The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-01-04
JONES is IN COURT
Wealthy Negro Of Governors
Square Faces Action.
Wife No. Is Suing to Collect
Her AlimOny.
ECHO OF AN OLD SUIT.
Claim Made That He Is Secret
ing His Property.
Given to Miss Marie Thomas the
Charge.
ECHO OF AN OLD SUIT.

The sensational 7. W. Jones afralr
of Governors Square fame, which
year ago caused wave of excitement
in Topeka was re-opened in the als-
trict court this afternoon when the
suit of Mrs. Jones No. 1 against the
wealthy Chicagoan to prove Miss Ma
RE Thomas. or Mrs. Jones No. q pur
a trustee of properties of Mr.. Jones
that she may from them recover ali
mony granted her by a Chicago court
was begun.
The legal fight of the Joneses has
spread through four states. While a
resident of Chicago, Mr.. Jones was
chairman of the executive committee
of the Negro Business Men IeaSuS'
a national organization OF Whlcn
Booker 7. Washington was president
was also a member of the Doard OF
county commissioners of Cook county
for six years, and proprietor OF
transfer business worth $4,000 or
$4,000. There in Chicago, his Wlfe
brought suit for alimony which was
granted.
In this same suit Jones sought to
secure a divorce, but failed. Then
followed two attempts for divorce IN
South Dakota, the second OF Whlch
was successful. Following that, how
ever, Mrs. Jones got the decree set
having been employed in the suit.
Meanwhile, Miss Marie Thomas had
been buying property in Topeka right
and left and part of it was in Gov
ernor's Square. She announced her
self as a wealthy heiress of Richmond,
Va, and there seemed no end of her
resources.
Directly upon the purchases of
property by Miss Thomas came Mr..
Jones of Chicago and was married to
her with great pomp and display and
the affair was regarded as union OF
wealthy and distinguished colored
gentility.
But soon upon this event. the first
Mrs. Jones, having had the divorce set
aside in South Dakota, appeared in
Topeka with the sensational charge of
bigamy against her husband. At the
same time property owners and others
In the Governors Square were frantic
for fear the Joneses would take up res
idence in that square. By some means
when the suit was tried Jones was
let off with $500 fine and Mrs. Jones
No. 2 had conveyed the Governor
Square property and sold the other pro-
perty to Mrs. E. Gahagen.
The marriage of Jones and Miss
Thomas was also, annulled by the dis
trict court. They had resided at the
corner of Thirteenth and Tyler streets.
There summons were served upon Miss
Thomas by John w. Newell, attorney
for Mrs. Jones, who was seeking depo-
sitions as to where she got the money
to buy all the property she had pur-
chased, but she fed to Richmond, Va.
where he followed and secured the depo-
sitions.
It was also disclosed that Miss Marie
Thomas was none other than the for
mer stenographer of Jones at Chicago.
Mrs. Jones No. 1, conceived the idea
that Jones had sent her the money
here to avoid payments of her alimony.
A coincidence. also. is the fact that
Just previous to the purchases of pro-
perties here by Miss Thomas, the big
transfer business of Jones in Chicago
burned out and large collections were
Elade from the insurance companies.
With the theory. therefore, that Jones
sent the money for the purchases here
in the name of Miss Thomas, lawyers
for Mrs. Jones bring the suit to prove
that she had been merely a trustee for
Jones. If this fact is established then
the first wife will have ample oppor-
tGnity to collect har alimony.
Mrs. Jones is represented by John W.
Newell and by c. F. Vogel of Chicago
f. d. McKeever and q. T. Hazen con-
Duct the case for Mr.. Jones.