The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1882-05-20

no greater penalty fixed by our law
but was subsequently pardoncd by the
late Governor Wilt. Mr.. Dickcrson's
Gasp is no better than that of Barrow,
whose pardon we unhesitatingly con-
emned. There is no justification, nor
can there be, for a man marrying a
second time when he has not proof un-
doubted that he is released either by
death or divorce from his first mar
riage. 1t should belong to a man to
tray them, and fathers may we'll hest
tate when they are asked to commend
men who are needless of their mar
rlage vows.
MIR. DICK ERsON's STATEMENTS:
To the Honorable, the Judge of the 9Th
District Court of Ouachita:
In entering my plea to the informa-
tion in your Court, charging me with
the offense OF bigamy, desire to make
a statement to the Court.
1 am a Kentuckian by birth, and
while in General Morgan's command
was married to Miss Hel ndon, in
North Carolina, in January, 1865.
We came in 1867 or s. to this parish,
where my wife had relatives; lived in
Trenton about four years, during
which time I was in the service OF
Oliver 4 Mcclure, as clerk.
My wife, during the latter part of our
residence there, developed the vice Of
opium eating, which she had Inherit
ed, and it took such q hold upon her
as to seriously impair her faculties and
to render our living together almost
After using all means
in my power to correct the habit, 1
was forced to break up, and with the
hope of improvement for her we went
to Dallas, Texas. Instead of improv-
ing she grew worse, and after years of
an execrable existence, during which
time all my earnings were absorbed
by her indulgence in her vice. and ex-
all medical skill could Sc
cure, I gave her all the property had
and finally at her request took her
to Galveston to her friends and left
her, not having lived with her, how
ever, for nearly two years prior to
hat time. I have never seen her since
her at Galveston. Life togeth-
er was insupportable to both. She con-
.inued in her habits of intemperance,
and living afterwards, in New Orleans,
such a life as would bring shame on
OUR name. 1 tried to bury all remem-
brance of our unhappy connection.
sought her at the place
where had last heard of her, to min
ster to her wants, and could get no in
OF her except that she had
left there, leaving her trunks; and
was induced to believe that she was
lead, by Mrs. Burgess, the lady with
whom she last resided. This was in
1876. 1 returned then to Kentucky,
md from those who knew her family,
and who would be most likely to
know, was informed of her death.
in 1879, I was again in
formed by Mrs. Daughtry, in Shreve-1
port, who formerly knew my wife,
that she was dead. I came to Monroe
in 1880, and with full belief that the
woman who I had married in North
Carolina, and with whom I had not
lived for more than seven years, was
really dead, I was married second
time. I solemnly swear that I then
believed that 1 was free, by her death,
and that there was no legal impede
ment to my second marriage. While
The letter of the law may be broken,
morally and truth am innocent, for I
believed 1 was free. I ought to have
been more careful to ascertain the truth
If the reports of the death, but all my
friends knew of the miserable existence
had led, and perhaps naturally it was
with them a subject of congratulation.
Nothing was further from my inten-
ton than the violation of the criminal
law. Much less would l desire to
bring shame and reproach upon
young and trusting girl, whose family
have been kind and generous, to
FAULT, to me. .t s.ss
This statement is made not only in
Justice to her whose confidence l hav