Norwich bulletin., 1918-02-04
NORWICH MAN HELD /
 FOR WHITE SLAVERY
George ". Vars Tells of His Actions
 With Fifteen Year Old Girl.

| George w. Vars, aged S4. well known as 3 fish peddler and as cap- tain of the small steamer Howard, and also as master of different smaller boats. was arrested late Friday after noon charged with violation of the Mann white slave act. and lodged in the Franklin Street iail at New I4on- don, pending a hearing.
 |. At 10 o'clock Saturday forenoon he was brought before United States Commissioner Frank L, McGuire, His counsel, Perry HolAndersky, waived examination and Commissioner Mo Guire held the accused for the federal court under bonds of s15,0Oe. United States Marshay Bishop took him back to jail where he will remain until the | next session of the federal court. | The case is one of the most revolt Ing that has come to the attention of the authorities in many years Off, 1 cers William E. Jackson and Edward
 J. Hilkey made the arrest and after six hours work procured from Vars
 a signed statement regarding his &C., tons with one Marion Long, at pres
 ent only 15 years old, and with a
 woman named Marion Corey. No
 testimony was offered at the hearing
 Saturday forenoon, but Vars signed
 statement contains. among other more vicious admissions, the following:
 am 34 years old, wae born in
 Norwich, now reside in khe Harris
 building, New London I have held
 a license as master and pilot of ves- sels for 12 years and have been on the water since the age of g.
 T was married to Caroline Mellow
 at Westerly, R. I, July 17, 1901, and we lived together for 12 years. She
 then obtained a divorce from me on
 grounds of adultery. The woman iD
 the case was Marion Corey of Nor wich, divorced wife of John Corey We went. to New London and lived
 on launch
 Corey woman and I were aboard the
 steamer Howard at Providence, we
 answered an advertisement by a MT
 and Mrs, Sidney Long for someone
 to adopt a healthy 12 years old girl
 The girls mother had died and Mir
 Long brought along . woman named Rosa Schofield. They showed tht party over the boat and the girl sait
 she thought she would like to liv.
 on the boat.
 F. On Auri 8. 1918. Mrs. Corey Ross !, Schofeld; Sidney Long, the girl ant
 myself went to the Providence cit, hall, where I stated that Mrs. Core! was my wife and also told the pro
 bate judge that we were married. Tn child was. then legally adopted an, , 1 we returned to the boat.
 , Following this recital the statemen r goes on to tell about immoral rela , tions both with Mrs. Corey and witl { the girl in Rhode Island, Connection
 and New York.
 Il In 1917 while Vars was without 7 toat and was bedding fish betweel . Norwich and New London the gir
 was living with his father. and at
 tended the WontViile school She wa tknoWn as Marion Vars. Tha illici relations were continued during al 3 the period of. his Acquaintance witt her. FIe raid & a week for her boar while st Monttille. . About February, 1s17, his mothe said that stories were being cireu lated by Vars father regarding hi relations with the girl and she advise
 him to marry her. Meanwhile Mariol
 Corey deserted him while in Ney f York. going away with some othe : nan.
 On Sept, 5. 1917. he got Long an !; the Schofield woman to go to Ney $ London from Providence in order 1 e give their consent to the nnarriaxe 0 i: the girl. He met them at the Uniel f depot, and they went to the Ney London city hall. where they told tn
 town clerk that the girl was tn ? daughter of Mrs. Sidney Long. both c : whom gave their consent to the mar q riaEe. They obtained the license, an I "A aR Ryo~