The Topeka state journal., 1919-12-01
Walter O'MalIey Found in
Room With "Gift Wife,,
Meager Description Fits Daring
Robber, Police Assert.
INTO HOUSES SELLING POLISH
"White Slave" Charge If Bur-
glary Isn't Proven, Claim.
Girfs Husband Recently Freed
From Desertion Warrant.

In the arrest of Walter O'Malley.
found in a room Friday night at 1923
Kansas avenue with Margaret Wright,
alleged "gift wife, George G. Han
he believed he had captured Topeka s
pants thief.
O'Malley, Hannah said, fits the
meager descriptions of the man who
robbed at least a hundred homes in
Topeka in the last two or three
months.
O'Malley's only means of support,
according to the chief, was selling fur
niture polish. which, the chief says,
was never sold.
If O'Malley is the man who relieved
| Topeka's male citizens of the money
! in their pockets, Margaret Wright,
whom he says he accepted as a gift
| from her husband. George Wright
doesn't know a thing about it, the
chief said
Yet she admits that O'Malley often
left the house at night and returned a
few hours later with his pockets filled
with money" Hannah declared today
Failed to Sell Polish.
O'MalIey, the chief stated, claimed
that he made living selling furniture
polish. which he made himself. The
attempts to sell the polish which took
him into the homes of hundreds o1
/ Topeka households, always failed. the
chief stated, but at the same time he
declared O'Malley had an excellent op-
portunity to learn the location of bed
rooms, windows and doors and the
locks on the front doors which wers
used, generally, by the pants thief il
Ieffecting an entrance.
Under cross examination this morn
ing O'Malley broke down and con
fessed that he had served time in {
western penitentiary for robbing {
postoffice, the chief stated. O'Malle.
has drifted in and out of Topeka fo
/ the last three years, according to tn
/ chief, and claimed to make his livint
by either selling furniture polish o
telling fortunes.
Attempt at Identification.
Chief Hannah requested a numbe
of the pants thiefs victims, whit
> caught a heeting glimpse of the mys
terious man, to call at police head
quarters and endeavor to identif.
O'Maliey.
If the police fail in their attemp
to prove O'Malley to be the pant
thief they plan to instigate whit
slavery" proceedings against him as ;
result of his alleged action of accepting
another mans wife as a gift.
Margaret Wright, the gift wife, i
a 17-year-old girl who told police of
ficers that she accepted literally tn
love, honor and obey clause of tn
marriage ceremony.
He was my husband and I had T.
do as he said" she told police officer
in explaining the reason why sh
obeyed her husband and went to liv'
with O'Malley after she had been givel
|, away.
He has deserted me four times.
said the girl wife today, "and the las
time he came back he talked will
O'Malley. After staying at home on
night told me to go with O'Malley.
Husband Saw Trouble.
eth get me in trouble If you don't.
; my husband told me. "as they want m
for wife desertion now and If your
living with another man I can ge
away with it,
, The girl stated that she and her 8
month old baby had been living will
|, O'Malley for the last month. Wright
the husband. was freed from a wifi
desertion charge week ago when
was proved that his wife and child ha,
disappeared.
An effort is being made by authori
ties to start a dual prosecution from
the girls statement. They woul'
prosecute O'Malley for white SLAYER,
and Wright for wife desertion. Tn
, girl and her baby are at the Providen
| aSsOcia ton