The Washington times., 1895-06-02
William Thomas Served Three
Years in Albany Prison.
BIGAAY WAS HIS oFFRNsB
Now He Wants to Wed. But the Law
Confronts Him in the Shape of an
Undivorced wife-Came to The
Times for Counsel and Guidance.
His Only Hope.

Love laughs at prison bars as well as
locksmiths. After serving three long
years in stripes, within the solitary con-
fines of Albany penitentiary William Jo-
seph Thomas returned to Washington yes
terday TO claim as his own Margaret Jack
son, the woman for whose sake he was
punished by the law.
Thomas story is a pathetic one, and was
listened to yesterday by District Attor-
ney Birney, to whom it was related in an
effort to unravel the mans badly tangled
matrimonial skeln. 1t tappears that Thomas
left his first wife, Alice A. Thomas, who
lives on a farm in Charles county, Nd,
about seven years ago, because she proved
to be unfaithful to him. Coming to Wash
ingtoH, he became acquainted aud infatu-
ated with Margaret Jackson, comely
brown-skinned dame.
MARRIED To MARGARET.
Their acquaintance ripened into more than
mere friendship, and, believing his Charles
County wife to be married, Thomas became
regularly united in wedlock to Margaret.
A male acquaintance of his original wife
Alice, hearing OF this, notified her and sug
gested that she come to this city and prose-
cute him for bigamy. She came and entered
proceedings against him. Thomas was con
victed, because he pleaded guilty to marry
ing Margaret, being, he said, ignorant OF
the law, which fact, by the way, is no
excuse in the chilly eyes of Dame Justice.
On Ferubary IS, 1898, he was sentenced
in the District Criminal Court to serve
three years at hard labor in Albany pen
itentiary. Whenever opportunity offered
during his confinement the faithful fellow
wrote tender missives to Margaret, and
/ N hp wnuId N
her as soop as his sentence expired. She
/ remained true and trusting and yesterday
| he returned from prison, sought out the
woman beloved and clasped herin his arms.
Then he realized that he confronted a
! condition almost as bad as being confined
! in the great bastile at Albany.
PUZZLED BY DENSE PROBLEMS.
he did not know whether his sentence
had divorced him from the woman in
| Charles county, whether it had annulled
his marriage to Margaret Jackson, or
whether he could resume marital relations
with her without danger
Then, too, he was confronted with an
other problem. The Edmunds Utah act
! had been declared to be operative in the
| District during his confinement in the peni-
tentiary, and wholesale prosecutions were
being made here under its provisions.
In his despair Thomas, who had heard of
purify the moral atmosphere of the city,
called at The Times building yesterday
for counsel and advice. He was sent TO
| District Attorney Birney, with the request
! that that official give his opinion in the
matter.
Mr.. Birney said it was the first case OF
! the kind that had been brought to his at
tention. He intimated that Thomas was
/ between the devil and the deep sea- so
to speak. His marriage to Margaret Jack
son had been annulled by his sentence and
Imprisonment. Now should he re-marry
| her, the law would punish him again for
| bigamy. Should he live with her under
the former marriage, for which he suf-
fered imprisonment, the Edmunds law
would step in and he could be arrested and
sent to prison for adultery.
The fact that Thomas ''served time"
1 for bigamy Will operate against him in
obtaining divorce.
ONLY ONE WAY OUT
His only hope, Mr. Birney said, was to in
duce the Charles county wife to get di-
vorce, which she could readily procure
under the circumstances, and during the
interim live apart from Margaret Jackson.
This young woman accompanied Thomas
to the District attorneys office yesterday.
She wept, aud appeared almost heart
broken when his opinion was announced
| TO her. she says she VIII cling 10
hin through life, and he promised never
to forsake her until all legal bars are swept
away, andtbe preacheThasp pronounced them
nanand wife.
| Lawyer W. G. Martin, of No. 500 1-2 Q
street northwest, was seen by O Times
representative in Thomas behalf In
his fullness of human sympathy he con
sented, without price, to give 1he young
coIored man the benefit of his legal
htppinp
the entanglement, and devoting his future
tine and affections to Margaret Jackson
Il spent three years in prison for her,
said Thomas, last night, ''and now 1 intend
to devote the remaining years of my life
to her comfort aud happiness