Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 February 1908 — DESERTED WIFE, NOW IN JAIL [ARTICLE]

DESERTED WIFE, NOW IN JAIL

Frank Biddle Deserts Wife and Feu Children and Depity Sheriff Joe O’Connor Captures Bin. Through the efforts of his abandoned wife, Frank Biddle was captured Sunday and brought to Rensselaer to answer to a charge of wife desertion.* —— Biddle was married in Remington 17 years ago and lived with his wife until last July, when he left her and his four children in the most Impoverished circumstancse and went to Lar fayette in search of work. Since that time he has not written to them nor contributed to their support. Mrs. Biddle learned where he was employed and Saturday night she telephoned the authorities here. Sunday morning deputy sheriff Joe O’Connor went to Lafayette and with Jas. Kirkpatrick, deputy - sheriff of Tippecanoe county, arrested Biddle, who was working on a ranch near there. Biddle innocently asked permission, to go into an upstairs room and put hliworking clothes in a grip. Joe gave his consent and the fellow following the line of least resistance jumped out tof the upstairs window into a snow bank and started across the fields for town. Joe waited a reasonable length of time for the fallow to pack his grip and at last becoming suspicious he entered the room and discovered the fellow’s manner of exit. He left the same way Biddle did, and calling Kirkpatrick, started in pursuit The chase led over a hill, across a marsh and through a creek, wading in water up to their knees and at last they came in gunshot of him just as he was crossing a stream on a fallen tree. Joe stopped him with his gun and after he had been handcuffed a search of his clothing revealed a loaded revolver which, presumably, he had not intended to use. He was brought back on the milk train Monday and lodged in jail hei-e. His trial is set for next Monday.