The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-04-01
FLED FROM FATHER-IN-LAW.
BIGAMIsTs ROLD LEAP FROM A
TRAIN BEFORE HIS WIFE.


DIR. J. l.. Miller of Fitzgerald, He
Escapes by Jumping From the
Train. Handcuned-TNvO shots Did
Not stop Him-A story OF WOman's
CreduIity and Mans Perfidy.
Chief of Police McDermott received
elegram yesterday from the chief of po-
lice of Charleston asking MIN TO have
detective meet DR.. J. L. Miller of Ftzser-
aid at the Plant System station. in charge
of a prisoner wanted for bigamy. Detec-
tive Scully was detailed 10 meet the train,
which arrived about O'Clock last night.
He met DR.. Miller, who was accompanied
by his daughter, burt no prisoner. The
prisoner had escaped by jumping from the
train. carrying with him the handouts
fastened upon him in Charleston, and, it
is supposed, pistol ball fired at him by
DR.. Miller as he jumped.
The fugitive is Hunter Sharp. alias w.
Clarence Wilson, who deceived DR.. Mirar's
daughter into a marriage at Fitzgerald
and then carried her to Charleston, where
he already had a wife and two children.
The story is a sensational one, and goes
Sharp made his appearance in Fitzgerald
under the name of Wilson. He claimed
to be a lawyer, and succeeded in making
a good Impression. Among other acqlain-
tances whom he made was DR.. MIXERS
daughter, Miss Bessie. Love followed in
very short order, and Feb. 3 Wilson and
Miss Miller were married at her fathers
IN, 1II xrrff fD. ft4I1 Al
of the young lady's family. There was a
brief period of married happiness.
The first cloud upon the sky came in the
shape of an anonymous letter received by
DR.. Miller informing him that his son-in>
laws name was not w. Clarence Wilson,
but Hunter Sharp that he was not law
yer. but had been barkeeper at the St.
Charles Hotel in Charleston, and that he
had left a wife and children there. DR..
Miller was naturally much aroused at the
receipt of this information. He confront,
ell his son-in-law with the Information In
the letter. Wilson boldly denied It. He
was from Charleston, he said, and knew a
fellow there by the name of Hunter Sharp.
who was a worthless sort of chap, ana
when his friends wanted to tease him
they called him Hunter Sharp This was
all there was to it, he said, and in proof of
what he stated he offered to write TO par
ties in Charleston VINO would confirm his
statements He wrote two tletters which
he showed to DR.. Miller, and then gave TO
him to mail. The letters were mailed but
no reply was ever received. The names to
which they were addressed were proba-
bly, fictitious.
DR.. Miller became more uneasy and be-
gan to make Investigations on his own ae-
count Wilson saw that trouble was brew
ing for him, and he prepared to skip. He
prevailed upon his wife to go with him,
saying that he would take her to Charles
ton and prove that the stories about him
were false. Instead of taking the train
at Fitzgerald they walked through the
woods to Triton, about twenty miles, VIII
son had his mother-in-law' watch, which
he had borrowed. He pawned this at Tiff
ton for Sl4 Then the couple went to Ma
con, where they put up at the Brown
House. Their actions there were rather
suspicious and they slipped away sudden
ly without paying any board. This was
several days ago.
DR.. Miller was very much disturbed over
his daughters disappearance A bill from
the clerk at the Brown House for $27, the
amount due for board by the couple. was
his first clue 10 their whereabouts. Wilson
had stated at the hotel that he was DR..
W
the doctor came TO receive the bill. He at
once started on the track of the runaways,
and reached Charleston on the morning
after their arrival there.
Wilson, alias Sharp, and the woman
who still trusted him landed in Charleston
Wednesday night. For a man who. un-
der the circumstances, would naturally be
supposed TO desire to conceal his identity,
Wilson acted very strangely. He carried
his wife TO Q boarding house, where he
was known while he went to the st.
Charles Hotel to spend the night. The
next morning the landlady, learning from
the young woman that she considered her.
self Sharp's wife and that she thought his
name was Wilson told her plainly such
was not the case; that the man was well
known In Charleston as Hunter Sharp and
that she knew it to be a fact that he had
a wife ana two children there. Sharp
turned up at the boarding house shortly
afterwards and the wronged girl reproach-
ed him with his perfidy. lie denied her
charges at first. but when she threatened
to have him arrested, he told her that it
was true that he did have wife and chill
dren He threatened to kill her if she
made any attempt to have him arrested
and struck her in the face. She screamed
and started to run for policeman. See
Ding that things were getting too hot for
him, Sharp started to leave the house.
Dr. Miller arrived at Charleston that
mornig and had located the house at which
his daughter was stopping He and Sharp
met at the door. Recognizing the man,
DIR. Miller attempted to seize him. Sharp
ran and was pursued by Dr. Miller. who
succeeded in having him arrested.
Mrs. Sharp No. l called upon DR.. Miller
in Charleston and begged him not to
prosecute her husband. DR.. Miller
thought otherwise however and decided
TO bring Sharp back TO Fitzgerald for
trial He swore out a warrant for Miller
In Charleston, charging him with bigamy
and had himself sworn in as special dep
uty to execute it. Sharp agreed to return
TO Georgia without a requistion and the
shrewd rascal was doubtless then medi-
tatns the means of his escape. As the
South Carolina warrant would not hold
good in Georgia Chief McDermott was
telegraphcd to have a detective at the
train.
DR.. Miller, his daughter and her whilom
husband left Charleston for Savannah on
the afternoon train. Sharp was securely
handcuffed. DR.. Miller and his prisoner
occupied the rear seat of the passenger
coach, Sharp being on the inside. When
the train had passed Ridgelaud ghnrn heg-