Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-09-26
DIR. ARLINGTON.

/. n
The Story Of q Married Life-A Utah
Divorce and a Term In State Prison for
Bigamy.
Ascertaining thst DR., J. L. Arlington,
whose recent pardon from the Saltwater peni.
Tertiary has already been mentioned in the
GLOBE, had arrived in this city, a GLOBE repre-
sentative call upon him and passed an hour in
very pleasant conversation. The doctor was
found at No. 8 West Tenth str;e surrounded
by old friends, enjoying the best of health and
in high spirits.
It will be remembered that DR.. Armiugton
was tried for bigamy at Minneapolis about two
years ago, Judge Young presiding, and that he
was sentenced to two years imprisonment in
the penitentiary. The notable character of the
case, together with the wide publicity Of the
trial have familiarized the puolic with its de.
with will be easily recalled by the average
reader. In personal appearance the doctor is
above the medium height and build, with
clean shaver, mobile and very expressive fea-
lures iron gray hair, and large, intelligent
gray eyes, the glance of which is indicative of
well-poised, thoroughly self possessed and
conscientious character.
The conversation naturally turned upon SUBJ
1ects connected with the Doctors imprison-
ment, and the causes leading thereto, in the
course of which full and connected history
OF the case was given, rs viewed from DR..
Armlngton's standpoint, which may be learned
by reference to the following narratives:
For reasons which the DR.. did not feel at lib.
erty ut present to assign, on q question of ex-
pediency, based upon the Jaw of adaptation, he
felt it his duty to separate from his wife, with
whom he had lived a number of years, on as
anicable terms as the circumstances would ad-
NIT, without being able to fulfill the conditions
Of thn NJ nnft l>o:n
satisfied and neither content and happy in the
relation OF husband and wife. The separation
involved the principle of truth, and the DR..
wishing to act in harmony with his own con-
victions, after having discussed the matter
fully on several occasions through term of
years, took the initiatory step, after conveying
all the right and title to moneys due him on
notes and book accounts, together with real
estate and personal property, requesting his
wife to procure divorce, as they would travel
no further together in the conjugal relation.
After IN absence of nearly a year he re-
turned to Pennington, Dakota county, and in
few months through the solicitations of his
personal friends, returned to Northfeld, Rice
county, where he has been actively engaged in
the practice Of his profession without seeking
to renew correspondence with his wife, who
seemed Indifferent to him, and whose health
had greatly improved during the months of
separation. She was apparently happier than
y
the doctor as his wife.
As she had declined his repeated solicitations
to procure divorce, the doctor sought counsel
and Was advised by several leading attorneys
in the cities Of Chicago and New York to 90 to
Salt Lake City to avail himself of the statu-
tory provisions of the Territory of Utah and
procure the separation (legaD which his wife
refused to grant through legal process in the
courts of this State.
After mature deliberation and satisfactory
investigation of the subject matter, he made
application according to the forms of law in
the Territory of Utah and obtained bill of
divorce, which he was assured was valid in each
and every State of the Union, and that he was
at liberty to marry again II he wished to do so,
without mourning penalty in this or any
other State. Without suspecting that he had
been imposed upon or doubling the validity of
the bill of divorce he had obtained through
legal process, when it suited his convenience
and interest he entered into another marriage
contract in the city of Minneapolis, employing
the Rev. E. 8. Williams of the Congrega-
tional church in that city, with whom
he had been famlliarly acquainted
in the city of Northfeld, to ofHciate as master
of ceremonies. The doctor, believing he vas
legally married and had right to pursue his
professional duties whenever it might suit his
interests, procured tenement at Mortified,
and peacefully and faithfully prosecuted his
business, not entertaining thought that evil
eyes were upon him, Or that measures were
being mature6 by his former wife and her
mpathizers to try the strength of the law
against him upon the charge Of bigamy. Nor
was he aware of such intention till announced
by the officer from Hennepin county who put
him under arrest and took him to Minneapolis
Tho preliminary examination before Judge
Cooley resulted in placing him under bonds
till the next district court, when an indictment
was procured and he was cited to trial before
Judge Young, who no doubt acted impartial in
his decisions and in conformity with tue con-
struotion of the law Of the statute, but in his
rulings gave him no chance to escape convic-
rion before a jury, which was bound to decide
the case submitted to their consideration &C.
cording to law and evidence.
The divorce the doctor obtained was object
ed to on the part of the prosecution, and the
court susta ned the objection. The doctor was
put upon the witness stand, and all questions
asked him by his counsel were ruled out by the
investigation was one sided affair, and could
results only in his conviction as no chance
was afforded for defense.
The sentence was two years, confinement at
hard lab n in the pennitentiary of the State.
The doctor asked for new trial and being de-
MED by the court appealed from his decision
to the supreme court, which after eight
months to few days delay confirmed the de-
cision of the inferior court and he was taken
into custody and BY the sheriff conveyed to
Saltwater prison where he was confined six
teen months to a day, merriting the respect
and good will of the officers of the institution
as we'll as all who made his acquaintance while
subjected TO the restraints OF prison life. While
there he was treated with great courtesy
by the warden, Capt. j. A. Reed and the deputy,
Hall, who extended to him all the indulgences
that could be granted consistent with the regu-
latlons. =
During the DOCTORS sojourn in the peniten-
VOrU Hu n int
the Governor to extend his executive clemency
and restore him to liberty. The Governor de-
clined, on the ground that his wife, at North
field, together with her sympathizers, had fled
with him remonstrance against granting
him q release, stating that he could not grant
the petitions forwarded for the doctors release
till that remembrance was contaminated by
q petition the part of those who were op-
posed to his being pardoned. In private let
ter to the doctor from the woman in North
field who claims to be his wife by the civil law
in reply to request from him to show that
mercy to him which she would have shown to
her under like circumstances, she stated that
1t she held the key to his cell she would con-
tinue to hold it till his term expired.
About the I'd of July last, through the earn
est Qualifications of q. r. Robinson, ESQ, of
Minneapolis, most of those who had signed the
protest were prevailed upon TO sign petit
ton for his release. The next day or soon
aLLer, aOu d. SCrlVeC anu III. W. Skinner, or
Northfeld, recanted and wrote to the Governor
to have their names withdrawn from the petit
ton. Hon. 81. SERVER noted under his sigma
ture that he signed the petition in mercy, not
in justice-but mercy having been quenched
in his masnanimous bosom, he was subject to
neither justice or mercy-leaving grounds to
infer that his feelings were controlled by the
spirit of vindictiveness, which would seem to
lie as charge against all who had entered
their protest against the doctors release.
When the letters from SERVER, Skinner and
others came into the hands of the Governor. he
receded at once from the pledge he had given
Mr.. Robinson that he would release the doctor
at once. The Governor stated to several of the
doctors friends that his sy m pathies were with
the doctor, and were he lett free to act he