Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-09-07
THE EVENING STAR.
MARVIN, THE P0LYGAMIST.

WEDNESDAY
SEPTE,fBER Z, 1851.

HE is COMPELLED To STRIP AND SHOW MARKS
Bird.
special TO the Baltimore American from
Richmond, September g. says:-Thos A. Marvin.
the great marrying man. who hasmarried fifteen
women. and the returns not all in Vet. was to
day identified I'm way which indicates that his
criminal career is about to close. He has ever
since he was brought here denied that he
was Marvin or ANYBODY but Gen. Bud
long A. Morton. To-day the commemorative
attorney received information from the super
inteiloent OF the Auburn. NY. peni;entiary 10
me effect that Marvin might be T. A. Mer-
rft, who was confined there for three years tor
forgery, committed on the National Bank of
Lccnport. NY. The Superintendent said as A
su'ue 10 the identification of the great rascal,
tlat description of Merritt had been written
Whiie he was in the pententiary This descrip-
tion. as found i'm the prison books. was that
Merritt was five feet ten inches In height. fair
complexion, blush gray eyes. stoop i'm the
shoulders. and weight about one hundred and
ior1y -nine pounds. He had partial paralysis of
the lower limbs. On his right forearm was tat
tooed in India ink an eagle; on the left forearm
an American flag. the staff being held i'm the
Deak of an eagle. and beneath the letters 1T
A N. On the back, just below the ma @
OF the neck. was a mark made 10y seton
when the commemorative attorney received
TINS description he at once went TO the ia for
TIE pupose of examining the famous prisoner
The General" was found reading in his cell
When told the object of the mission. he mani
tested Violent opposition. and spoke in broken
voice OF the idea of heapng such an indignity
upon him, an innocent man, rs to make him
strip TO the skin while a lot of
men surveyed his naked body He in
Sisted that he would not submit to
such an indgnity. The taller said: "WelI. Cen
erai. will give you your choice of two things"
tie then went out and returned with three six
loot colored men, and told the celebrated polvr-
amist that he could either quietly take off his
Clothes or submit to being thrown
down on the floor and undressed without
ceremony by the three colored men. When this
alternative WAS presented to him the old man
submitted but at the same time proceeded tn
dcnounce what he termed this great outrage to
an American citizen. His shirts were then taken
on, the Old fellow writhing and suffering out
MS indignation meanwhile The examination
revealed all the marks described by the Auburn
oIhclai The eagle on the right arm was some
what blurred from an attempt made TO obliter-
ate 1t. This description of Merritt, the f,alon
forger. and Marvin the lightning polyUamist
are IDENTICAL. The veteran. however put on a
bold face. and said there was no mark upon his
body OF which he was ashamed The officials
mere nave no doubts as to the identity of the pris-
Oner. The commemorative attorney receives
10y every mail letters from all sections of the
country making inquiries. and Others naming
crimes i'm which he has figured Other writer's
Oner assistance, if any is needed. some going so
idi as 10 oHer TO unlOOSe Their purse strings il
money is needed to get the witnesses to Virginia.
The generals correspondence is also very great.
and is rapidly accommodating. Ii is safe to say
that no criminal now living. save Guiteau the
assassin, receives such an avalanche of letters
Marvin. however. Indignantly declines TO take
any letters addressed to T. A. Marvin insisting
that he is not that individual. of whom he speaks
in terms of strong reprobation. Letters have
been received from some of Marvin's victims. in
which they express their readiness to come on at
once when called upon.
Mrs. Hovey. the mother of Mrs Nellie De
Hart (the young widow married by Marvin i'm
Lakewood. n. j.. three or four days before he
married Miss Turpin, of Richmond) has written.
and says she is not only willing to come to
testify against the base deceiver but she thinks
IT is duty she owes to God and many innocent
young girls. who might yet be duped by the bad
Old man if he is not stopped in his career 1t is
considered that there is sufficient evidence now
to send him to the penitentiary for the rest of
his life: as. under the state law he can be sent
there for ten years each for bigamy and grand
larceny-the offences charged against him. The
prisoner has spent much of his time i'm writing,
but the materials have been taken from him. by
order of the commemorative attorney The
case will be called Tomorrow in the police
court. but it is probable that it will be continued
about ten days. az the grand jury will not meet
until then. and it is not designed to subject
witnesses to the trouble of coming here twice