The Washington times., 1920-04-11
Cothron's Girl Wife
Says Husband Droue
Her to Life of Shame
Continued from First PsSs.)

y
depths OF immortality and crime.
II was a good girl. the daughter
OF a loving mother, when i met my
husband. ! was happy TO be married.
am pleading with God TO protect
me and give me another chance" the
girl cried. ~ was wronged by an
unscrupulous man. 1 was too young
to know any better"
Grace Clark eloped and married
Clarence Marion Cothron March 10,
1918. at Titusyille. Fla Her mother
lives at Miami. Fla. and IL was there
that she was reared and received her
early schooling. She was but sixteen
years old when she eloped with
Cothron, and her mothe had him ar
rested for perjury, but as the daugh-
ter had stated she was eighteen when
the marriage license was issued. the
court would not shatter the romance
OF the young couple. Cothron was
twenty-one years old on the day OF
their marriage.
Arrested In Florida.
Following a series of revolving
crimes. Cothron and his girl wife
were arrested In FloriA, where they
had fled, leaving q trafl OF two known
murders, q KIDNAPPING of little girl.
and a series OF robberies OF married
men from Florida to Coney Island,
N. Y. They were taken to Baltimore
by Headquarters Detectives Peter b.
Bradley and Joseph Dougherty Of the
Monumental City. .-.
A month ago Cothron was convict
ed Of one OF the murders-the killing
Of John T. Weldon. negro chauffeur
Of Philadelphia-and he Is serving
life Imprisonment in the Maryland
penitentiary for the crime. The jury,
which also tried the girl. pitied her
and she was exonerated, but yester.
day she was convicted in the criminal
court Of Baltimore by Judge Bond
for the KIDNAPPING OF Mamie Groscup,
eleven years old. Sentence has been
suspended, pending arguments for q
new trial.
So certain is States Attorney Daw-
son. OF Montgomery county, that he
will be able to convict Cothron and
the girl for the murder In; that county
last June of Homer Jones, Baltimore
negro chauffeur, who was, lured to q
secluded spot in Montgomery county
and shot to death, that tomorrow he
will ash Judges Peters and Worthing-
ton to issue writs Of habeas corpus
for both Cothron and the young wife
to be brought to Rockville and tried.
With the conviction OF Cothron In
Montgomery county, 1t Is believed he
will be given the death penalty for
the brutal murder OF Jones. who. after
having being shot to death. was rob-
bed not only OF money he had In his
pockets, but his automobile, which
Cothron and another man, who ac-
companied him on the mission of
crime. sold in Atlantic City.
Claims Plan to Rob Bank.
Not only will States Attorney Daw-
son insist that Cothron. his wife, and
another man, who has not yet been
captured, plotted to lure the chauf-
feur to Laurel to kill him and steal
his automobile, but also planned to
rob the bank there. The girl-wife In
her confession tells of several trips To
Laurel for the sole purpose OF break
ing into the bank and shooting the
cashier to death, IL necessary, to OBJ.
tain the funds ON hand.
States Attorney Dawson is not re-
vealing the evidence he has piled up
against Cothron and his wife. He
stated today he has a strong case to
prove Cothron deliberately planned
the murder Of the Baltimore chauf.
feur. Dawson contends II Cothron is
guilty of such plotting he should be
tried in Montgomery county and
hanged, even though he Is serving q
life-sentence for a murder he is al
legged to have committed in another
county in Maryland.
The "human document" Of the trials
and tribulations Of the woman. the
sworn statements and confession she
made to States Attorney Joshua
nIov
important part in the trial Of Cothron
and his wife when they are brought
to Rockville before Judges Peter and
Worthington. Two of Mr.. Dawson's
star witnesses will be Headquarters
Detectives Bradley and Dougherty, OF
Baltimore, who questioned the couple
following their arrest, and after they
had eluded countrywide search
upon the discovery of the two mur'
ders in Maryland and the kidnapping
Of the Baltimore girl.
Charged With Safe Robbery.
Only a week after Grace Clark, who
Is the daughter of Mrs. Edith Clark
eloped with Cothron, he was arrested
on charges of robbing the safe of the
United Cigar store at Jacksonville
Fla. In telling Of this arrest, the
girl said:
"I went down to the store to see
Clarence. Two men had hold of hin
and Clarence told me he was arrested
for breaking open the safe the night
before. He slept with me the night
before, and I don't believe he was
implicated. They took Clarence dowr
to the Jail and held hi mfor a hearing
the next day.
"when he was brought into the
little court the judge gave me the
eve and tried to flirt with me. HI
put off the case and had my husband
sent to the county Jail. / went ou
riding with the Judge, or justice
of the peace and the jailkeeper.
did this because my husband told me
to talk to the judge and the jailkeep'
er and do everything to get him out
As a result OF these trips, my hus'
band was let out-yet, let out of jai
at night.
Sister Told Her TO Get Money.
"His sister told me TO get some
money.--to get it in any way that
could. as she would show my husband
up because his trouble had cost hei
n lot of money. I gathered a lot o.
money In jacksonville, but Clarence
sister insisted l go out of town an'