KinSource - Tale of the Week - Big Jim's Charmer

KinSource

Minnesota Tales

The Minneapolis Journal, July 11, 1895, p. 2

BIG JIM'S CHARMER

A Philadelphia Lawyer Traces a Clue in Minneapolis.

WOMAN WELL KNOWN HERE.

Probable that the Wrecker of the Corbett Family is Bessie Raymer.

John J. Robertson, an Eastern attorney, supposed to hail from Philadelphia, has been in Minneapolis for the past few days, making inquiries as to the character of a young woman named Bessie Raymer, formerly a resident here. It appears that he obtained sufficient data to satisfy him, and he left last night for New York with a number of affidavits obtained from various persons, alleged to be familiar with the life led by Miss Raymer during her residence in Minneapolis.

Robertson represents Mrs. James J. Corbett, in her suit for divorce against James J. Corbett, actor, pugilist and voluptuary. There has been a great deal said in reference to the woman whose charms have proven potent to disturb the domestic arrangements of the Corbett family, but nothing as to the woman's family or antecedents has been printed. It appears that she is none other than Bessie Raymer, a brunette beauty of doubtful morals, whose former connection with Gene Clarke, the bucket shop man, in this city, was at once a family and a public scandal. The Clarke-Raymer affair is nearly eight years old, and Miss Raymer had been the central figure in a succession of startling episodes prior to the arrival of James J. Corbett and his combination in this city for the first time in 1893. It was then however, that the bucket shop man found patience no longer a virtue, and decided to abandon whatever claim he may have had to the fascinations of M'lle Bessie. It is asserted that Mr. Clarke's determination was largely accelerated by the announcement of Mr. Corbett that if the "clock" man didn't stop bothering Bessie, he - the hero of "Gentleman Jim" - wouldn't do a thing but poke the head off Mr. Clarke, At all events, as the story runs, Bessie Raymer locked up the apartments she had been occupying here and followed Chevailer Corbett to the greener pastures of the far East. The liason lasted a long time before Mrs. Corbett became aware that she was not the sole and only favorite of her athletic spouse. When she did discover the existence and activity of M'lle Raymer, Mrs. Corbett is said to have remonstrated with all the force at her command, but unavailingly. It is also asserted that whereever Corbett has been within the last year there also has been the antithesis of Mrs. Corbett, prepared to battle with her for possession of the footlight favorite and gladiator.

The story of Miss Rayner's connection with Corbett comes in a rather direct manner, yet there are circumstances that make the story seem unlikely. In the first place, no one would be more likely to know the whereabouts of Miss Raymer than her brother, who is C. D. Raymer, the bookstore man, of this city. A representative of The Journal called upon Mr. Raymer this morning and inquired as to what he knew of the facts in this case. While admitting that Miss Raymer had at one time been properly accredited with a predilection for the "clock man," Clarke, and acknowledging that she had led a life of some adventurousness, Mr. Raymer did not believe a word of the story of her association with Corbett.

"The fact is," he said, "that my sister is now an invalid - that is, she is not at all the sort of woman to attract a man of Corbett's stamp. I have positive information that a few weeks ago she was in Galveston, Tex., and there is now a letter on my desk from my mother chronicling Bessie's arrival in Denver. It is therefore altogether unlikely that she is in any way connected with Corbett, and I do not believe there is anything credible about the story."

It is a remarkable fact that while East and West there has been a good deal printed about the woman whose fascinations have alienated the Corbetts from each other, nothing has been offered as to the identity of the woman in the case. In spite of the denials in the case, there are some who assert persistently that the person is none other than Bessie Raymer, for whom Corbett is credited with having conceived a romantic attachment. These persons assert that the woman has not been with Corbett for several weeks - or in fact since he went into training for his affair with Fitzsimmons, at Asbury Pary, and argue the fact of Miss Raymer's presence in Denver is nothing more than might have been looked for under circumstances which find her well provided for financially and able to take her case without thoughts of the morrow.