Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-07-01
CHAPTER OF CRIMES.
A Bigamist's Volume of Mis-.
demeanOrs.
SENSATION IN INDIANAPOLIS
Charley Whitehead Commits Murder
and Suicide at Aspen Junction,
Colorado.
Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD.l

SACRAMENTO, June 30.-James King,
charged with bigamy, was tried to-day
in Judge Armstrong; Court. Several
months ago the defendant married here
16.year-old girl named Matte Lemer,
who made affidavit that she was Of legal
age. The girls mother made complaint
and it was developed that King had a
wife in Oregon from whom he never had
been divorced. King left the city but
was arrested at Lake Tahoe.
A young man, who gave the name OF
Geo. G. Hastings, was a witness for the
prosecution to-day. He testified that he
knew King in Oregon City nine or ten
years ago. They were very intimate,
working and rooming together. Witness
remembered distinctly when his friend
married a girl in Oregon named Maggie
Carley. Witness acknowledged when in
Oregon he went under the name of Frank
G. Bernard. Had his name changed in
Judge Finn's court in San Francisco.
'Why did you have your name
changed" asked Judge Henry.
Witness then told the following story
in substance GA short time after King
was married, he and I went to Portland.
We got broke; did not get any work, and
King stated he had guardian in East
Portland, who had plenty of his (King's)
money mon :. and nd property y:on,d We ,.Ls went
raise. King went into the house, then came
out, and we were walking away when we
passed a stable in which were some
horses. King said they were his, and
that we would take two OF them and ride
to Oregon City. He said he had done go
before. l took one of the horses and he
another. I had no idea of doing any
thing wrong. We rode to Oregon City,
put the horses in livery stable, and
remained in town over night. Next
morning we took the horse and were on
our way back to East Portland when
We were arrested and charged with horse
stealing. We were tried, convicted and
sentenced to one years imprisonment in
the State prison. We served our time,
after which we again went to Portland.
Here I determined to give King the slip,
which l did, and in company with a
young man named Fairchild went to q
town on the Coast where I went to work
in hotel as a waiter. l was working
steadily until one evening to my great
surprise the town Marshal laid his
hand on my arm and said, II
arrest you on the charge of MUIR
DER" 1 found out that an old
woman had been murdered in Portland,
and King, who had been arrested, charged
Fairchild and myself with the crime.
We we're taken back to Portland, and
after eleven months had passed were
brought to trial. We were friendless and
moneyless. King swore against us and
with such success that the jury stood
eleven for conviction of murder in the
first degree and one for acquittal. The
Judge who presided at the trial, and Gov
ernor Thayer then took interest in our
case, believing us innocent, and they had
but little difficulty in obtaining sufficient
evidence to clear us at our next trial.
When King found that things were COM
ing our way and that he could not con-
vict us, he sent for his own attorney and
asked to be allowed to plead guilty OF
murder in the second degree, which he
did. l then went to San Francisco, and
knowing it would be useless to ask for
work, bearing the name of a man who
had so narrowly escaped being hanged
on the charge Of numbering woman,
changed my name."
After the taking of testimony the jury
retired for short time and then brought
in verdict of guilty against King. He
will be. sentenced next Tuesday.
Tom and Grit. Griffiths, brothers,
quarrelled this evening. Tom, who re-
ceived beating, followed Grit. home
and fred three shots through the door,
hitting his brothers. wife, inficting q
mortal wound. Both brothers were ar
rested.