The Savannah morning news., 1901-06-21
LACKING A WITNESS
DELAY IN PROSECUTION OF BIGA-
MIST THOMPSON.
SAVANNAH WIFE STILL TRUE.
WHILE BOSTON WIFE CHARGES
TANaPERING WITH WITNESSES.

Thompson Has Been in Jail for Sew
eraI Months and Likely to Stay
Several MOre-State Is Unable to
Secure the Justice of the Peace
who Conducted the Marriage Ser
vice in Boston and the Prisoner
Must Remain in Jail Indefinitely.
He Has Been Unable Thus Far to
Secure BaiI-His First Wife Tells
Pathetic story of Desertion and
Cruel Treatment and Is Anxious to
PrOSecute-VNife No. z Sticks to the
Prisoner and Refuses to Believe
Him Guilty.
w. H. Thompson, the Young wan in
dfcted for marrying in Savannah while
another wife resides IN Boston, is still in
the county Jail, and unless there is some
change will remain there indefinitely. The
state has been unable to get its witnesses
and the defense has not cared to force
the matter to the attention of the public.
This is the way the case now stands and
the prisoners and his Savannah wife con-
tinue to kiss daily through the prison
bars.
Thompson has all along protested his
innocence and has accounted for his in
dictment in several ways. The state in
sists that its evidence against the de-
PENDANT is complete and the presence of
the justice of the peace who performed
the marriage ceremony is all that is
wanted to make the case ready for trial.
For some reason this individual will not
come to Savannah, although he stated his
Willingness to make the trip shortly aft
er the indictment was returned. This was
in letter to the solicitor general and the
witness said that he would come TO Sa-
vannah during the latter part of May, or
early in June.
The prosecuting attorney has received
several letters from the woman who
claims to be Mrs. Thompson No. l and
her story is pathetic one. The last let
ter from the young Boston woman
throws some light on the delay in the
case.
1T has been some time since I wrote
you" she says, but 1 have been trying
to get Mr.. Harding to say if he will go
or not. l will tell you plainly 1 can not
get chance to see him. He avoids me.
have written him and been to his office
every day for a week, and have not been
able to see him.
Il do not know what to do. 1 am on
the verge of collapse, and l am afraid
the strain is telling on me. If Thompson
is let go he will do me harm, and / cam
not see what 1 can do. If I only had the
means to buy people as others do, but
then I'm only a poor working girl, and
am very delicate.
Il am very much puzzled what to do.
| am so sorry to put you to so much
trouble but l do not want to let him go
free, as l think he should be punished.
l do not think that Mr.. Harding will go
and 1 am afraid of that man Thomp>
son."
son." and the young woman seems anx-
ious to prosecute the man who has so
cruelty deceived and neglected her. She
charges that he first betrayed her, and
when arrested, agreed to marry her. This
he did, and the marriage certificate was
presented to the grand jury which in
dicted the young man. Mrs. Thompson
No l says that after Thompson married
her, he lived with her nearly a year. and
then left. She claims that his treatment
of her was heartiess and cruel in the
IRENE.
When arrested Thompson made a state
ment to a representative of the Morning
News, in which he dealt in romances.
He admitted that he had been arrested
on a warrant sworn out by the young
woman in Boston, but declared that 1t
had only been a case of attempted black
mail, and that he was not forced to mar
ry her, to escape prosecution. He told
of a visit to a lawyers office, a meeting
with the woman, the drinking of a glass
of wine and of a long state of uncon-
seriousness. Thompson stated in
that story that he believed then he
had been drugged and that 1t was posi-
BILE that he had been married when in
stupor. He did not, however, think that
this was the case for, he said, no one
had ever mentioned ID to him afterwards
Thompson is the sort of an individual
who makes friends readily and he tells
his stories in an apparently frank and
sincere way. Yesterday he told two wo-
men visitors to the Jail that he was being
prosecuted because he had left Boston
and come South to marry a Southern girl
The prisoner told his romantic little tale
with tears in his eyes and the visitors
were so impressed that they reported the
matter to an attorney. They were told
that the mans guilt has been fixed be-
yond all peradventure and that the only
question is the securing OF the magistrate
who married him.
Just what the outcome of the case will
be Is somewhat uncertain, but certainly
unless the state can secure its witnesses
Thompson will be released in due course
of time. In the meantime his Savannah
wife is sticking close to him. and not an
afternoon passes but that she visits him
in the jail. At more than one Of these
meetings both have shed tears. and hold
ing hands they chat and kiss through
the little opening in the iron door.
MIR. Robert L, Colding. who represents
the alleged bigamist intends making an
effort to secure his release on bond. 10
this respect he has not yet been success
full Ii is known that the attorney has
made several unsuccessful attempts to
secure the release of his client, but Judge
Falligant has stubbornly refused to con-
slider such a thing. With such strong
testimony against the prisoner II is not
the purpose OF the court to permit him
to go at large unless there is no remedy.
Efforts are stl being made to have the
Justice of the Peace come TO Savannah,
and If he does accompany the Boston
prosecutriX, the trial in the Superior
Court promises to be an interesting one.