The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-12-10
.o|eAaiST GIVEN
F|vE.YEAR Term
u Il. Samnaons, Who Cruelty Married
Virginia Girl After Deserving
Family, Gets Taste OF Justice.

Nottoway. Va. Dec. s.-The De.
cember term of the Nottoway Circuit
Court Is now in session. Judge Robert
G. Southall presiding. and 1t will con.
tinue through next week.
On Tuesday the case OF the Com
monwealth Vs. Cleveland e. Sammoni
was tried. The prisoner plead guilty
to the charge of bigamy and the court
sentenced him to a term Of five years
In the penitentiary.
The accused married Miss Mary e
Labor at Norristown. Pa. on January
IT. 1911, and about a year thereafter
deserted his wife and child. was prose
cuted in the Municipal Court Of Phil.
adelphia for desertion and convicted
left that State and thereby became a
fugitive from justice and came to Vir-
ginia. He secured q position as yard
conductor with the n. & w. Railway
at Crewe. Va, and paid attentions to
Miss Mabelle G. shAnks, . young lady
at Crewe and married her on March
l, 1915.
Tho Philadelphia authorities located
him through the railway organizations
at Crewe and had him arrested on
the charge of desertion Of wife No. l.
1t was thereupon discovered that he
was bigamist and warrant OF ar
rest for bigamy was accordingly Is
sued by Mayor c. r. Wilson. Of Crewe.
and Sammons was sent on to tho grand
jury by the Mayor.
The grand jury indicted him on the
first day OF tho December term. and
his trial was fixed for the second day
Under the law the burden IL on
the Commonwealth to prove tho mar
riage in Pennsylvania. and its validity
as "a II as the marriage in this State
and the identity OF the parties.
II was thought at one time that
Mrs. Sammons No. / would not APP
pear. and that II would be difficult 10
prove that she was alive as we'll as
the other essential facts necessary 10
establish the guilt OF the accused. but
the Commemorative attorney had in
his possession q transcript OF the
statutes OF Pennsylvania on the sub
ject OF marriage under the seal OF the
state OF the secretary OF the Common
wealth and the certificate OF the Gov
ernor Of that State. The record OF
tho Orphans Court OF Norristown
Pa. showing the marriage to Miss
Labor and tho transcript OF the record
in the desertion case all properly
authenticated.
The Commonwealth not being able
TO extradite witnesses could not de-
pend upon the appearance OF Mrs,
Sammons No. /. But . few days ago
she wired that she would be on hand
with her two brothers a. witnesses.
In the face of these accusers the
prisoner asked leave TO enter his
plea of guilt. and the court heard the
evidence.
Eammons made q statement in his
own behalf. stating that he saw an
account OF his wife's death in a Phil
adelphia paper. but upon cross-exAnl-
ination, he admitted that he did not
keep the paper. but left 1t on a train
on his way North.
He could not tell what paper he
said II was in. He further stated that
he heard through Patrick Fleming
and a man named Miller in Philadel-
phia that his wife was dead
Neither Patrick Fleming nor MIL
ler appeared in his behalf,
Mrs. Sammons left for Philadelphia
with her two sbrothers imm ediately
after tho trial. They stayed In Peters
burg and in Richmond at intervals
during the trial
The accused was represented by w
Moncure Gravatt. OF Blackstone. and
the Commonwealth was represented
by Henry r. Lao, of Crewe.