El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-06-13
BURKE HELD TO
THE GRAND JURY
Is Bound Over Under $500
Bond; J. B. Watson Tells
of Transaction.

Robert j. Burke, indicted Tuesday bv
the grand jury on G charge of bigamy,
after preliminary hearing before JUS
tiee E B. 1lcCHntock. Wednesday aft
ernoon, was held to the grand Jury on
a charge of forgery, on a $500 bond. It
vas alleged that Burke had obtained
S65 from John B. Watson, IN whose en-
pi0v ne was for a time. on a check to
which he had signed the name Of Nary
J. Burke
Burke said he was Just 20 years Of
age. He declared that he thought he
could arrange the matter Of furnish
ing a bond through his mothers people,
who lived in California He stated that
his mothers name was Airs. p. Lyons;
that she is now married a third time,
and is a resident in Sawtelle, Calf, al
which place 1t Is said Burke has a wife
and child.
Burke emphatieally denied that he
had two wives. He said that he was
married to Halle s. Paw6ett in Fl
Paso On June 1, and that prior to the
ceremony his people in California were
acquainted with the fact of his ap-
preaching marriage. There Is absO-
lutelY nothing to the story about nv
having another WIFE Burke said. He
also denied the report that he had at
tempted to commit suicide last week ID
the county Jail.
John 3. Watson by whom Burke was
employed at one time. and from whom
he secured the money on the check,
and Jesse c. Stansel, chief of the city
detective department. who worked up
the case and arrested Burke, were the
only witnesses called by the state
Mr.. Watson said; "The defendant
started TO work for me about the middle
of April and worked for me until May
Is. he gave il out that he was from
California. His work was satisfactory
He told me he had check from his
mother. I looked it over. and thought
it quite plausible that he should have
received a check from his mother, 50
cashed 1t for him. ! thought no more
about it until noon that dav, when the
report came to me that this man had
left the store, and it was reported thas
he was sick. The next day ne failed to
come TO work Upon inquiry at the
place where he lived / found he had
left town. I deposited the check in the
usual way of business, and in about
four or five days II was returned from
Los Angeles protested.
%To the best Of nv recollection it
was signed bv Mary J. Burke. and made
PAYABLE to Edward j. Burke. and it
was endorsed by Edward J. Burke.
sThe next time [ saw the defendant
was on Sunday. June .. Although he
came to town Saturday and telcphoned
me that he had returned to town on
learning that the check had been dis
honOre5. giving as his explanation over
the telephone. that his mother had
drawn the check on the wrong bank. but
that he had returned to make it good,
and would settle with me the same day.
''ETe never came that dav. and / called
in Alr. Stansel and gave him the cas-"
Stansel testified as to being called
on the case and making the arrest and
said. after arrest, Burke made a
statement to me in which he said that
Mary J. Burke was a fictitious name.
He said that he had found a lot of
blank checks on Los Angeles banks, and
claimed the check he gave Watson was
made out On one of these blanks. He
has gone under several names.