The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1907-04-24
A SLICK SCHEME.
A Great Many Women Gu!leds by
a Marriage Syndicate.
were EASY VICTIMS.

Three Thousand Of Them Were Anx.
ions 20 Get Husbands. Some Queer
Finds From a Search Of the Rooms
of James Williams. Alias James
Marshall, Who Was the Manager
of the Syndicate.
Many startling facts have been
brought to the surface by an exami-
nation Of the house in Philadelphia
used by the Marriage Syndicate
about which we published q short
article last week. Convinced by the
recent confession Of James Matthias
Williams, alias James Marshall the
head Of the Brown street marriage
syndicate, that he is Withholding
from them much Of his past, the de-
tectives working on the case are
making a rigid investigation to un-
cover more facts.
Tbey believe that his career prevl-
Gus to marrying s'Teerie' Marshall
to whom he confessed ne was mar
nod N s+ Louis, November 4, 1902,
was one abounding with dark Sec
rets. and since the institution OF his
marriage syndicate it has been none
the less full of adventure: The De
tectives believe that Williams has
been married to many women IN the
=, West. ~,
With the object of verifying the
statement in the mans confession
that he was married to '.Ieenle
Marshall in St. Louis, David Johnson,
superintendent of the Bryant Detec-
tive Agency, has started for the
Western city. He expects to learn
more concerning Williams career
after having worked on the case
there, and has taken with him the
names and addresses Of several hum
dred of his St. Louis correspondents;
tsI fully believe we have a second
Johanna Hoch in Williams, SAD Ed
ward Bryant, detective: we al
ready have a strong proof Of crook
edness in his career, in addition to
The h;oany charge in this city. He
offered the men who were taxing
him to prison the other night $1,000
if they would let him escape.
Bryant, with 3 number OF detec-
tives, has completed an exhaustive
search of the house at 5l2 Brown
street, where the matrimonial game
was conducted. A number Of letters
from those in this state who joined
the syndicate have 'been turned to
the postal authorities, and they will
communicate with the persons whose
names are on the letters, IN order to
see what was the outcome OF the
transaction. It is thought that other
marriages by Williams may be dis
closed by this means.
In rear room on the second floor
were found a number Of pieces OF
supposed gold ore. They were IN re-
atty bits Of rock in which were I'M
bedded particles of gold leaf. At first
glance they might be mistaken fo-
ore from gold mine. On a table
near the core" was a box Of blank
certificates for stock in the Monte
Christie" Mining company. One OF
Marshall's boasts was that he owned
cold mine ir Montana, The detec-
tiyes believe that he used the ore and
the certificates to impress the guilt
BILE women whom he intended to
marry.
Among other things found were
TWENTY-FIVE fancy vests, nine mems
hats, and no end Of coats and trous,
ers A bottle Of hair dye was found
on mantel. Several suit cases full
of clothes were found in the house,
as if the couple had made prep
arations to jump quickly if taken by
surprise.
There are many curious n1lsslves
in the 5000 letters received by the
syndicates. They came from every
section of the United States, prlncl-
ually from the West and Mexico,
Canada, and far-away British Co
lunbia. There was hardly a news
paper of prominence in the country
but published the syndicate's ailur-
ine advertisement. The letters ran
the gamut from the sixteen-year-old
girl with bsonde hair and blue eyes
Is the widow of two-score years and
ten, with gray hair and plump ap-
pearance.
From the general run Of the let
tiers it can be seen that most of the
victims were extremely anxious to
get g man with lots Of money no
matter how old he happened to be.
MANY of them showed refinement
and Intelligence. Some Of them were
fine specimens of the ignorant and
himsy character of their writes.
Some Of them were giddy girls not
vet past twenty, who were lonely and
wanted a man who would be kind to
them. Among the letters are some
from men Of business standing IN
various cities. They fell such easy
victims to the advertisement that
they used their own business letter
head paper on which to answer.
Nurses, matrons of hospitals, mil
liners, dressnakers, boarding-school
girls, and women Of leisure took a
chance in answering the advertise
ment. Among every one Of them
paid from 81 to S. to join the syndi:
cate. The price they paid was mark.
ed in ink on their letter after the
money was received.
One of the letters read:
Sincere, 5122 Brown ST., Philadel
phia, Pal will be pleased to cor