The San Francisco call., 1908-09-13
ACTOR IS ARRESTED
ON BIGAMY CHARGE
Robert w. Griffin, Alias Robert
WaItham, Is Caught by De-
coy Letter at Napa
Governess Declares She Was
Deserted After Taxing
Thespian With Peridy

OAKLAND, Sept. 12.-After eluding
the police for nearly three months,
Robert W Griffin, alias Robert Wal
dham. actor, soldier and scion of
prominent eastern family, was brought
here from Napa by Detective Timothy
Flynn tonight to face a charge of big
amy preferred by Miss Martha Straub,
a goVerness, who was deserted in this
city by Griffin a few days after he had
gone through a marriage ceremony.
According to police reports Griffin's
sudden departure from Oakland was
caused by the discovery that .he had
legal wife living in Los Angeles at the
time OF his alleged marriage TO Miss
Straub.
Griffin called at the Oakland police
headquarters. complained that his first
wife deserted him and asked their aid
In finding her He evidently repented
Of this request, however, for it is
charged that within a fortnight he and
Miss Straub were married by a justice
OF the peace.
PROPOSED WITHIN 4 WEEK
Miss Straub, who is now living at the
Lonsdale apartments, Eddy and Larkin
streets. San Francisco, met Griffin while
he was managing a vaudeville theater
in West Oakland. The beauty and at
tractiveness of the young goyerness,
who is an accomplished linguist and
has travelled extensively, Immediately
won the attention of che Thespian and
she says he rendered a proposal of
marriage within a week II was ac-
cepted, and the marriage. with its
short lived honeymoon. followed.
BY chance a week after Miss Straub
became, as she thought. Mrs. Griffin. she
met former acquaintance Of her hus-
band, who told her of his previous mar
riage. fastening home she taxed him
with the story, which he did not deny.
That night he left her.
Although the police have been scour-
ing the state for him it was not until
last week that they learned that Grif-
I'm had been seen in Napa- He was
lured to the pOstoffice in that city by a
decoy letter from Captain of Detectives
Petersen and his arrest followed.
Griffin, who served in the army
through the Philippine campaign, sus-
tanned an injury to his eyes which has
placed him on the government pension
rolls. He is 81 years of age and is well
known in theatrical CIRCLES in this city
At the city prison tonight Griffin ac-
knOWledged that he had married Mar
tina Straub in this city last June, but
said. that he believed at the time that
ne was acting within the law, as he
had been notified that his former wife
had secured an interlOcutory decree of
divorce from him
DIVORCE DEC ALLEGED
Griffin married his first wife. who was
Miss Goldie May McCarron. in Toledo
Ohio, July ., 1896. One son, now ten
years old, was born OF the union. Grif-
fin said that he had not lived with his
wife except for a few weeks in Los
Angeles IN the summer of 1907. He de-
MED that he had been attempting to
eNaoe the police and said that he has
been undergoing treatment for his eyes
at the Boldiers' home in Napa for the
last two months.
1t IS true that ] married Miss Straub
IN Oakland, he said tonight, land
guess | am in for il. But at the time
thought it was all right. In some states
an lnterlocutory decree permits the di
Forceo parties TO remarry.
i did not desert Miss Straub because
she had learned Of my former marriage.
Personal reasons led up to the separa-
tion. have not seen my first wife
since December OF last year, and when
1 asked the police to look for her
wanted TO locate her in order to settle
some money matters"