The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-21
Prison Guard Disappears, TAX
ing Woman With Him.
Writes Out Resignation When
Shown Wife's Letter.
she TELLS STORY OF WANT
Wife Asks for Portion of Her
Husbands Wages.
He Has Long Sought Society of
Other Women.

| Leavenworth, Kan. Feb. BIB. f
Thorn, a guard at the federal prison
since August 5, 1910, resigned sudden
| ly when confronted with a letter from
a. woman in Elmira, N. Y, who claims
to be his wife, and has left his board
ing house. taking along the woman
who has been passing as his wife since
his arrival at Leavenworth.
Thorn came to the prison from De-
troit, Mich. his appointment as guard
being made by the civil service com
mission, and he formerly was a guard
at the New York state refOrmatory at
Elmira. It is said that he somewhat
resembIed former Deputy Warden
Lemon, in appearance and that he
has never been popular among his as
sociates or officers, at the prison
The cause of his resignation was the
receipt by Warden McClaughry of a
letter from a woman in EImira, who
says she is Thorn's wife, gives the
names of a number Of persons, even
the superintendent of the reform tory,
to bear out her statements. When
confronted with this letter, Thorn i'm
mediately wrote his resignation, to
take effect the same evening, at the
earliest convenience He left the Of
flee of Deputy Warden Mackey in an
apparent i'll humor. He went then to
entrance of the prison, and shortly
after left the house with the woman
he said was Mrs. Thorn.
Tells PitifuI Tale.
The Elmira Mrs. Thorn's letter to
the warden is a pitiful one and tells
of suffering from illness, in which she
was compelled to undergo operations
in a hospital without the care and
support OF the man who had vowed
to cherish and protect her as long as
4s~I7 - i, n
hal been left without money and with
no provisions in the house and that
their young son, now II years old'
helped to support her by carrying
paper route for one of the home pa
pers. After somewhat recovering, she
worked herself at whatever she could
find to do and, lately, has been nurs-
ing an old sick man, in efforts to help
keep the wolf from the door.
She asked the warden if she could
not send her part of her husband s
monthly pay, as she is crippled up
with rheumatism and unable to do
much work. She also told of her
husbands infatuation with a woman
in Elmfra. who lived Within q few
doors of their home and stated that
he often would go away and remain
with this woman, even registering with
her as man and wife
Then Husband Left.
Finally the husband of the woman
became aware of his wife's escapade,
went to the superintendent OF the re
fornatorv and demanded that Thorn |
BE- discharged. but upon her plea that
she did not want her husband to lose
his place, he was not let out. Later
she said he went to Detroit, where |
she heard that he was living with an
other woman. During all this time,
she says, he never sent her any money
md left her to get along the best way
she could.
ierstood that her husband was getting
800 a month here, and asked if he
could not send her $40 Of this each
month, as she was taking care OF his
ION and thought that she ought to
,e assisted She wanted the warden
o send it to her himself, and not to
lccept any promise from Thorn that
u would send the money. as she said
,e would not do so. She also told
he warden that she did not want him
O lose his place here. but only wanted
lin to help her out.