Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 June 1902 — YOUNG DOWELL SKIPPED. [ARTICLE]

YOUNG DOWELL SKIPPED.

Clifford Dowell who, as published exclusively in The Democrat last week, was arrested in lowa and brought here to answer a serious charge brought by Miss j Pearl Parker of near Pleasant Ridge, went out to the Parker home last Friday evening with Squire Troxell and the officers; and after talking matters over with Miss Parker for about two hours was united in marriage to her by the Squire. It is claimed ! by friends of the girl that she! was much averse to marrying him,! but that he plead with her and j made great promises of what lie! would do and she finally consent-1 ed for the child’s sake to marry him. Dowell, it seems, however , had other designs, and had no, doubt been advised that a marriage was the easiest way out of the scrape, for he had made arrangements for a man and team to follow the party out to Parker’s,' ancLirithin twenty minutes after tne ceremony made some excuse to leave the house, and evidently went at once to where the rig was in hiding and was driven to some station where he took the train and probably reached home the next day. As soon as his absence was noticed an attempt was made to reach Rensselaer by telephone from Mr. Parker's house, they thinking he had perhaps hurried to Rensselaer to take the midnight train and could be apprehended. But they were unable to receive any response from the central office here and the efforts in this line were unavailing. The phone had been tampered with, it is thought, and thus he was enabled to make his escape. The acts of 1895, page 167, makes desertion of this kind a crime, and as such he can be extradited. The act states that whoever, with intent thereby to escape or avoid prosecution or the consequence thereof, enters into marriage with the female, and who within two years after without just cause, shall abandon his wife, or who shall within such time, cruelly or inhumanly mistreat such wife or fail and neglect to make reasonable provisions for her support, shall be liable to an action for the recovery of a penalty, which in ..o case shall be less than S2OO. Such action may be instituted at any time within three years after such marriage, and shall be instituted iu the name of the stnte 011 the relation of the wife, antj the wife shall not be liable for any costs of the action. Bhould the defendant fail to pay the judgment recovered he shall be jailed for at least one year, or longer at the discretion of the court. It will thus be seen that the offense is quite n serious one and from what information we have been able to get it is likely that young Dowell will be sent | for again, although, there will ! probably be no paiticular hurry I about it, as the charge holds good for three years