His next wife was a girl whose name was believed to be Maria v. del Refugio, 
writes L. Boyd Finch, the author of the journal article. New Mexico’s delegate 
to Washington, Miguel Otero, was bothered by the union. He “declared that the 
bride was twelve years old,” Finch writes, “and that Jones had ‘abducted’ her.” 
Otero petitioned President James Buchanan to fire Jones for the moral failing, 
but Jones resigned instead.