The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1883-11-14

New YORK, Nov. 9,-Probably the most
successful and versatile swindIer and sneak.
thief that ever disgraeed a court room, was
yesterday sentenced by Judge Cowing 10
Part Two Of the General sessions 10 four
years imprisonment, on general charge Of
bigamy. This was Royal La Touche. tall,
handsome man, about 40 years OF age,
with long, black musta1he, streaked with
gray. Jennie La Touche, petite, middle.
aged lady, was the complainant aga0st
him. Her story was decidedly romantic.
In 1873 her first husband, James Hill, died
In Chica4o. While she was proceeding with
the body to Fiatyile, In the northern part
OF the State, 10 make the intermept in the
family vault, she made the acquaintance Of
La Touche. That young man interest.
ed himself greatly in her business, prom
ised to see that her dead husbands remains
were taken care OF, and ingratiated him.
self into the good graces OF the charming
widow. While the genial La TOuche wa
expressing TO her his deepest sympathy for
her recent loss, the then Mrs. Hill lost no
time in confiding to him her newly acquir.
ed acquaintance, all her plans for the tu.
ture, where she was going, and everything
about herself. She did not, however, in
vite him to call. With such man as La
1ouche this was Of little importance, and
about two months later he called on the
widow 4. her home in Hisboro, Ohio.
Then was begun rapid courtship and In a
month or two Mrs. Hill mad promised TO
become Mrs La Touche. Before the mar
rage day the expectsnt bride became aware
Of her atlantis character BY bis
being arrested ON charge Of
forgery aud locked up. During impris-
onmeut he tried to or ate sympathy by
starving himself, aud hnsliy induced b.
Intended 20 marry him. After his release
from prison La Touche lived with his wife
q comparatively brief season aud then
mysteriously left for fields aud pastures
new. When next heard from the gay ad.
venturer had married Miss Ida Dings Of
Hollersylle, Pa, in this city. The cere-
mony was performed uy Rev, Thomas
BE cker, In the Seminary Chapel, Angus
10, 1880. A charge Of abandonment was
preferred against him by his wife and he
'Sos ordered to pay her s. per week. As
secusity for this he deposited $500 wit b
| Superintendent Blake, OF the department
not forthcoming with further payments
when this sum was exhausted, he was re.
arrested on charge Of bigsmy. At first
La Touche was greatly Indignant aud lnde.
pendent. He referred to the
purity of bis past life as evidence Of
mis- innocence and az reson why
10 should be lenently dealt With, aud this
lead to looking up the mans antecedants.
It wss found that he had been connected
With the notorious female swindle r, Mrs.
Marion E. n Dowell. Indie ments were
found 10 be pending against him In Phila-
delpbia; one for conspiracy, and the other
for swindliug. The authorities there were
lanxious TO see him, and In case he WAS re-
ased, 1t was learned that the proprietors
Of the Herald, represented By the business
manager, Mr. Henry, would bring
charges of swinding aganst him.
II was stated by the latter gentle.
msu that La TOuche had been making a
tour Of the cou try and representing him.
self a. an agent and collector for the New
York papers, and that he had obtained
thousands OF dollars for advertising which
he guaranteed to have published. When
confronted with all this evidence against
him La Touche came to the conclusion that
1t would not be Of much ben ii to him were
be to get free, aud he therefore entered
plea Of guilty. Al first he tried to play the
sick dodge on his captors, hut he soon saw
that 1t would avail him nothing and he
abandoned II.