Many Loves of Buffalo Bill (15 page)

When attorneys questioned William about his extramarital affairs, he was contrite and a bit embarrassed. Among the names of the various women he was accused of being involved with were actress Katherine Clemmons and press agent Bessie Isbell, who was named as co-respondent in the Codys' divorce case. Louis Clark, one of the foremen at William's TE Ranch on the South Fork of the Shoshone, who witnessed William and Bessie together in Wyoming, testified that there was “undue intimacy” between the two. Other witnesses who took the stand during the trial claimed that William was involved with “four or five nice Indian girls … and other women on different occasions and at different times in his life.”
²²

According to the February 28, 1905, edition of the
Denver Post
, Louisa was quiet and somewhat dazed by the proceedings. When it was her turn to testify, she “walked with a firm step to the stand and took the oath. She did not appear to be nervous or hesitant.”

“Mrs. Cody did not look much different from other women of advanced years who are beginning to show the effects of age and many cares,” the article continued. “Her hair is tinged with gray, and her fair features show some of the wrinkles of time, but her eyes were bright and her thin lips were pressed close together. Clasping her hands in her lap, Mrs. Cody prepared for the trying ordeal through which she passed and has dreaded, but the result of which she did not appear to fear.”
²³

Louisa spoke calmly about her thirty-four years of marriage to William. She fondly described their courtship, engagement, and wedding. Of their time at Fort McPherson, she recalled that they were financially strapped. William's pay as a scout barely made ends meet, and Louisa supplemented their income with sewing projects. Things improved monetarily when William's Wild West show was launched. William was disgusted by Louisa's claim that he couldn't afford to take care of his young family. He denied the statement over and over again.

Buffalo Bill's lawyers asked Louisa a series of questions about her life with the famous showman. They grilled her about witnesses' statements claiming that she was rude to the people who visited William at their home and had cursed guests who wouldn't leave them alone. She denied ever behaving in such a manner. The attorneys took extra time to go over the accusation that she had poisoned William. “I don't know what dragon's blood is,” she told the judge. “I never saw any and never heard of such a thing. I did doctor my husband and give him medicine for his troubles when he drank.”
²⁴

With reference to poisoning his dogs, she insisted that she didn't do it intentionally. The strychnine was set out to kill rats that had been seen in the barns. Louisa professed to feel as heartbroken about the dogs' deaths as William did.

Lawyers concluded their examination of Louisa with a question that stunned the courtroom. “Do you still love Mr.Cody?” the attorney inquired. “Yes,” she replied. “He's the father of my children and I love him still.” A follow-up question was asked about whether she wanted a reconciliation. “Yes, I do,” she quickly responded. “I would gladly welcome him home.”
²⁵

For many major newspapers, William's time on the stand during the hearing was front-page material. Everything from his manner of dress to the number of female Buffalo Bill Cody fans who attended the trial was reported on. William's friends advised him against taking the stand in his own defense. They feared that an attack from Louisa's attorney would cause irreparable harm to his reputation. William believed that his testimony would strengthen his case, and by showing he wasn't afraid to face the enemy, he could win favor for his cause.

Louisa's lawyers were tough on William. In addition to having the showman restate specific instances that prompted family, friends, and business associates to leave the Codys' Nebraska homes when they visited, they also pressed him to give the names of all those people. “Louisa's unbearable conduct at all times was the culprit,” William told the court. “There were so many of them (family, friends, etc.) that I could not recall the names.”

“Can you name a single person that by reason of Mrs. Cody's actions was compelled to leave your home?” the lawyer asked again.

“There were several of them, but I don't care to mention their names because they will be present at the trial to answer the question,” William replied.

“Do you refuse, Colonel, at this time, to give the name of a single person?” the lawyers persisted.

Again William refused to offer any names. “Newspapers have in some way got a hold of what this testimony is that I am now giving and I do not, will not, give out any names,” he snapped. “These friends of mine who are to be witnesses would not like to have their names mentioned at present. I do not want this case tried in the newspapers, but I propose to have this case tried in court.”
²⁶

Early in his testimony William stated that there had always been problems between him and Louisa, almost from the moment they were married. He implied that his feelings for his wife had lessened after so many years of hearing her complain, but Louisa's attorney challenged that notion by having him read aloud several letters William had written to her. The affectionate letters, dated as late as 1900, noted how proud he was of Louisa and how much she meant to him.
²⁷

When the courtroom questions eventually surfaced about William's relationship with Katherine Clemmons, an uncomfortable hush fell over the gallery area. His response was short. He denied having intimate relations with the actress at any time. He was also asked if he had had improper relations with members of England's royal family. His attorneys objected to the names of innocent parties being “dragged into the case.”

On redirect, William was given the chance to defend himself against the claims that he was insensitive and a habitual philanderer. He told the court how he felt he treated his wife. “I was universally kind to her,” he insisted, “and I defy any man or woman to swear that they ever heard me speak an unkind or cross word to her…. I am liberal with everyone and especially with my family and always have been. And I have always been in a position to give my wife and my family more money than most men have. And I always look to the comfort and support of my family first above all things.”
²⁸

Toward the end of the hearing, it was revealed that William had at one time or another offered to pay off Louisa's debts and the mortgage on their property in North Platte if she would agree to a quiet, uncontested divorce. A telegraph sent to her on August 21, 1900, stood as proof of the offer. William wrote: “Ranch is yours. Take it and run it to suit yourself.” Louisa's lawyers sought clarification on the claim. According to Mrs. Cody, William offered to deed her the property at North Platte, including Scout's Rest Ranch, because he wanted her to keep it for their old age. “I deeded to Mrs. Cody the residences and the town property and part of the Scout's Rest Ranch,” William explained, “so as to have less nagging and a little peace.” Later in his testimony he added that “Louisa refused to grant my request for a peaceful settlement and furthermore stated that she was going to fight a divorce to the bitter end. But with all those threats, I am willing to forget and forgive them, providing she will give me a legal separation.”
²⁹

Nothing would entice Louisa to go along with a divorce. She made it clear to the courts that she would not let William go. When asked by the reporter outside the courthouse why she wanted to stay bound to William, she reiterated her love for him because he was the father of her children. She told them that “Will was the kindest and most generous of men.”
³⁰

The Codys' divorce attorneys delivered their final summations almost a month after the case was initially filed. Before rendering his decision, the judge ordered that the names of the women who were listed as being romantically involved with William be stricken from the record. The judge believed that he had not been provided with enough evidence to support the claim that William was having an affair with any of them, and therefore that it would be unjust for them to be linked to the legal proceedings.

The judge further ruled that the charges leveled by both William and Louisa were baseless. He did not believe that Louisa had tried to poison William; instead, he felt that she had merely tried to cure his hangover. He stated that her motives had been misunderstood and that William was guilty of drinking to excess. The judge was inclined to believe that Louisa was proud of her husband's achievements and wanted to work out their problems.
³¹

On March 23, 1905, the judge in the trial
Cody v. Cody
denied William's petition for divorce. His lawyers appealed and two months later stood before another judge in Cheyenne. The petition was denied there too, but William remained hopeful. He told the press that he would take his request to the Supreme Court. He left his attorney with the job of filing the proper documents and headed to France for a five-month engagement with the Wild West show.
³²

While William was overseas, he bombarded Julia with letters about how his life had changed. His finances had taken a hit as a result of the trial and the bad publicity that came with it. He wanted to reassure his sister that he would recover and regain what had been lost. He wrote on June 14, 1905:

No thanks, Sister for the money to make the payment on the house. I only wish that some day I will be able to do much more for you. And all my sisters who have been good and true to me…. And it's in my old age I have found God…. And realize how easy it is to abandon sin and serve him. When one stops to think how little they have to give up to serve God…. It's a wonder so many more don't do it. A person only has to do right, through his knowledge. I have quit drinking entirely…. I am doing a nice business. And everything is running smooth. And I hope to make a lot of money before coming home…. I must fix myself for my old age—and for those I love
.
³³

Among the letters William received from Julia and the others he loved was one from his daughter Irma. In it, the twenty-two-year-old woman made a heartfelt request that he withdraw his petition for divorce. William carefully considered the earnest plea from his only living child and promised Irma that he would stay married to Louisa forever.
³⁴

I still love my husband just as I always did. We were always happy until he went into show business, and met other people—other women. I always hoped he would settle down with me some day at our home in North Platte
.

—L
OUISA
C
ODY
(1905)

T
he lobby of the elegant, multistory hotel in downtown Sherman, Texas, was busy with fashionably dressed guests in various stages of checking in and out of the establishment. Attentive staff members, their arms bulging with luggage, escorted guests to their rooms or to the exit of the building. John Claire, William Cody's valet, weaved through the preoccupied patrons as he made his way to the front desk. En route to the counter, he passed a giant sandwich-board sign covered with an image of Buffalo Bill on his horse. Several excited children huddled around the poster and chatted happily about the famous scout's upcoming performance.

An overly eager clerk enthusiastically greeted John as he walked to the front desk. They exchanged pleasantries, and after the clerk handed John a stack of William's mail, he sheepishly asked if John could get Cody's autograph for him. “It's not for me,” he insisted. “It's for my son.” John nodded and then continued with his duties. Before going upstairs, he retrieved one of William's costumes from the laundry along with a bottle of exhalia, a medicinal substance used to soothe aching muscles.

Once John finished the first of the day's many tasks, he proceeded to the grand staircase leading to the stylish, oversized suites. He gave a couple of knocks on William's door and routinely entered the room before an invitation was given. William was lying in bed, and Miss Bessie Isbell was seated beside him. John was taken aback to see her there, but the appealing twenty-three-year-old woman was unmoved. According to the valet's recollections years after the uncomfortable scene, Bessie was dressed provocatively. “She was draped in a garment that consisted of two pieces,” John announced at the Codys' divorce trial, “namely, a loose waist, a sort of Kimono ladies generally wear I understand in their private boudoir. The other piece of wearing apparel consisted of an underskirt. She didn't seem inclined to leave until Colonel Cody requested her to do so.”

The valet watched Bessie draw her loose gown close to her and then lean down and kiss William on the cheek. “Until later, my Pahaska,” John remembered her saying.
¹
(Pahaska was the Indian name given to Buffalo Bill. It means “Long Hair.”)