Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 September 1893 — He Was Loath to Lose The Lovely Widow. [ARTICLE]

He Was Loath to Lose The Lovely Widow.

The following wild wierd tale, concerning parties living near Rensselaer, is given by a Monon correspondent in the Monticello Herald. Our town was set all agog last week by a little episode in which one of our young men figured quite prominently.. The facts as far as ascertained are about as follow; Frank Gochell, the young man mentioned above,, has for the past two years been paying his attentions to a young widow named Martha Lash, and a marriage contract, so it is declared, was entered into between them, but for some reason the marriage was postponed from time to time until the young lady became tired of waiting longer, and on Saturday, Aug. 26th, she wedded a man named Woods of Rensselaer, and went at once to housekeeping about three miles from that; town. But Frank concluded he could not live without her, so he went to Rensselaer on the following Thursday evening and hiring a livery team drove to her home. The husband was away with a threshing machine, and Frank induced her to go with him. They drove to Pleasant Ridge and boarded the midnight train came back through Monon to La Fayette, where he induced her to go on to Louisville, he returning. What the future arrangements were is not known, but she stopped at Bloomington, where she bad relatives, who at once sent her husband word of her wherabouts. He lost no time in following her and bringing her back. A peace warrant was sworn out and Cochell was arrested, she claiming that Frank had threatened to do her bodily harm, and that she was afraid of him. Frank gave bond to appear before Esq. Jones Saturday, Sept. 9 th, when some racy developements are expected.