The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-07-18
were MARRIED IN DUNGEON
MAN DESTINED FOR THE WALLA
WALLA PENITENTIARY WAS
THE GROOM.
Bride Was a Woman Who Has Made
Strenuous Fight to Save Man
From the Prison.

Standing in the darkness of the soli-
tary confinement cell in King county
grated door and clasping that of Luz
ella F. Fliser, John j. Christopher,
alias Jack Chesterfield, awaiting trans
fer to the peniteniary to serve a three
years sentence for criminal assault,
was on Friday, July Z, declared the
husband of the woman who is making
a strenuous fight to obtain his release.
The wedding was secret and was not
even known to the Jail officials until
they were Informed by a newspaper
reporter.
Last September Christopher was
brought to the county Jail to await
trial on the charge of criminal assault
on Otilla Ziebelle, a 16-year- old girl.
From the first day of his confinement
Luella Fliser, the woman who ten days
ago became his wife, has been a con-
slant visitor at the county Jail. Not
only once. but several times a day she
has called to see Christopher. To Jail
ers, court attendants and the public
the woman has always held herself
out as the wife of Christopher. She
has declared that they were married
two years ago and she has during that
time lived under the name of Mrs.
Christopher.
Worked for His Release.
During the months that Christopher
was confined awaiting trial, Luella
Fliser worked hard to secure evidence
that would justify the jury in acquit-
jury found him guilty, and Superior
Judge Irwin imposed the sentence of
three years at hard labor. This was
in January. Since then Luella Fliser
has never relaxed her efforts to secure
money to perfect an appeal. At all
times she has declared that the man
now her husband was guiltless of the
crime. While doing all this work she
has always maintained that she was
simply performing her duties as low
ing wife, by a husband who, in her
opinion was suffering Imprisonment
for a crime of which he was innocent.
Claims Prior MARRIAGE,
Mrs. Christopher, as she has been
known for months, has always claimed
that she married Christopher two
years ago. When seen by reporter,
she refused to admit that she had been
a party to the wedding in the county
Jail. Even when told of the marriage
license that she had applied for she
maintained that no wedding had taken
place between her and Christopher ex-
cept the one two years ago.
Ten days ago Luella Fliser went to
the Jail with a minister of the gospel
and two friends, one of whom is an
employe of the county assessors office.
The clergyman informed the jailer
that he wished to discuss a private
matter with Christopher. The four
were admitted to the hospital ward of
the Jail upon which the solitary cell
opens. In the presence Of about twelve
inmates of the ward the ceremony was
so hastily and quietly performed that
none realized that the prisoner and
his constant visitor were being de-
clared man and wife,
JaiIer Suspected Nothing.
The jailer thought that the four per-
sons were talking about a pardon or
something of private nature with
the prisoner Not until the Jail Off
Gals were told of the marriage license
did they suspect that a marriage cere-
mony had been performed within the
confines of the county Jail.
The officers believe that the woman
married the prisoner in the hope that
her position as his wife would aid her
in her efforts to secure Christopher
release. Fear that the fact that she
was not the prisoners wife, if it be-