Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 August 1884 — A DREADUL SCANDAL. [ARTICLE]

A DREADUL SCANDAL.

Eloped Twice witliin a week. Special, to theCUicugo Daily Nev.is. Logansport, Ind., Aug. 5.—-Mrs. John W. Horton, of Rensselaer, ran away from that place a day or two ago with Mat Henderson, a colored boy preacher, who is now conducting a colored camp meeting in this city. When the couple arrived here they discovered that they were pursued. Henderson remained in the city, but Mrs. Horton went off With another man, whose name is Turpie. They started to Fort W.iyne, Mrs. Horton was the wife of a prominent jeweler [Dentist] in Rensselaer. Our duty ns a chronicler of the news, requires that tl.e lamentable and heart sick<Hiing occurence, alluded to in the above paragraph from the C hicago N ews of yesterday, should receive some attention in these columns. The .Elopement has, of course, been the all absorbing talk of the tdwn ever since its ••ccurence, and while the majority of o'ur people have been, naturally, very slow to believe that a wdman so well known and so generally, respected could have fallen so suddenly and so far, yet the cjirectness and the multiplicity of the evidence against her has forced Conviction into nearly every mind. We give the facts, briefly as possible, and have the statements of many reliable citizens as our autnority for their correctness: Mrs. Horton became acquainted with Mr. Henderson after the latter came here as a member of the colored gamp meeting company, and the story that they were formerly school mates was wholly without truth. They had some conversation at the camp grounds, and, later, at the Cotton house; where Henderson stayed during part of the time of his sojourn here. They also met, accidentally or by appointment, in the cemetery last Thursday afternoon. Soon after this meeting, Mrs. Horton began to talk of visiting her trends in Michigan, and, the next day, claimed to have received a telegram to the effect that her fathet was sick at Union City, Miclligarij and required her presence. She accordingly expressed to her husband a determination to start for that place on the late everilfig tralfi of Friday last. After vainly endeavoring to persuade her to wait and take the early train Saturday morning, which would have been her best and quickest means of reaching the place she proposed to go to, he furnished her with money for her traveling expenses, and jput her on board the 10:33 ■p. m., train, last Friday. Mr. got on the same train. For what is alleged to have occurred subsequently we have the words of many different persons, including Dr. Horton himself, who visited Monon Tuesday afternoon for the purpose of ascer* taming the truth of the matter. It is not necessary or proper to enter into the details of the story further than to say that, as it is told, Henderson and Mrs. Horton occupied the same room over night m the Sehn House, at Monon, Henderson registering as John Crosby and lady, and that in the morning they left the hotel by the back stairs, took the morning train for ; Monticello, and either there or at Monon were joined by- the notorious “Jim” Turpie who . accompanied them to Logansport. At the ilatter'place Henderson deserted the uiihappy woman, and she accordingly took up the company of Turpie and is supposed to be still with him.