The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1908-08-04
TAR And FEATHER
CASE IN COURT
Trio Of Washington Husbands
Held in Si0O9 Bail.
WOMAN AIDED IN TRAP

Mrs. Marthison Requested Bliss 70
Enter Her Home at Basement Door.
When Irate Husbands Seized and
Decorated Him-They Claim He Ex.
erted Hypnotic Influence over We
men-Lost Much Skin In Attempt
to Remove Tara Big Sensation
Coming.
Washington. Aug. IF +. Bliss. Jr.
member of the contracting firm @,
Bliss x Aibrecht. paper rulers. was
coated from head to foot with harden
ed tar and is under the treatment @.
several physicians.
Henry c. Cole. Charles Narthison
and James l.. White. prominent as
brokers and business men. who admit
applying the tar and regre, they did
not make a better job of Ga. were az
rested after news OF the AFFAIR came
out through one OF Bliss p, ssicians.
a statement given out 10y T. r. Col
lady. attorney for the three men who
gave Bliss a druhbing and tlcn tarrea
him. declares that recently Bliss me.
Mr.. ana Mrs Marthison at socia.
function and was later entertained
their home. Bliss subsequeu ly becam,
acquainted with Henry G. Cole and
his wife, who live near the Mathisons
At these two homes Bliss was a frc.
qucnt visitor He is about thirty-fvo
years of age. suave. handsome. n fin.
conversationalist. and boasts Of hi
powers as a hypnotist.
On several occasions Bliss and Mrs
Marthison have been seen together al
the theatre and other public places.
Marihison on Wednesday sa.. them To-.
gether and quarrel with h S wife fol
lowed.
Mrs. Marthison said she had been
under Bliss hypnotic influence for
some time and was unable 10 control
herself when he was near. She said
She got instructions from him by men.
tai telepathy.
Bliss called up Mrs Marthison over
the telephone. Mrs Marthisan talked
over the phone with her husband
nearby. Offering suggestion He told
her TO have Bliss call at their home
about nine o'clock and enter through
the basement
Mrs. Mathison met Bliss al the door
and was fondly embraced by him
Marthison. Cole and White were Sc.
cretcd in another part or the basement
listening. They heard Bliss ask If any
one was al home. and Mrs. Marthison
said no. Then he made several sup.
gestions as TO how to spend the even.
ing.
The three husbands then sprane
upon Bliss and frightened him into
trembling and pleading for mercy.
a sound thrashing was administered
first to Bliss. and later the bucket OF
tar. which had been carefully warmed
for the occasion, was brought forth
Bliss was stripped and every square
inch Of his body covered. His face
was fairly bathcd in the tar. some OF il
getting into his eyes.
After their task was well done the
husbands turned Bliss loose and he
ned across toSn in search of a physi.
clan. In the effort TO remove the tar
from the victims face most of the skin
was pulled off, and rather than disfie.
ure him the physicians will allow the
tar to wear away.
White is retired business nan. and
acted merely as a friend of Marthison
and as a witness.
The beating up and tarring OF RHss
promises 10 develop into one of the
greatest police sensations WASHINGTON
has had for many a year. Two o:her
domestic explosions on account of IN
seem Imminent The parties in the
case appeared before Police Court.
Judge Kimball. but beyc an increase
in the amount of bail for the defend
ants from $500 to $1,000 there were nc
public developments.