to Texas with him I determined to divorce Mr Duff and consulted Mstrs Duval + Cravens regarding it and authorized them to bring suit but af___ learning conclusivly that he was alive I abandoned the divorce idea but did not notify my attornies that I had abandoned my divorce suit
Have you remarried since the 6th day of Jany 1880?
I have not.
Have you remarried at any time between the dates of your separation from Mr Duff about 1874 and the date when a divorce was granted you Jany 6th 1880?
I married a man under the laws or customs of the Chickasaw Nation named Mr Timan about 12 years ago or 1882. We only lived together about one year.
Were you and Mr Timan married by a minister or some officer of the Chickasaw Nation?
We were married by a man whom was known as a minister
Where were you married and by whom?
We were married at Sun Dorkio in the Kiowa and Commanche County, by Parson Nueko. Do not know his full name
Mrs Duff why would you ever auto a marriage relation with a man if you believed or ___ your first husband and young ___ in law and in ___ husband and wife?
At the time I married Nilian Timan I thought Mr Duff was dead, or ___ a divorce had been obtained from me
When you made your application for pension on the 23d day of July 1891 ___ _ _ ___ __ a ____ Divorce you stated made out you were the lawful widow of the deceased soldier Christopher Duff. You are requested to explain how you _____ ___ statement with the one now made in response to my questions?
If there had been no divorce granted MrDuff or my self my marriage to Teman was illegal and consequently I was or would be the lawful widow of said soldier. I did not know when filing my D___ation for pension that I had been divorced from my first husband
I know that a false statement knowingly made under oath _____ a
___ fully understood your question H_____ my ____ __ __ __ ____ recorded
Cathrine A. Duff
Deponent
Since concluding my statement last night and having through about the facts and what my statement to you contained I wish to amend it in some particulers I was first married then separated from my husband Christopher Duff to a man by the name of Henry Ruen. He and I were both The Fort Smith papers also contained a notice of his death. also state that I raised our children frominfancy by p____ ___ of my own and ____ I was ____ to a pension applied for it and if
Cathrin A. Duff
Deponent
Sworn to and received before me this 23d day of August 1894 and I certify the contents were fully made known to deponent before signing
_____ __agen
Special Examiner