Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-11-30
Judge A. B. East in a Predica-
ment in the Far South.
D MES HE'S MARRIED
His Family Here, However, Havs
Something to Say.
MISS ANS STORY

/ w
Judge A. B. East. said to be from Wash.
ington, d. c., is the name of a much-em.
barrassed old gentleman with very good
credentials who spent his Thanksgiving In
jail here in consequence Of his relations with
one lady and apparently serious complica-
| tions with another, who claims to be his
| wife. He came here six weeks ego. ac-
companied by Miss Belle Meek and her
mother. from Washington. They rented
rooms with private family. Mrs. Meek
| became very Ill, and they say she is sub
| ject to f;tinting spells, and Cor that reason
| requested Judge East to occupy the same
apartment with herself and daughter. In
| order that he might be at hand to render
| necessary assistance. he occupied the same
room with them. If he was justified in SO
| doing the part did not appear fully to the
| satisfaction Of the entire jury which has
| just tried Mrs. Meek on the charge Of Inn
| proper relations. for 1t was a disasrecina
jury. There will be another trial of the
| case today probably. Judge East will be
| tried cor his partnership In the alleged
| crime. but probably not before January,
| as this IL the last day Of the term Of the
county court which has Jurisdiction of the
| matter.
While tho Judge is thus pilloried in .
disagreeable plight before the community
he Is trying to get bond to get out Of Jail
and reviewing his antecedents, evidently
much to his own satisfaction and that Of
| his counsel. They say that rs far ns they
| can see the Judge is a much prosecuted
man. A letter recently reached here from
| washington, signed by lady who claimed
| to he Judge Easts wife. This letter Was
| taken before the grand jury. So was Mrs.
Meek, and upon her testimony and the
evidence contained in the letter indict-
and Judge East They claim that the
| woman who wrote the letter is not Mrs.
East. but one Amanda e. Kirke. who has
been prosecuting the judge with her unde-
sirable attentions for years They say she
demanded money of him I'm Washing ton
and threatened to make trouble IL he didn't
at No $50 Sd street northwest. Washing
| ton, where Miss Meek was renting rooms,
Judge East being a roomer.
| They came to Texas, she says, for the
benefit of her mothers health. The couple
claim they are engaged to he married.
Miss Meek and her mother moved to
Washington from Sidney. Shelby county.
Ohio.
| Judge East has letters of recommended
ton from Gov. Campbell of Ohio and r.
Hough. patent attorney at Washington.
a good democrat and has done valuable
| work for the party. The Judge says he
has been assisting the national democratic
| committee in their campaign work. He
has also a number of other credentials
sufficient 70 satisfy any one that he NUM-
| bers among his friends and associates
| some distinguished men.
According to his account, the Kirke
| woman has been making things disa greea-
BILE for him In Washington for about five
| years, and Miss Meeks says that she has
received large number Of letters from
her, who. she says. is doing all in her
| power to break off the match between
| Judge East and herself They expect her
| to follow them down here In a day or two.
well-KnOwn Here.
Judge A. B. East is particularly well
known In Washington. His tall and portly
| figure, his venerable white beard, his mas
| sive forehead and broad bald pate is IA
miliar to the habitues of hotels and to
politicians and men around town. while his
methods of doing business are equally we'll
| known. East posed as a lawyer and coun-
| sellor, and had an office at 615 r street.
There are also rumors of financial obligas
| tions and a peculiar forgetfulness regard
| ing their satisfaction.
In the Police Court.
On December IL, 1893, East was arrested
for assaulting and threatening his step.
daughter. Miss Lena B. Ryan. 1t was
shown on tho trial in the Police Court that
he had visited the business place of Mrs.
East and her daughter, Miss Ryan. at b27
11th street. and indulged In profane Lam
guage. Miss Ryan ordered him out of the
house, when he attacked her and would
have beaten her badly IL hcr mother had
not interfered.
| and claimed that his stepdaughter had
been the cause of all the trouble he ever
had with his wife. He claimed that Miss
Ryan and his wife, Mrs. East, were always
conspring against him and doing all in
their power to ruin him. On cross-exam-
ination he admitted he had been sent to
jail in Richmond. Va, and also in Cali
fornia for working confidence games. Judge
Miller fined him $40 and took his personal
bonds to keep the peace.
Miss Ryan Talks
A reporter for The Star called at Mrs.
East's place Of business. at 527 11th street,
this afternoon. He was met by her son,
Mr.. Ryan, and shortly afterward Miss Lena
Ryan came in. Miss Ryan is very pretty.
attt active and intelligent. She was nat
urally disinclined to speak about the case,
but when the reporter managed to acQueint
her with the assertion made by Judge East
and Miss Meek at Fort Worth that her
merely pursuing him because Of a mad in
| fatuation, the flial spirit within her was
| aroused. Her handsome black eyes snap
ped and she was finely indignant.
Il certainly shall not keep silent in such
| a case" she exclaimed, with look Of In
Quiry at her brother who nodded his ap-
provaL MY mother married East in Kan
sss nine years ago. Since that time he has
been supported by her efforts and my own.
He has always been bad, and the source
OF continual trouble and modification to
my mother.
He thinks because he has destroyed all
documentary proof of his marriage to her
| that his skirts may become clear. but the
marriage will be abundantly proven III his
case 1t not heard until January, which L
sincerely hope. His relations with the
Meek girl began a year ago, in June, 1893.
Poor old Mrs. Meek is eighty years old
and irresponsible. The Meeks had 81 800 in
cash when he met them. The Meeks rent
ed the house of Mrs. Hannay at No. $50
3D. street, and took boarders in order to
support East. My mother warned Mrs.
Hannay of the character of Judge East
and his unlawful relations with Miss
Meek. and also went to Miss Meek and told
her the true facts about East but Mrs.
Hannay would not listen to her. and Miss
Meek ordered her out Of the house. His
claim that my mother was not married to
him can easily disprove now over his own
signature. See here, IL you please"
Proof of Marriage.
Miss Ryan produced two life insurance
policies upon the life OF Abyrom B. East.
They were for 81 500 each, and one clause
In each policy read as follows:
And the said company doth hereby
promise and agree to pay the amount OF