Evening journal., 1918-10-02
two OF five WIVES
Land JONES IN JAIL
Trail Of Bad Checks Leads
to the Downfall of
Quintagimist
WAS LATELY In
u. S. SERVICE

Howard Lee Jones has committed
matrimony four times too often, ac-
cording to Moses Ryttenberg. Assistant
District Attorney, OF New York, who
caused him to be indicted for bigamy
there yesterday. Jonas has acquired a
grand total of five wives, two Of whom
appeared before the Grand Jury and
testified that they had married him.
Miss Ethel Come Crumb, a pretty
t9-year-Old girl from a socially promi-
nent family in New Orleans, his last
wife, and Miss Marguerite Maxwell,
Cleveland, who preceded her, Joined in
a mutual prosecution Of their husband
who, they learned, had married a Miss
Emanuel, Philadelphia, and Miss Bertha
Simpson, Brookline, prior to their en-
tanglements with him. There is an
other as yet unknown.
Jones is described as a suave, rather
good looking young man, who moved
easily in high" society and, it proved
rather rapidly in higher police circles.
His record OF achievement in each ex-
elusive circle was equally brilliant. He
was wanted by five wives and also by
. 1--WE police chiefs. The chiefs are still
ton, Chicago, Westchester county,
Cleveland and New Orleans. New York
city wanted him, too, and got him.
Jones want list says he has a pen
chant for passing worthless checks, a
practice universally condemned by
flinty-hearted bankers who often cause
the passer to be sought out and prose-
cuted. Il was this that led to the
revelation of his ambitious collection
Of wives He was brought back TO New
York recently for violation Of his pa
role on a suspended sentence for pass
ing a worthless check on a local hotel.
Il was then learned that he had mar
ried five times, neglectlng the formality
OF divorce
He worked his game by getting an
honest Endorsement OF his worthless
checks, Ryttenberg said, and then leav-
ing the vicinity before the checks had
time to return.
In this city, just prior TO his mar
riage TO Miss Crumb, in Briarcliffe
Manor, Westchester county, Jones ac-
cOmpanied his prospective mOther-in-
law, Mrs. Legrande ]. Crumb, to a bank.
While she was cashing a check. he laid
down one for $1,000, but the clerk de-
INJURED, saying that he would not cash
IL without Mrs. Crumbs Endorsement.
you'll indOrse il, won't you, Nom
sey?" he pleaded.
She did. And another one he showed
over for a mere hundred.
Jones said he is the son Of William
B. Jones. an iron manufacturer. OF
Strealor. ILL., The numerical order OF his
brides has not been established further
than that he met the first one when she
was 81 years old, followed to her home,
and waited until she was IS. when he
proposed, was accepted, and married in
1917. Miss Crumb comes next. she
was married in September, 1918.
Jones said he was a graduate OF the
University Of Wisconsin, a material en-
\gineer, and had served as a Captain in
the Canadian army in the 1915 Fland-
ers campaign. He also said that he was
a member Of several country clubs,
one in New Orleans and another in Los
Angeles, and the Whitehall Club, Bat
terry place, New York. .
He will be arraigned on the bigamy
charge before Judge Wadhams today.
Detective Martin. Of headquarters STAFF,
arrested Jones in Wilmington last Fri
day.