The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1904-06-09
THORNTON Guilt
Soldier Who Cruelty Tilted
Miss Carroll for Another
Woman Condemned
by a Jury.

l lug JameS y. 1nOrntOH, tne young solu1tr
who served three years in the PHILIPPINES
and who Tilted pretty Mamie Carroll, of
No. 140 Essex street, ON his return, and
married Rose Kelly. of New York, was
found guilty of charge preferred
against him in the First Criminal Court
this morning by Miss Carroll and was or
dered to pay the child born to them dur
| ing Thornton's absence 50 week
Twelve men, who acted as jury soon
arrived at a verdict of guilty. after hear
| ing the evidence.
Miss Carroll, with her three-year-old
daughter, pretty child that attracted
the attention of everybody in the court,
and accompanied by friends, occupied Al
seat well in front. She was represented
! by Counsellor Marcus Higginbotham.
Counsellor Alexander Simpson represent
ed Thornton His contention was that
the child was born in New York State, the
mother having gone to New York for
awhile after Thornton enlisted in army
service in the PHILIPPINES, and that the
case was therefore, out Of the jurisdiction
of Jersey City police court. The point
from a legal point of view was a knotty
one, but the wronged woman won her
case.
Thornton had been keeping company
| with Miss Carroll since 1896. On Jan
uary 20 and 81 the bans of their mar
riage were read in both st. Peters and
st. Bridget's churches. At that time
Thornton lived on Mill road. He was
proud of the fact that he kept company
with Miss Carroll On one occasion he
| fought man named Dorsey, whose at
tentions he regarded as too assiduous,
and he gave it out at that time that
| he and Miss Carroll were engaged.
Shortly before he enlisted in Uncle
Sam's service in 1901 he bought her
wedding ring, and then, according to
counsel for Miss Carroll, he borrowed
money from Miss Carroll TO pay for the
ring and for package he claimed to
have lost for an express company in
whose service he was employed. 1t was
also claimed that he took watch and
a pocketbook containing $3.50 from the
trusting young woman, declaring, jocu-
larly, that he would have use for it.
These things happened just before his
enlistment. The wedding ring he bought
for her, it is charged, is said to have
been discovered later to be a plated
affair. He said nothing about his in
tention to esaist in the army. 1t was not
until he had disappeared that the won
dering woman received letter from
/ San Francisco informing her of his en-
4 listment and of his prospective departure
for the Philippines. He implored her
forgiveness for what he had
done. He said that he doubt
ed if he would ever return
home alive, but that if he did he would
make good to her. While in service in
the Philippines he wrote her, it is claim
ed, at least one hundred and fifty letters.
These were almost invariably addressed
to Mrs. James Thornton and began
with My darling wife" and closed with
| from Your devoted husband" On one
occasion, after being informed of the
| birth of the child, who is now known as
Lillian, he asked that photograph but
| ton bearing the picture of herself and
their child be sent him in order that he
might pin it on his shirt over his heart
to protect that vital spot from the bull
/ let's of the Philippines. She sent him
photograph of herself and child.
He also asked her to avoid
i the company of other men. One letter
was exhibited, signed yours to Lillian,
my baby (underscored), and your darling
self. Your loving husband, Jim" !" In
one of the letters he told Miss Carroll
that he had told the boys of his regi-
ment, Troop G Of the cavalry, as an
excuse for saving his money, that he had
dear little wife and child at home"
I When he reached home after his three
years of service his meeting with Mrs.
Thornton was not all that the faith
full yonng woman anticipated. His dis
tant manner was not all that she had
been led to expect from the tone Of his
letters. He said he had saved about
$500 and intended going into business.
When she broaehed the subject Of mar.
riage he began putting her of with ex-
cuses that his mother objected. She
finally grew suspicious and when his
visits failed for some weeks she had a
warrant issued for his arrest It was
not until the case came up in the First