Norwich bulletin., 1921-01-05

The two women he married and sub
sequen deserted, leaving each with .
child, testified against Harold Tomas Of
New London In the superior court here
Tuesday afternoon when he was present
ed accused of bigRmy. When they I'M
ished With their recital Of the faithiess
and heartless way he treated them, he
had not peg left on which to hang
hope for 1eniency and Judge Gardiner
Greene quickly pronounced sentence Of
from to years in states prison.
The Tomas case was the last Of the
opening day of the January criminal
term OF. the court and the testimony. OF
the two women was brought into it TO as
sist Judge Greene in deciding upon the
conflicting claims made by State Attorney
Hadlai A. Hull ia prosecuting the man
and by Public Defender Edmund w.
Perkins in speaking for him and bGsing
his remarks upon what the accused big
amist had told him of his marital rela-
lions. The second wife was first called
to the stand to testify but the frs wife
voluntarily followed her on the stand and
made it more certain that the address Of
her faithless husband would be We.herp-
field for some time to come.
When put TO plea on the bigsmy charge
Tomas said he was guilty and Major Huh
In statement made on behalf of Lo-
mas, Attorney Perkins, who was acting
as public defender in place Of State Sem
ator Allyn L. Brown. who was in Hart
| ford for the opening Of the legislature,
| asked for a moderate Jail sentence for
Tomas. According to what the accused
| had told him, said Attorney Perkins, Le-
mas had married in 1915 at Cambridge
| Mass, at that time being in the navy,
I IL
| she left him. He established a home
! again and lived with her and on one oc.
cesion overstayed his leave at her so
licitation and was tried as a desertei
from the navy, serving a term at Ports
! mouth. Later he served for two years
on the battleship Baltimore and when hS
had not seen his wife for the space oil
I three years, ne believed she did not wan
him to see her any more. When Iona.
met the second girl in New London h
considered that everything was broken of
forever with his first wife and he mar
ried the second girl and subsequent,
/ went TO NeY York,
/ Major Hull said that he was forced I,
disagree with the public defender for h
considered Tomas had committed a yer!
Il serious offense. He had never supported
his first wife. had deserted her and he
child. and had likewise deserted his New
i London wife and her child. Tomas. sal,
Mr.. Hull, was an able-bodied man bu
don't like to work. The state attorne.
; said he thought substantial sentenc
oughtrto be given.
Judge Greene remarked that the cour
found st difficult, in view of such con
fiic:ing claims and not having heard tn
evidence, to pass Judgment and sentenc
in the case. At the suggestion Of Publ
; Defender Perkins, the second womal
whom Tomas married was called to tn
| stand to testify.
She said that her maiden name wa
Mary A. Cullen and that she first me
, Tomas at Ocean Beach where she wa
2 introduced to him on July II. 1918. The
J were married Feb. IL, 1919, and thei
child was born Aug. 3, 1919. Tomas de
serted .her. she said, on Aug. il, Will
she was still in the hospital, and she
now living in Summit, n. ]. He ha
told her he was single From the tim
when he deserted her she did not see hir
again till last November when she haT
, pened TO see him on Amsterdam avenu
in New York city. She watched tn
house where he went and when she wa
sure IL was Tomas. she sent word I
:; the New London police and the man wa
arrested on Nov. % and brought to Ne
Lo1don. She said she had no furthl
affection for him and she asked that HI
boys name be changed so that he woul
bear her name instead of the father
The first wife was also in court an
came forward at this point to add hi
testimony. She said her maiden nan