The Van Buren press., 1873-06-17
in their opinion granting Stokss new
A FIRST.CLAss SENSATION.
Bold and Daring Crime.
Bigamy and kidnapping,
Fayetteville News. June III

Our town was the scene of q daring outrage
shortly after dark last Sunday evening. which
rather climbs over the usual sensations of the Ar
kansas border man named NJ. La Rue Iiarri-
son. who has made himself rather notorious in this
seotion kidnapped his little child, Grace, in the
presence Of its mother and escaped from the State
The child is only three years old, aud has been
assigned to the care of its mother during the pen
dency of divorce suit now on the docket Of the
circuit court Of Washington county.
harrison arrived in town Sunday morning, II 10
believed fer the purpose cf getting the child, bu.
declared repeatedly during the day that he would
not take it from its mother Directly after dark
he procured buggy from Messrs. Beatty & Brs..
for the purpose of going to Bentonyille and soon
after appeared at the house of Maj Botefuhr where
his wife and child had been decoyed and asked
to the child, Relying upon his word the
mother permitted him to take the child up III his
arms and almost immediately the buggy WAS
driven up by his son. Willie Harrison. when La
Rue started toward it, and sprnging in it with
the screaming child still in his arms. drove rapid
" off, The mother tainted away, and lay in con.
vusions for some hours before she could be quiet
ed. The screams Of the agcnised mother and her
friends aroused the ghborhood. and the news
Of the outrage soon spread over the town. Upon
the application Of .. W Walker. counsel for Mrs
Harrison, Judge Ham, who lives near the scene of
the outrage, issued writ of hdbeas corpus for
the child, and q warrant for the arrest OF La Rue.
on the charge of kidnapping and in short time
officers were in pursuit as vel! as number OF in
dgnant citizens. BY the advice Of Harrison s &C, ,
con plices in town. who assumed an excess of zeal
in behalf Of the outraged mother the officers were
thrown of their guard, and the kidnapper escaped
the State.
The said NJ La Rue Harrison came TO Arkansas
during the war. Having raised a giment of cav
airy in Southwest Missouri, which, being largely
composed of Arkansas boys who had beea driven
out Of the State by the confederate conscript law.
the regiment was from that cause called the First
Arkansas Cavalry. During the war he married
Mrs Medora Jernigsn of Springfield, Mo-. alsdy
of considerable property. daughter by the name
VI Grace was born Of this union. About two years
ago, owing to some disagreement, the parties sep.
arated, and suit for divorce was instituted by
the wife. At the March term of the circuit court
of Washington county, on the 29tk day, 1872, the
following order was made part of the record:
Medorn Harrison
NJ La Rue Harrson\
Comes on this day, the said plaintiff by
her counsel, and files her bill for divorce and ali.
imony, and for the custody of the child, Grace, Of
the said parties. And, thereupon on the motion
Of the said plaintiff it is ordered and adjudged by
the court that the said defendant be required TO
pay to said plaintiff the sum of fifty dollars per
month, payable quarterly and further, that the
said plaintiff until the further order Of this court
shall have TIE and custody Of the child Grace,
mentioned in said bill.
The said N La Rue Harrison has neglected and
failed to comply with the above decree so far as
the payment Of the alimony is concerned, but the
wife has not been heretofore disturbed in the Gus
tody and care OF the child, which 10 Of such tender
years as to absolutely require the attention of its
mother.
La Rue claims to have divorce from some court
in New York or Indiana, giving him the custody
Of the child, and it is said has agar" married. At
the time OF the commencement of the divorce suit
in the circuit court Of Washington county, La Rue
Harrison was served with notice, and did not
at that time pretend to be resident citizen of
any other place or State. In fact last MAY his
friends here were urging him, and he was seeking
the position of State Superintendent of Public In.
struction. He has held for some two years 70
sition in the United States Post Office Department
and is now, we learn. attached to the money order
system. If it be true (and it is confidently as
serted that he has again married, he is guilty OF
bigamy, as he has never been divorced by court
having the power to sever the uatrimon nia tie and
it would be well for the papers IN the North and
East to give the villain an airing.
Under the statutes o. this State, the removal OF
the child from the custody of its mother after it
had been decreed to her by the court, isa felony,
punishable by incarc Grafton in the pertentiary,
aud writ is now in the hands of the officers OF
the law for his persen, whenever he shall dare to
put his feet within the limits Of Arkansas.