The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-02-18

She went to ride with major and his wife and a colonel. He consented to this, but told her to return before night. She did not come until two hours after dark. Virgil said that when she did not return at the appointed hour he secured the hills and was wor- ried greatly. Finally the party came into camp and said that it had lost the way
 This disappointment caused him to take her severely to task about the matter. She enlarged upon the affair and reported it to some of the off cers and so he was placed under ar rest. do not know what was the charge, but perhaps it was cruelty. Not liking the conditions that prevailed there, he gave her transportation and sent her home to Birmingham
 Upon her arrival here, she sent him a telegram telling of her safe ar rival and signed it, Lovingly, Maude.' He attempted a reconciliation through letters but she did not answer any of them. He then wrote me to look into the matter and asked that I do what I could
 "VrgiHs mother has been in very serious condition and he knew of this His wife had gone into the courts and would not answer any of his endear- ing letters In such a state of mind he arrived at the determination to come to Birmingham for he said that he knew he could fix up matters If he could see Maude again. The off cers knew that he intended to leave but could not officially make it known. He was so desperate that he got in an automobile at Nogales at o'clock at night and drove 75 miles in that wild country to Tucson that he might catch the first train to Birmingham
 "Desertion was not his intention for until man has been gone 10 days he cannot be a deserter. Furthermore. shortly after he arrived here Thursday afternoon he sent a telegram to the commanding officer telling him that he was in Birmingham and that he desired a 30-day leave. Had he waited for formal leave his mother might have been dead from hemorrhages. have never seen a man in greater here Thursday
 Statements that he was sent to Birmingham in the custody of the chief of police are untrue
 Despite his efforts, no reconcilia- ton was effected. for he was never permitted to see his wife. He was not cruel to her. and was good enough to her while she was at Nogales to even cook her meals all the time The only thing she ever did was to wash the dishes"
 It will be recalled that the mar
 riaGe of Virgil Roach to Miss
 Maude schoolar. pretty 1S-year-
 old girl. was one of the most wide
 ly talked of romances during the
 mobilization of troops. The cruel
 separation of the young couple
 caused by the war was painted in
 appealing words by the writers of
 the newspapers fin Birmingham
 and many pictures of the two.
 looking at each other with soulful
 glnnces, were printed.
 The version of the shattered martial ana martial romance, as told by Mrs. M. c. Scholar is in contravention to that recounted by MT. Roach.
 It was only upon his (Roach's) in- sistence that Maude went to Nogales l 10 join her husband" said Mrs School | IT, Finally, on December g. he wired | 1er to come to Nogales and she did so l
 lhe army life was rough and the | environment was not suited to a girl | 'f tender years. and he did not treat | Ter well. He had high, unmana gable | emper and was cruel to her. The trou- | 'Ies came to a climax when Maude l vent to ride with a major and his wife. The three of them were lost in | he hills that surround Nogales and | 'ld not ind the camp until night Of | curse, she could not prevent this.
 He became enraged at this. He 1nally sent her to Birmingham and l when she arrived here she immediate y filed her suit. I am sure that there | will be no difficulty in getting this 'n the grounds of cruelty.
 He had been under arrest for six | charges and, according to let ] CTS that are in our possession. there | s no doubt but that he intended to | iesert I cannot understand it. but [ | uppose that the several weeks in the | Lrmy service ruined him, for until he l vent into the army he seemed to be | real nice boy. At one time he was Q cruel to Maude that the other men the camp threatened him.
 It IS indeed an awful situation" Gn