Evening journal., 1912-01-17
A SINGULAR
CASE
By MARGARET BARR
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation. 1911.

a newspaper, had read an item with
the heading Jumped His Bail"
read that Edward jerks. a well
known confidence man, had been ar.
rested some time before, charged with
innumerable swindles He had pro.
cured bail, the case had been called for
trial, and the bail had been forfeited
A singular feature of the case was that
jerks had found young woman who
moved in the best social circles, Miss
Ellen Graham, to marry him. A pri-
vate wedding had taken place a few
days before the day set for the groom's
trial, and the couple had gone on a
wedding journey. 'This," remarked
the facetlous reporter, twas certainly
preferable to court ceremonies. fol
lowed by a journey to the peniten.
tiary."
There was a mystery. and l am a
woman. The consequence was inevi-
table. put on my walking costume
and went out to satisfy my curiosity.
felt assured that the person most
likely to give me the inside Of the
case was the crooks lawyer / noted
his name as given In the article and
called on him, telling him that l was
a friend Of Miss Graham and / should
be obliged IL he would tell me how
she had come TO demean herself by
marrying a confidence man. The law
yer smiled, invited me TO be seated and
told me the following strange happen
ing:
zone day Edward jerks, who was a
resident OF another city, came to town
late at night during a political conven.
ton and finding all the better class
Of hotels full was obliged to seek a
nights lodging at a cheap house. He
went TO bed, and an hour later was
awakened by a knock at his door.
Opening It In walked several men. one
OF whom ordered him TO put on his
clothes and come along. No explana
tlon was given him. when he took
up his clothes to put them on he was
astonished TO see that they were en-
tirely different from those he had TAX.
en- on. His protest that they were not
his own produced no effect upon his
captors, and he was ordered to put on
the clothes. which fitted him indlrfer'
emily. One OF the men rlfed the pock.
cts and took out several letters ad-
dressed to Edward jerks. Then the
prisoner was handcuffed, marched to
the police station and locked up.
1.-THE next morning jerks. who was
engaged to Miss Graham and whom
he had come TO town TO see with a
view 20 arranging for their wedding
sent for her father to come TO the jail
at once. When Mr.. Graham saw his
sonin-law TO be and learned that the
police had long been looking for him
he was profoundly affected. Hii
daughter had met jerks while travel
ing abroad, and the acquaintance be
| tween the two families had been short
jerks putting up at q cheap hotel, hi
apparel, the letters found in hi
pocket which plainly proved that h
was working certain confidence games
was too much for the old mans faith
He turned on his heel and left the jail
"Jenks sent for me and told me tn
story as far as have told il to you
| told him that the first thing to d
was 10 get bail. This was done Jenk
went to a clothing store, where h.
bought a new outfit and came TO my OF
fice. can tell a gentleman from
crook very easily, and / knew tina
some mistake had been made I'm jerks
case. But before we attempted {
solve the mystery my client insiste
that I go 70 his fancee and induc
her to come and meet him In my Office
she did so. and the two were brough
together in this room. jerks was nc
long in convincing her that som
strange coincidence had happened {
him, and she was much affected at hi
position. She went home thinking tha
she could bring her father to her ow
views, but she failed. She was FOL
hidden TO see jerks again.
''The evidence against the accuse
was so strong thar I saw no hope {
clearing him. was convinced that /
had been made a victim of some rai
caiity, but l couldn't explain II. Bot
he and Miss Graham were in so deplo
able a condition Of mind that l fea
ed one or both would break down nj
: der the strain. dreaded the wear an
, tear Of trial for both Of them, and
= didn't see how I could get jerks OF
/ at least not without spending montl
! IN hunting up evidence, and then no
E is any one going to tell how a jui
viii decide any question?
"A few days before the trial ! pr
/ posed a plan that was a. great reli
! 70 both the lovers. Marry. l said, 4
I abroad on your wedding trip
"They jumped at the suggestio
were married secretly and under @
Bumed names sailed for Europe. Jen
left the money TO reimburse the Il
p feiture OF his bail.
"a long while afterward ] learn
r. the explanation. The night jerks ste
le ped at the hotel where he was ARE
Of ed a hunted crook Of the same nar
a entered the house and saw his oN
E, name on the register. He took roo
~ but went to jerks room. turned {
key with a pair OF tweezers and Il
his clothes in jerks room. TAXI
"a Jenl1s'. Then he telephoned the pol
a that they would find the man tn
Is wanted at the - hotel"
c. As soon as the bride and gros
s. could be found I called on my {
G friend and heard the story from |
II own lips.
ia JUVENILE COURT CASES.