The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-05-26
FACE WAS HIS GOOD FORTUNE.
ALLEGED BIGANsIsT's APPEARANCE
CAUSED HIS RELEASE.

CAUSED HIS RELEASE.
His Attorney Pat II in Evidence Be-
fore n Trial Justice-But the First
Wife of John II. Wilson stiIl Vows
She VIII Have Reven@e-He De-
clarcs lie Thought She Was Dead
10th W ives in Court During the
Trial
Atlanta. May John II. Wilson, an
engineer. who had been confined in Full
ton county jail since last Saturday upon
a charge of bigamy, was released this az
teruoon. He owes his liberty TO his face.
Wilson is a rather good looking young
man Of 80 or thereabouts, having frank
and open counteuance. This may not be
uncommon with bigamists. But at any
rate. his prepossessing appearance stood
him in good stead with Justice S. II.
I.andrum. before whom he was given a
preliminary trial this afternoon.
In the course of the trial the lawyer for
the alleged wife No 1 declared that he
wished 10 put her face. her general APP
pearance, in evidence 10 controvert the
assertion that she was a bad character
and actuated by mean motives in having
her alleged husband arraigned. The JUS
tice took a closer look at the plainun or
prosecutor. doubtless taking the lawyer
at his word.
When it came the turn of the defense,
Wilson'S lawyer closed his remarks by de
cIaring that he, too, wished TO put the
face of his client in evidence. He declared
that the man had a good face, face in
fact that was wholly incompatible with
anything akin to duplcity. Here again
the justice adjusted his spectacles TO get
"a closer look, and oddly enough, he seem
ed 20 think that the man had better
face as evidence than the woman, and
forthwith the warrant was dismissed.
Thus 1t was that Wilson owes his liberty
10 his open countenance. for even his best
friends were forced TO admit that the cir
cumstances as they developed on the trial
were against him.
She VIII Have Him Yet.
The courts order was a surprise and
wife No. / left the court room vowing
that she would yet see the man who was
living with another wife right under her
nose, behind the bars where his good face
will not undo the locks. Wife No 2 walk
ed off with the released prisoner, declar-
ing that she would stick TO him TO the last
ditch.
During the trial both women were placed
on the witness stand and each claimed the
man as her husband upon the strength Of
a marriage license and altar vows.
Wilson himself admitted that he had
married both the women, but thought No
was dead when he took No 2. He told
No before the ceremony that he had
once had a wife but believed her dead
According to his story No l, who was
Miss Kitty Kemp of Columbus, soon de
veloped into a very bad character and he
left her for her unfaithfulness. No. 2
who was Miss Pinky Kistler of Atlanta,
thought none the less of her lover on ac-
count of this little domestic drama, and
accepted him for better or for worse sew
eral years ago.
Since this marriage No. / has kept her
self very scarce. Last week however,
she PCT in an appearance in Atlanta, and
waking out 80 The home of her husband
and Ills new wife she caused a scene, the
result of which was warrant the next
day for wilson's arrest.
Wilson persisted that the appearance of
No / was like a resurrection from the
grave. as he had firm belief in her death.
de Eaid q lG4lDW engineer VINO hAltW Hti
told him of her death several years ago
as the result of an operation.
Not Dead But Travelling.
Il appears. however, that instead of be-
Ing dead, No. j was only seeing the coun-
try. When she got ready 10 come back to
Georgia she decided to call on her hus-
band and Jack" MIN up little on ac-
count of his second marriage, which she
did. She got mad in good style when she
saw the other woman, and rushed right off
90 the police for a warrant Wilson was
locked up and his alleged offense kept
quiet for several days, his troubles leak
ing out only last night, through prepara-
tons for his trial to-day.
There IS a child involved in the case, a
little fellow born to Wilson and wife No.
J. She declares that she win have the child
back if 1t costs her her life or his, while
Wilson insists that the woman is not a fit
character 10 bring him up, and viii fight
for possession on that ground.
Wife No. ! will now go before the grand
Jury to secure an indictment, since the
warrant failed 20 land the man who has
spurned her in durance vile. Her lawyer is
sure that she will meet with better sue
cess in the pursuit of vengeance there
than in the justice court to-day, as there
Is apparently little doubt of the mans
technical guilt of the offense charged, his
escape to-day being a streak OF luck.