Los Angeles herald., 1907-05-20
BOY FORCED
INTO WEDDING,
SAYS MOTHER
Son Was Hypnotized
Is Claim
Young Man, Prominent in Pasadena.
Arrested on Perjury Charge on
Advice from Dallas,
Texas

l
PASADENA, May 19.-"rbe ,,,o,,,
whom my son married had boasted in
public of her success as a hvnnotist
| My son met her but once before tho
afternoon on which he married her If
is my belief that she exerted hypnotic
influence over him."
1t was with this startling denounca-
ment that Mrs Thomas Baird met the
inquiries put this evening by a. Herald
reporter who called at her home AFT 139
Chester street, Pasadena, to secure the
story of the marriage of John Baird
to Dallas, Tex, stenographer.
| Il would not like to tell why they
have arrested my son, though | know
| the woman has been seeking to obtain
divorce from him for the past year.
Linked with her persistent prosecutions
are the prosecutions of another woman,
who is backing my sons wife in an en-
deavor to cause him what trouble they
can from his unhappy union with the
girl"
Thinks Charge Trumped Up
John Baird, son of Mr.. and Mrs.
Thomas Baird, married a stenographer
whose name is not known here and
closely guarded by the Bairds. At the
| time OF the marriage the youth was
IS years old Despite this fact, he
stoutly maintains he did not perjure
| himself when obtaining the license. He
was arrested by Detectives Home and
| Chapman of Los Angeles on a warrant
sent from Dallas by Sheriff Ledbetter,
charging perjury. 1t was stated by
the mother that she believed the charge
trumped up in order to furnish a rea-
son for bringing young Baird back to
Dallas. officers will leave for Dallas
with the young man this week.
Young Baird stated that he was prac-
tically forced into the marriage He
will base his defense in the case on
that ground. He is willing to return to
his old home and face the charge which
has been preferred against him. 1t is
understood from the parents that the
grand jury returned a bill against him,
charging perjury, but both the father
and mother are strong in the belief
that he will be acquitted.
Member of Church
"My son was one of the best boys
1 know" said the gray-haired mother,
| cheerfully. He was we'll and favor
| ably known in his home town. He was
the president of the Christian Endeavor
society of the Christian church in Dali
| las, of which he was a member. When
| he returns to Dallas he will be met
| by my brother-in-law, his uncle and
other friends, who will see him through
his trouble. The whole Christian churcn
membership will stand by him IN d
| body. H.
girl he was marrying. She was three
years his senior and stenograpner.
After the marriage the girls brother
told NV son what kind of girl she
was. He said, L have been driven 10
NV grave through worry over my Sis
ter and the sleepless nights nave
snent in hunting for her. The poor lei-
| low is dead now.
"T have never been able to obtain any
information from my son on the Ill. M
| fortunate matter of his marriage. ~ ~
has ALWAYS been very secretive on tne
no +ter and as far as | can ascertain
never talked among his friends Oh ms III,
marriage. believe she held some speii
over him."
Call 1t Persecution
The persistent efforts of the sleliuS
rapher-Wife of this stripping W -
| him trouble since the failure Oh an
effort to obtain a divorce, instituted
about a wear ago, have led the IalniY
and friends of the lad to believe S trid
efforts are purely persecutlon nd
without object save to harass Till ai.,.
cause trouble for the youth ~
| is no money to be obtained anu - ~.
only motive that can be orousII III tt,o
consideration is that of freeing tne
stanogranher-wife that she might mar
rv another. Reports from Dallas are are
to the effect that she is very Hluci
stricken with Cupid's darts anu t,,r"
turned her affections to announcer MAJ MAJ
Since his coming to Los Als 4to
John Baird has been employer 1..,,t o. .n
Mcpherson parlors for the tTea'L1iol,U t L.
of cancers and skin disease by elec,
tricitv. He has been getting goou
wages and has been approved by ms
EMPLOYERS. The fact that he was IA
vorabiy known in Dallas was SHOWN
in the statement made by the notnei ie.
in the interview when she Mo sa,u.
"There are many people IN Dania5 tad
who are willing to go on the s'one one
and tell a similar story 10 tne otie oiie
told my son by the brother OF the
stenographer whom he married"
Plenty of Witnesses
Continuing in her d. Statement q taio
mother said, eve have received a 5ar, se
eeram from NV brother-in-laW touay
and he saws he will meet Jonn anu anu
see that he is taken care OF. IL. IL "r1 ,.a
also see that the proper WITNESSES 49,, o.
awaiting him at the court room VIII mnel
he is brought up to 1ace INC .,eat Se
/ ne
would have John back here WITHIN ,... d
mouttdh ,ooo,,th and know Johns employers
mentn aTe Expecting scf him to return within
that time" o,;oe +h.+ ber son
vas nlaeed under hypnotic influence
was and coerced into marrying the girl
thrae years his senior.
Young Man Tells Story
vhen seen at the Jail yesterday
uomne Baird said that he did not want
youn5 ~ oo into details in the matter at
rresent but admitted that he knew why
he was arrested. -, ,,,o..r;od &.
He said that last July he married
,onne woman in Dallas who was
{fhree fe years older than himset. He
eIIeres that he did not want TO marry
the a1tes woman but was forced to. At that
tin,e tnu he was under twenty-one years
of age but says he got around the
,la ol rriage license law and did not COM
mt mt neri,lry in getting the license.
How toT he did this he says he VIII tell
a. The proper time but does not care
to disclose his hand at this time. He
saws that the woman sued him for di-
voyce some time ago but he did not
contest it, yet she did not get the