The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1924-05-08
FORGER ASKS
FOR CIEMENCY
Man of Many Wives Asks
District Attorney for
Recommendation.
UP TO BOARD In JUNE
Claims Wife No. 2 and Baby
Here in Kenosha Need
His Support at Once.
UP TO BOARD IN JUNE


serving two year sentence in Waupun
on charge of forgery, today made
application for a parole. District At
torney Morris Barnett is in receipt of
letter from Waldron asking for his
favorable recommendation of the ap-
plication.
The application will be forwarded
to Kenosha early in June it was stat
ed. Mr.. Barnett replied that he would
take the matter under advisement and
act upon it at that time.
In his letter Waldron pleaded for
his liberty, declaring that his wife and
baby needed his help, and that while
in prison he is only able to send them
from $3.50 to $500 month. He stat
ed that he wants to make fresh
start. Investigation shows that his
wife is receiving aid from the city
at the present time.
WaldrOn a Character.
Waldron, officials say, is one of the
most unique police characters that
ever came to their notice. A man of
prepossessing appearance, a fluent
conversationalist, who could mention
thousands of dollars as glibly as a
few cents, who defed several attorneys
and refused to plead guilty to the
forgery charge upon which he was
arrested, who claimed intimate ac-
quaintance with the governors of sew
eral states, and who, when confronted
with an army of folks who knew him
personally, denied ever having seen
| any of them, capped the climax when
he refused to recognize his first wife.
His record here dates back to the
early months of 1920. 1t was in 1919
that he first met Edelle Peters at
watering place in Michigan. Follow
ing her return here he laid down a
barrage of letters and kilograms. Then
! he followed up these with a personal
appearance when he drove into town
in a high powered roadster, and a
string of prayer beads.
A few months later he obtained en-
p1oyment with railroad and by this
time had "sold" himself to the girl
so thoroughly that she consented to
elope to Chicago with him.
Too Busy to Marry.
Once in Chicago, the girl later told
officials here, Waldron developed a
mania for work. From day to day he
missed the appointment with the priest
on the grounds that he was too busy
to take time off to get married.
y Then he was transferred by the rail-
road to Ogden, Utah. The girl went
with him, and while in the west sue
ceeded in getting him to go through a
ceremony. Early in 1921 the wife re-
turned to her family here in Kenosha,
and few weeks later became mother.
Family ties seemed to gall Waldron.
Investigation later showed that while
the wife was at home with the baby,
he was down at the beach paying court
to another girl, telling stunning
stories of wealth and affluence. In
the fall of 1921 he suddenly disap-
peared, leaving his wife here. With
him disappeared the girl whom he had
been counting while the wife remained
at home with the baby.
Wife No. Has Baby.
In the fall of 1922 the girl came
back to Kenosha and shortly after be-
came mother It was not until Janu-
airy 6, of 1923 that Waldron, under
cover of darkness slipped into town.
|
custody, and lodged in the county jail.
Since July 80, of 1921, forged check
had been held by the police. 1t was
pay check upon the James Cape and
Sons Construction company, which
laid the Main street pavement. 1t was
made out for $34 and had been cashed
by Frank Kelly at he Dewey Hardware
company. He was charged with forgery.
Wife No. I, who had been deserted
here, heard that her mate was in the
| jail, and paid him a visit. He looked
at her calmly and dispassionately de-
MED that he had ever seen her before.
She Immediately brought members of
her family to identify him, and still
he refused to admit having ever seen
any of them.
1t was then that she confded to Mrs.
Fred Pabst, that an examination of his
chest would show certain moles and
scars. The sheriff stripped the prison
er to the waist and found the moles
and scars that had been predicted.
Still he laughed and denied having
ever seen that woman"
Mentions Big Names.
Shortly after his arrest> he began a
campaign of "highbrowing the jail
1 officials. He mentioned casually the
names of men which appear regularly
on the front pages of the papers. He
knew them intimately, he said. He
announced that they might set his bail
4 just as high as they chose, $4,000 or
| $50 900, it would be all the same to
him. A low bail was fixed but the
weeks dragged into months and he
failed to raise it. Attorneys talked
| to him, and after hearing the case
urged him to plead guilty, but this
| he refused to do.
4 At last the case went to trial last
I July, and he was found guilty. Wife
/ No. L got divorce on the grounds
that the year which is required be-
| tween her first divorce and her marri-
/ age with Waldron, had not elapsed
1 Meanwhile Wife No. 2 is living with
her parents here in Kenosha and anxi-
ously awaiting the tipe when her hus-
band will be released. She has stood
/ by him through the dark days.