Arizona republican., 1920-02-01
TRIAL MARRIAGE OF
 VET AND GIRL ENDS
 IN FEDERAL CHARGE

W ILULIIHL UIIHllOL
 me series of tragic events that have
 .oiIoWed her coming to this country
 rom England with Henry O'Brien
 former British soldier, reached a climax
 yesterday when pretty Vera Mort, war
 Norker overseas, was placed in the
 Woman's cell of the county jail charged
 Jolntly with OBrien with violation of
 the Mann act.
 mat the federal authorities who
 made an investigation of the case will tali the matter to the attention of the inimlSra tion officers with view of de- pcrtlng OBrien and the girl, was the information given out officially and which reached Miss Mort
 IT they send me back to England WiIl jump overheard. I am not afraid to die l have pluck she declared.
 me idea of returning to England is aiso unpleasant to O'Brien, who claims mat the only reason he has not married Ills 19-year-old companion, is that she refused to marry him. Her idea was trial marriage of six months, which, II satisfactory to both, should end in marriage service, he says.
 The arrest of the man and woman followed an investigation by Frank $. smith, special agent of the department or justice, after the shooting of O'Brien III Wickenburg on January 13, by Dr. Ihomas Francis Campbell, 6Oyear-old .admirer of the girl, who declares him
 'Quite mad"
 O'Brien was out of the hospital but a few days when the arrest was made ny Fred Weage. deputy U. $. marshal, who brought the couple to Phoenix rom Wickenburg, where they posed as relatives
 Campbell, who was recently examined before the county health physician and court on an insanity complaint and was adjudged sane, is said by the girl 10 have frightened her to death.'' She insists that he shot O'Brien to get him out of the way and says she will so testify at the preliminary hearing of Campbell on the charge of assault with intent to commit murder, which will be held on Monday.
 The central figure in the tragedy is m unusually good-looking girl. wce |, as an artists model in London before the war. She was greatly disturbed over her arrest and refused to eat even a morsel of food yesterday. While she seemed to appreciate the efforts of the officials to make her as comfort able as possible under the circum- stances. she declined to accept their offers for removal from her cell to one of the other county institutions.
 T don't want to go back to England, . was her cry. London is upside down and there isn't a good woman there. I want to stay in America"
 Despite her experience. the English girl has ali the confidence in the world in people and her greatest faith, she says, is in the man who is alleged to have wronged her the greatest.
 Mir. O'Brien begged me to marry him. but my mother was unhappy in her married life and always advised me Eever to marry. I asked OBrien, whom respect as a brother, to bring me at 0f ssi lS ] I cared for him I promised I would 1 marry him. I don't know whether I l love him or not. but do know. that he | only did what 1 asked him to-
 Miss Mort declares that she was too 1 innocent; that she was not taught the l of life as she should have been N hen a real young girl. .-
 Although she declares she was inno- | cent of life, she admits that she has had scores Of admirers In London. she | said, there were many men who loved her. and on the boat coming over she tI claims to have had four proposals. one | from a poet. who delighted in kissing Il the hem of her gown, whom she thought a bit mad.
 She was in Wickenburg only three days before pr. Campbell asked her l. to be his wife, the girl asserted yester- day.
 Sixty years old-just fancy, He Il frightened me to death. He says he is my cousin. but I certainly hope he isnt.' she said.
 When he asked her to marry <im, she said, Dr. Campbell protested that if she would only be his wife for a short inc he would introduce her to a mill hcnaire and then divorce herNin order tha tt she might marry money.
 T thought him insane, of course" he girl declared.
 She is seeing no one unless they come |, ith an order from the government of ficia1s. She would much prefer not having callers. although she would en- joy something good to read, the girl said. Il
 She said she does not car for light fiction. but prefers the substantial English novelists. The only book she brought with her was Of poems and ,ressed violets marked the pages ID which were her favorite poems-by Ella Wheeler Wilcox. O'Brien. whose cell is below the 3irIs, is greatly concerned over her ,rrest. He was denied permission to tee her. but sent her messages during | Ee day through the officers.
 T wanted to marry her over there, ut she refused to marry me. She lad romantic ideas of this country: as keen to come west and to Mexico nd urged me to bring her. thought hen I got her away from her many in London, for there were ome half dozen men anxious to marry er that I would stand better chance Fe came. She refused to marry me,