The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1870-05-12
ELOPEMENT EXTRAORDINARY
4 Lotharfan Blacksmith Secures the
Affections Of Another Mans Wife.
They run of and settle in Rock
Island.
HER HUSBAND BRINGS HER BACK.

Many skeletons moulGer, and many con-
sciences gnaw beneath the enamelled sur
face of things, and the individual looks on
and knows nothing of the little comedy or
tragedy, whichever it may be, which is be
ing enacted beneath Ofsueh nature are
facts that have recently come to our care, 10
which certain warm and faithful hearts were
tribulstion. Yet the old round world turns
in space, without regard to the heart fhroes
! of these midges on its periphery anu 'He
other little creatures OF ike nature
look a, the surface, and care not
not for what is passing beneath. The
little town of Rochester, Indiana, contained
besides the usual nu m Der of hum drum viIlag-
ers that abide in place of It's dimensions the
family of John Hunter, man well to do,
with a good looking apparently faithful and
affeetionate spouse. But John Was unaware
of the frailty and instability of the sex under
such divorce law as obtains in Indiana. He
rested secure in the binding nature of his
marital ties, and the inherent faithfulness of
his wife. In the same town, there happened
to live, blacksmith, whose name, by a
strange coincidence, was similar to a certain
1 Gaseous article of commerce, not entirely
/ dlssociated with lager, nor with the nation
which most imbibes it. His name was
Switzer, "a blacksmith BY any other name
would smell" etc. This man Switzer pos
sessed all the manly proportions, breadth of
shoulders, depth of chest and brawniness Of
arm that sppertains to his muscular calling
/ | do not mean tossy that Switzer was strik
/ ingly handsome, but that he happened 20 be
a man. and man of a kind that is most
dangerous among women of kind. he
was adventurous, and had beaten the iron
/ to glowing crescent aud nailed it on a
horse anywhere between the parallels Of
latitude and meridisns of longitude that
form the four boundaries of the United States.
Ii fact Switzer was a 70 yer, and had that
certain air ard dash about him which, as
blacksmith, tndeared him TO Mrs Hunter,
a woman. But certain little difficulties
as one may have already noticed stood in
the way Of their consum mating their wishes
and becoming husband and wife. These
little mpedinents, however, uncomfortable
they may be in Indiana, are yet al obstruc
ton, even there TO wit; the fact that Swiizer
WAS indiss olubly tied to Mrs. Switzer and
sundry little Swi;zers, and Mrs. Hunter vas
bound likewise. But, though proverbially
speaking love is, accused OF levity in the
discussion of locksmiths, vet love bv no
manner Of means, bites his thumb" at
blacksmiths. Like the blacksmith Of
Gretna Green, who dealt ia illicit mar
riege licenses so the blacksmith in this case
took the hereditary aud professional privil.
eye of performing a rite of his own. He
merely took the children and Mr.. Hunters
wife and left Mr. Hunter to console himself
with his own children and his (S~tzers)
wife, on the principle that fair exchange
is no robbery. He at once brought them to
this city, aud fearing pursuit, hid them
away across the river. The heart broken
Hunter commenced wife hunter. and, led by
instinct and Marsh Al Webber and Policemen
pkins and Mnrrin. of this CITY. found
her in that portion Of the fair CITY of Davea
port where nothing but the liquid German
IS spoken and the liquid lager drank He
,old her that his only desire was to take her
back to her parents. He says, moreover,
that he never can live with her sgain. and
asked her slIghtingly and ssrrAsticslv, a. did
Brabantio of his daughter under similar cir
cumstauces, what ''she could see in that
blacksmith To warrant her in running away
from him she returned with her husband,
and left Switzer to hunt for new victims
Meanwhile, Switzer goes unwhipt At las,
accounts his wife was still in Indiana. undi-
vorced, and he is in this place peacefully
shoeing horses. Under the circumstances,
would it not be hospeable for the people of
Rock Island 10 decorate him with the an
cient order OF approved scoundrels, which is
sad to consist of a coating of pine tar
smoothly put on, aud oruanented with
miscellaneous assortment Of the plumes Of
the birds of the air, and to escort him to
the suburbs on triumphant rail.