Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-08-25
CONSCIENCE
FORCES A pERJuRER TO TELL
THE TRUTH.
He Had rried to save Bigamis, and
Aduitcrer by Fraudulent Letter
and Lics-rhe wrongei Woman in
the Case.

bAA4l-AS, Tx, aug. -. NNNtht ~.
Brown, smooth young chap, came to
the Pleasant Valley neIYhborhocd IN 1891
A short timc thereafter he induced Miss
julia riiiin, the 1o-year-od daughter
of j. ii. Griffin, prosperous farmer,
to clope with him to Rockwell county
and become his wife. A month after
the marriage letter came from cplnm'
bus, Ca, to the fatherin-law conveying
the Information that his daughter had
been entrapped by a pcrhdions scadndrel,
Brown had deserted wife and two
babes in Georgia. The grand jury In.
dicted Brown for bigamy end IN last
December It was stricken from the dock
ct. In the meantime the Rockwall
county grand jury had Indicted Brown,
and he was Jailed in that county
In June last Miss inlia wife No. .,
induced her father to 20 on Browns
bond, and the prisoner was released. lie
returned 10 Pleasant Valley aud made
his home with the Grltlins. The grand
jury indicted the couple for adultery
and the trail began Monday morning
last IN Judge Thomas n Nash's court
Tie defendants sworc that they had not
colMhited since BROWN was arNstcd On
the charge Of higamy, The dcfeuse IN
troduced letter purporling % have
been written by Ezra Collins Of Column
marriage Win wife No. ., Cclns
wrote Brown tina, wife No. l had OBJ
tained decree Of divorce from him in
the Georgia courts Ezra Collins was
sworn IN aud testified that he was the
author OF the letter aud that i was
true. The attorneys made The arsu-
l.lts AL
Monday evening, No verdict wna
reached Monday night, Judge Thomas
| r. Nash was called TO Austin aud SO he
| discharged the jury until this morning,
| a verdict OF acqu,ttal was anticipated
This morning the judge opened court
and j. X, Orelnnd OF tlc county attorney !
office asked that the Jury Be- recalled.
and that Ezra Collins be permitted "a
make confession in open court that he
was pcrjucr and the letters rank
forgery, The attorneys for the defense
objected. saying that there was neither
law or precedent for such ruling hy
the judge The court ruled that Collins
might reeant, the jury was called. and
Collins made the following confession:
"Gcntlenen Of the Jury-m defcnse OF
my, manho"d aud my God, | desire to
mike a general confession aud rctracl
and atone for The wrong ! did the other
day. George Brown came to Columbus,
Ga, In Juno last. / was out Of work
and had no morey; He urged nue. 70
come TO Texas. | Informed him that |
had no money, He snid he would lend
me money and got me work, accepted
his offer Of friendship and aid aud came
With him. He told me then hN had
trouble In the courts OF Texas, but that
the case had been disposed Of IN some
way. Shortly after arriving In Dallas
1 ln aNttl An InatruA IN.
witness, lie Ind read Of case where
letter Ind anyed man accused OF
bigamy from the penitentiRry. One day
he came TO Dallas and had me subpoenaed
as a witness In the case. He composed
the letter introduced at the trial the Other
day end then ! copied 1t. He was my
friei Il, and thinking 1t would saye N,
honor OF the glrl and aid him. | agreed
to do az he said ! was 1000 miles from
home and did not realize The great wrong
was doing until after ! had testified II
the case Monday. Neither the lawyer,
for Brown: Miss julia Grlhin or any
member of her family were aware OF
the fraud TINT had been prnctieed npot
them by Brown and myself Ia this forged
letter business After leaving the gitnes,
stand my part In the transaction weighed
heavily upon my mind. My consclenc,
troubled me- could not sleep, and
finally, yesterday morlng, | went tC
Mir. Griffin. father Of the girl, aud mad,
clean breast Of " He told me e
come to Dallas and cOnfcss all to tho
county attorney. ] did 80, aud this morn
Ing / told Mr. Miller as Well. | do iii,
that Justice may be done and that ! eau
| M least ntone IN part for that which
have done that is reelection on my man
hood"
| The witness WAS excused, and Us hC
walked from the courtroom, Judge Nash
| IN his sternest tones, said: Young man
you nre conscicncesmltlen. Your con
duct and your face show that Were II
not for this fact ! would order you under
| arrest and remand you TO jail"
The Jury returned verdict Of not
| guilty is 10 Miss Julia Griffin Rrown
| was adiudged guilty and fined $3.50 and
costs. He Is penniless, II - Understood
Tae fine and costs amount to $50, and
| That means that the slick aud jaunty
| GeIrein nasher will put In I40 days on
| The county chain gang. The bigamy
J case Il pending IN the district court
of Rockwell county
Collins Is d young man, q locomotive
engineer and has n wife aud two child
RON In Columbus, Ga. II ~ a most cx-
trlordInnry case, and Collins confession
/ produced q great sensation. The court
| house was thronged with farmers and
| their families, as the Grilhns are wei
| known and popular people. The poor
| girl will return to the home OF her par
cuts tonight 49,
You should try the Electric baths
at the Naiatoriun and see its wonderful