The Savannah morning news., 1902-08-04
HAS TOO MANYWIVES
j. II. ADAMS ARRESTED FOR BIGA-
MI AS HE STEPPED FROM $.
A. l.. TRAIN.
WIFE NO. | MADE THE CHARGE.
WOMAN HE WRONGED AND DE-
SERTED DETERMINED TO PUN
ISL.

knOwIedges He Has Married Two
wives, but Claimed in This he Saw
No WrOng-Wife No. L Lives at Ma
nassas, While Wife No. 2 Makes
Her Home In Furman, 5. C.-First
Wife's Romantic story of the Man
ner in which She Caught Up With
Her Husbands Little Game.
J. H. Adams, acknowledged and con-
fessed bigamist, was arrested at the
Union Station yesterday morning at
the instance of his first and now aban-
doned wife Coming to the city to have
a settlement with one of the women
he has wronged. he found the only
settlement contemplated by her was
one at the hands of the law.
"A telephone message from Mrs.
Adams, No. l, to police head
quarters asked that a policeman be de-
tailed to accompany her to the Union
Station. She said that her husband
would arrive on the Seaboard Air Line
from the West, and that she feared vi
olence.
Two hours later Adams, who
frankly confesses that he is the hus-
band of two wives, was pointed out by
wife No. l as he stepped from the
train and was promptly arrested by
Officer Malphus. The woman is a sis
ter of Mrs. Roxie Bevill. who was re-
Gently tried in the Superior Court on
a charge of attempted arson, and ac-
quilted.
Adams is a well-to-do farmer of
Hampton county, South Caro-
lima. He married his first wife
nineteen years ago, the license
having been recorded in this county
his wife was Miss Mamie F. Heidi
and the wife with whom he has been
living in South Carolina for the last
two years was a widow before he mar
ried her-a Mrs. Causey.
At First Denied His Guilt.
When arrested Adams at first denied
that he had two wives. Mrs. Adams
was with the officer when the arrest
was made at the depot. She said not
a word, but stood close by and identi-
fed the man who had forsaken her
DINA. Adams was taken to the bar
racks and on being searched a pistol
was found in his pocket. Two charges
were then entered on the docket, one
for bigamy and the other for carry
ing concealed weapons.
Adams is Al years of age and
is a respectable looking man. He has
-, !, a.
and has number of friends here He
was seen at the barracks by a repre-
sentative OF the Morning News last
night. In answer to a question rela-
tive to the charge against him, he
said: tstN- seoLGp
yes, reckon l am married to two
women. My wife and l separated near
ly two years ago, and we hadn't lived
together since. 1 didn't know that it
was against the law to marry again.
You see, when we left each other we
had an agreement to let matters rest
peaceably and settle the thing outside
OF the law | was clean ignorant of the
law, or that she was angry with me
until a few weeks ago We have a
married daughter living in Tattnall
county, and when she left me she went
to live with her.
Recently l have received several
l.
that she was going to make trouble
for me | wrote her to meet me in Sa-
vannah, and l would give her what
ever satisfaction l could. When l met
her at the train you see how l was
treated"
Adams said that he would engage
an attorney at once. He said further
that he is going to make things hot
for some people he knew, and that
when the case comes up for trial there
Will be some spicy charges.
Wronged Wife's story.
Mrs. Adams, the first wife, was seen
at her sisters home. She is a rather
delicate looking woman and appears
several years Older than her husband
She told her version of the affair with
positiveness, her blue eyes flashing as
she spoke. 1t was substantial
told by her husband. She said
that he had always maltreated
her and frequently got drunk and laid
violent hands upon her. On more than
one occasion she said she had been
driven from home. When she first
heard that he was in love with an
other woman in South Carolina she
tmportuned him to cease showing her
any attention, but he declined to do So
ago." Mrs. Adams said, II heard moth
ing of him until last October. He was
in Quitman then and he sent me 500
i reckon because he heard we were in
need. l never heard anything of him
again until recently my daughter re-
Ceived a letter from a Mrs. Forbes,
sister of this new wife of his, in which
she asked whether / was still alive
and said that Mr.. Adams claimed that
he was unlawfully married to me-
replied that he was married to me and
that l could produce the license. He
then wrote to me and said that he
would come to see me at my daugh-
ters home. He came there and asked
me to sign paper promising not to
prosecute him. He told me at that
time that he loved me no more but
loved the woman in South Carolina. [
refused to sign. He then went back
to South Carolina and wrote me to
meet him in Savannah. He is a very
violent man at times, and / was afraid
to meet him unless l had some pro-
lection. 1 had him arrested because
want to protect myself and punish
him. He deserves it after the way in
which he has treated me-"
Mrs. Adams said that she did not
know what her husbands spicy
charges were and added that she could
prove her good character at any place
where she had ever lived.
Il can't tell you half" she said re-
peatedly.
A Nemesis on His Track
The story of the difficulties between
Adams and his first wife is an inter-
of IN IL