The morning journal-courier. (New Haven, Conn.) 1907-1913, 1908-08-01
TAR AND FEATHERS
CASE in COURT
Three Washington Husbands
Ask for Trial by Jury for
Decorating Hyp-
notist.
WIVES COMPLAINED TO 'EM
Chief Actors Well-Knoyn Residents,
and Case, Put Over TIL Fall,
VIII Probably Never Come
to Trial.
WIVES COMPLAINED TO 'EM

Washington, July 31.--iA crowd OF
spectators gathered In the police court
this morning to hear the testimony In
the case of f. T. Bliss, Jr., who on
Wednesday night was tarred and
feathered by three irate husbands who
accused him of having improper mo-
tlves toward their wives The men were
arrested on complaint of Bliss.
When the case was called for trial
the three men-Charles Marthineon, at
whose home the affair took place. Hen
ry c. Cole and James l.. Whlte--asked
for trial by jury This was granted,
bond being increased from $500 to 81,
600, and the case will now 60 over I'M
I'll fall for hearing. 1t Is likely that
the case will not be brought UP again.
Efforts were made by the husbands
to keep the whole affair a secret They
confidently expected that Bliss would
be content to let bygones be- The story
leaked out, however, around the Mount
Pleasant neighborhood, where the par
ties concerned live, and yesterday af-
ternoon 1t was made public property
by the arrest Of the assailants. They
promptly retorted with statements and
charges OF their own.
Bliss. so the three men asserted,
bad used his knowledge of hypnotism,
at which he had often exhibited his
skill In social gatherings, to gain the
confidence and affection OF handsome
young matron. She was said to have
made confession to her husband, In
which the names of one or two Other
married women were involved.
According to today's developments
the three men arrested yesterday had
planned to give Bliss little lesson
Bliss 1t was said. was decoyed to the
home that he was supposed to be try.
Ing to break up" and the wife L
whom he had been paying the objec,
tlonable attentions met him at the doo
and asked him to come in quietly b,
\ the basement.
II Husbands three were concealed be
n hind the draperles in an adjoining
\ room, and from their hiding-pl
| they were said to have seen Bills
\ greet the matron in a manner whic
| was not agreeable to their ideas. Ate
| listening for moment to his greet
! lngs, which we're said to have bee
| Of such a character as to leave n
/ doubt of the case In the minds of hi
| three listeners, the husbands jumpe
| out upon the visitor and hustled hir
H into cellar room.
| A pot of prime tar was bubblin
II on the fire. II was the work of on
a minute or two to strip off Bliss
clothing, SO It was said Then on
| of his captors went grimly to worl
I with heavy brush, while anothe
4 slfted the required amount OF sof
! feathers from a sofa cushion over tn
II tarred areas.
v When the work was completed I
the satisfaction Of Bliss assailant.
Bliss said he was kicked out into tn
: street to make his way as best h
could to his home, which is distar
about three miles. The chief actor
In the affair are all well-known resl
dents Of Mount Pleasant.
III The three men placed under arres
III at Bliss direction are Charles Marth
M inson, a lumberman; Henry C. Col,
a banker and James L. White,
stock broker.
After leaving the house, Bliss sal
n he made his way to the office of
IN physician In the neighborhood, wher
N he underwent the ordeal Of having hi
N decorations removed. This process
was fully as painful as that Of putin
on the tar He said that patches {
cutcle came off in many places alon
with the tar.
W Bliss was still sore and lame vhe
A he first appeared to swear out tn
III warrants.
IL 81 was to have been married In Ne
II York on Friday" he was said to hay
| told the physician, and was callin
WI on my iancee when the tarring Occur
W red" This version of the story h
later admitted was false.