The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-09-13
MARVIN'S TRIALS.
His Varied Experience with
Men and Women.
Arrested soon after leaving
Rock Island.

| The telegraph has recently announced
| the arrest of an antiquated old rascal in
/ Virginia, on the charge of bigamy, the
reports stating that he has no less than fif-
teen wives living, and all the precincts are
not yet heard from. The cognomen under
which he was sailing at the immediate time
| of his arrest, was Thomas A. Marvin, but
his other names are quite as numerous as
his different matrimonial ventures lie
| not only believed in ''off with the old love
and on with the new, but consistently fol-
| lowed the practice of getting rid of his old
name and adopting another more eupho-
NOUS and pleasing to his next victim.
HIS CAREER
is rather a peculiar one, as he has been
implicated in several robberies, bond swim
dies and other criminal transactions that
would satisfy any ordinary villain, but to
this criminal experience he added that of a
gay deceiver among the ladies, and was
equally a success as a lady killer.
He is represented as being an eld-
erly gentleman, with fine address. His
appearance and department would
create the impression that he was an ex-
officer or at least bank official, and it is
owing to this fact that he has heretofore
evaded conviction for the various crimi-
nalities that have been traced to his door.
AT ST. LOUIS.
During the spring of 1875 Marvin was in
the Future Great" and while there he was
arrested for counterfeiting some railroad
bonds, which he had no trouble in placing
at one of the city banks as collateral and
upon which he drew large sum OF money.
He was accompanied by two ladies, one
an elderly person who claimed to be his
wife and very pretty young girl who
passed as his daughter. The old sinner
was incarcerated at the Four Courts. and
the attending ladies were most assiduous
in their attentions. They put their dia-
monds and jewelry in pawn and raised the
money to liberate him. Shortly afterleav-
ing St. Louis, he and his younger compan-
ion gave the elderly lady the slip and start
ed out on their own hook.
HIS NEXT EXPLOIT.
For over year Marvin remained in the
east and judging from the number of ap-
plicants for the name of Mrs Marvin" he
was not remiss in his politeness to the OPP
posite sex.
The latter part of May, the imitator of
Brigham Young made his debut in Quincy
where he put up at one of the leading
hotels, but registered his name as Scott
Williams. He informed the denizens of
that place that he visited Quincy for the
purpose of establishing a grain elevator
and on that account received cordial treat
ment from the hands of the citizens of the
Gem City. He was introduced at one of
the banks and deposited a good sum of
money. He was travelling for pleasure as
none of his wives were with him, but sud
denly he left Quincy and failed to set
tie up sundry bills that he had contracted,
including jewelry, board, cigar bills and
other incidental expenses incurred while
doing a town.
ROCK ISLAND
next received his attentions. as he came
here directly from Quincy. For reasons
best known to himself he remained only
short time, and removed to Andalusia,
small town down the river. Here he rep
resented himself as engaged in the grain
business at Davenport and Rock Island,
and contemplated buying all the grain in
that locality and having it shipped direct
to eastern markets.
The farmers were suspicious of Mr.. VIII
liams, and one of them came down to Rock
Island and made inquiries of the City Mar
shall Before the farmer returned Mr.. Will
Hams suspected that something of the kind
was going on, and made a hasty retreat.
He next appeared in Richmond, Va, where
he married very pretty girl. The latter,
on their wedding trip, received a telegram
announcing her mothers death. It proved
to be forgery, but from this his criminal
acts were discovered and his arrest effect
ed. 1t is probable that his energies will
soon be devoted to securing release from
the State Penltentiary.