San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1879-01-04
S,0appimO Jgtves.


: A very singular story has just come
to the knowledge of persons living in
the neighborhood of Henderson, one Of
the most wealthy and aristocratic sec.
tons OF western Kentucky, aud cor
respondent OF The Cincinnati En-.
quirer, who devoted ten days to au in.
vestigation, has unearthed some aston.
ishing facts. At Robard's Station,
little railroad village fourteen miles
from Henderson. have resided for gen.
erations a family named Arthur. One
of the younger representatives, Math-
CIV Arthur, owned drug store in the
village, and some years ago married his
first cousin, daughter of Emmanuel
Arthur. She was very young then, and
is now only 81 years of age.
Four years since DR.. Brown moved
to Robard's Station from Louisville,
KY, bringing with him remarkably
handsome wife and several children.
They were Hospitality received by the
residents of the village and neighbor-
hood, and being educated people, at
once took prominent position.
Browns practice made him soon init
mate with the Arthurs, and as o conse-
Quence the families became intimate.
Thus matters ran along for three
years or more. Mrs. Brown is about
80 and young Arthur, who is dashing
looking fellow, is about 81. A short
time ago it began to be rumored that
Mrs. Brown and Arthur were very fond
of each other, and the woman did not
attempt to conceal it even from her
husband. Further, and to the great
establishment of all, DR.. Brown did not
seem to object, but paid Mrs. Arthur
the most elaborate attention. Mrs
Arthur alone seems to have been
ignorant Of how matters actually stood,
and, before her friends informed her,
she went with Mrs. Brown to visit sew
eral weeks in Illinois. While there
correspondence was kept up with the
husbands they left behind. Mrs. Ar
hur being poor scribe, persuaded
Mrs. Brown to write her letters from
dictation. 1t transpired now that Mrs.
Brown wrote for herself in her friends
letters, and made love to the husband.
In the meantime the husbands at
home became more intimate in Temporal
ry bachelorhood, and one evening,
while drinking together, began to dis
cuss their wives. Both soon got under
the influence Of liquor and emboldened.
Finally Brown told Arthur he had OBJ
served his fondness for his Brown's)
wife, and had not objected, because he
had conceived fondness for his Gar
thur's) wife. This led to maudlin con-
LESSONS, and finally to proposal to
swap wives, and before they separated
the arrangement was made. Next day
they met, and the following agreements
were signed:
BROWNS PROFESSION.
81 love Mrs. Arthur better than any
human being on earth, and will never
be satisfied without I live with her. l
am in earnest, and will make the swap,
so help me God WASH Brown"
ARTHUR's AGREEMENT.
81 am willing to swap. love Mrs.
Brown better than any one else, and l
am in earnest, just as sure as 1 am sit
ting on this barrel, as God is my Judge
and the one that backs out first is to
forfeit S..
"MATHEw ARTHUR"
From this further contract was
drawn up for the women to sign. This
is not to be obtained. 1t disposed of
Browns four children, of whom three
were to remain with their father and
one go with Arthur who had none.
These preliminaries arranged, they
wrote to their wives to return, and, on
arrival, Mrs. Brown at once agreed to
the exchange.
Mrs. Arthur was still ignorant of the
arrangement, and was to be approached.
Brown at once began to write her love-
letters of the most ardent description.
These were conveyed to her by her own
husband. She Indignantly destroyed
the missives, and did not speak of their
contents to Arthur. In few days she
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