The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-20
A TALE or VICE AND CRIME.
DOWNFALL OF FRANK THOMAS
I4-YEAR-OLD WIFE.

Left Her Husband and Arrested
With Another Man in House
Kept by Negroes in the SIums of
Yamacraw-Born and Trained I'm
Vice She VIII Answer the Charges
That Smirch Her Character in PO-
lice Court To-day.
Detective Blumberg arrested John Wash
ington. Marie Washington. his wife; Katie
Thomas and W. H. Dyer yesterday. The
arrest concludes a sensational story of ig-
norance, vice and crime. Dyer was re-
leased on bail; the others are stil behind
the bars at the station house.
In October of last year Frank Thomas.
member of the Second Geor-
gia Regiment. returned to the
city with the First Battalion. About
the middle Of November the regiment was
mustered out of the service. Between
these dates he met and married the woman
whose ill-conduct is the cause of the pres
ent difficulty and who is now under ar
rest She was a girl Of IA, sprung from
the lowest depths her family criminals
and outcasts. herself constituted of IN
herited and natural traits of character
that rendered a virtuous life as distaste-
fui as it was impossible. Her father had
died during a term in the penitentiary:
her mother led a life of mingled drunk
enness and vice.
From such surroundings Thomas select
ed his wife and took her to his mothers
af OcrJa NH
girl had been engaged as a servant in a
house on Liberty street, and the women in
this house furnished Thomas with the ne
cessary means TO take her to South Caro-.
lima, and have the marriage celebrated. This
was with the ayowed intention of taking
the girl out of the control of her mother,
who, it was alleged had subjected her 10
Entertainment of almost every description,
and had insisted upon her making living
by Indulgence in nameless vice.
Thomas and his wife lived together for
about three weeks, when the girl was tax
en- sick and at her request was removed to
her mothers home. On account of her
condition Thomas consented to her renov-
al She recovered finally from her sickness
and was besought by her husband TO re-
turn to his mothers roof This she re-
fused TO do and with repeated refusals to
return on her part, and insistent entreaties
and demands on his, the months dragged
along.
In the meantime Thomas kept a sharp
watch on his wfe's actions and a few
weeks ago found out that they we're not
all that they should be, and that another
man had usurped his place as her pro-
tector and that the couple were living to-
gether The man in the case was w. H.
Over u n in ba CT ba6
ward appearances, one of Thomas friends.
Thomas went to him and remonstrated
with him for the part he had played in
alternating his Wifes affections DYER ac-
cepted the responsibility and threatened to
Kill Thomas unless he got out of his sight
Immediately.
The injured husband reported the matter
to the police, and his grievances were sub
Jeeted by the authorities to a rigid exam
nation. 1t was found that Dyer and the
woman were living in a house on Farm
street, near Zubly, either constantly or oc.
casionaly, and their arrest was determined
upon. The house in which they were liv-
ing was kept by John and Marie Wash.
lngton, and it is asserted by the police is
used for immoral purposes.
At o'clock Detective Blumbers
went to the Washingtons' house for
the purpose of making The arrest, Over
anu Lie WpIldH were round in a one
room clubhouse in the yard The man ours
ed and resisted the officer and will have
10 answer this charge, as Wei as that of
threatening the life of Thomas. Washing
ton and his wife were arrested and locked
up at the station house on the charge of
keeping lewd house and using the wife
OF Thomas for immoral purposes The girl
is charged with adultery.
The principal parties in interest are both
extremely young, Thomas being II and his
wife i years of age Thomas
is in appearance of more respectable
parentage than his wife. The i;is-
tory of her immediate family forms one
continued story of crime and would FIJI a
volume. Her mother has had half a doz-
en- husbands or pretended husbands. and
with them has been run successfully out
of as many cities. The father of the girl
was convicted of the larceny Of some cot
ton. in the Superior Court at Brunswick.
and was sentenced to a two-years' term
in the peniteniary. lie died in prison be-
fore his term had expired.