Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1880-02-26
ms necAuley.s OFFENCE.

1no MAkce MNAvot 10 o Document
Which GivesrAn Account OF Her llus-
baad's Recent Uahasbanaly Csnaaos.
A.short time ago the Press and Dakotaian
published an account of :, case in the police
cour, wherein John Il. McCauley brought
an action of adultery against his wife and
George A. Bell. Before the court the wife
refused to testify and the case was dis
missed. Mrs. McCauley has since been sub.
jected to further suspicion aud to clear up
her character che has made a detailed sta,e.
ment in writing of the whole transaction,
which she has sworn to. It runs az follows:
TERRITORY OF DAKOTA.
County of Nankton. SIS
Ida NJ. McCauley being duly sworn saw:
My name is Ida NJ. McCauley; I was mar
ried to John II. McCauley an the county of
Blackbawk, in the state of Iowa, on the
2Sth day If Dec, 1878; Of said marriage
there were born two children We continued
TO live in said state of Iowa as husband aud
wife until on or about the month of Jsnua.
~, 1879, when We removed TO the city of
Yankton, ID. T. Some time after our arri-
val here my husband made the acquaintance
Of George A. Bell, whom he invited to vjsi.
w., and at the request Of my husband Mr..
Bell frequently visited us, and was regarded
by us both as a friend, and continued to 80
visit us until on or abou, the 7th Of Februa.
ry, 1880, at which time for some cause to
me unknown my husband became Jealous
and accused me of the crime of adu'-
tery with Mr.. B.lts whom he had
induced me to believe to be a
good man and an intimate friend Of his and
mine. He at once became very abusive to
me, and at first threatened me with violence
If | did not confess the crime of adultery
with Mr.. Bell. I refused to make such ac.
acknowledgement until he had abused me to
such q d-gree 40 that l was almost insensible
of what was being said. He then persuaded
and importuned me to make the acknowl-
edgenent saying that if l would confess the
crime he would forgive me, and continue to
live with me, and say nothing about the
affair and save our children and myself the
disgrace of publicity: otherwise he would
publicly make the charge against myself
and Mr.. Bell. He then told me that if l
would 60 before a justice of the peace, and
Ign a statement, he could and would impli-
cate Mr.. Bell and free me from any blame
in the matter. Fearing he would do me
some bodily harm and to avoid the disgrace
IF myself aud children and his importuni-
lies l consented to 60 before a justice of the
peace and sign the statement, and in purau-
tnce Of such agreement did N said 7th Of
February, at the special instance and reques,
Of my husband go before Justice White, and
sign the paper he had had prepared for that
purpose. AT the time l signed 1t l was 90
confused and overcome by the calamity OF
my situation that l did not give the contents
# the paper presented to me for my sigma
ture any consideration and relied solely on
he representations of my husband. I have
since learned that the paper I did Sign was
N affidavit accusing said Bel! of adultery
with me, and l now say that it waa not my
Intentions, nor did I understand
,uch to be the purport of the document ST.
signed, and bad / SO understood i'll would
DOT have signed it, and this mus: he
ny only apology for appearing in such
light. and | now declare that the allegation
If illicit intercourse between myself and
said Bell is false and in no particular true,
On Monday following the time when l had
signed the affidavit / was taken before
Justice White as q witness to prove such
illicit intercourse between myself and.Mr
Bell. 1t then first az. Feared to me that the
paper l had previously signed was made
he basis of a criminal action against Mr.
Bell, and | then declined to support BY
oath such a falsehood; he then afterwards
made the %proposlt!on to me that if I would
write Mr.. Bell a note and thereby induce
Mr. Bell to write to me and let him (Mc-
Cauley) have the letter, and further 10 in
luce Bell to go with me to some hotel and
remain with him (BelD aud apprise him
(McCauley) Of the time aud place of such
meeting between myself aud Mr.. Bell, he
would give me money TO pay the expenses
IF myself and children to go to my people
in the state of Iowa. Upon my refusal SC
TO do he took my children from me. end
do not know certainly where they now are
-aod has abandoned me and
cit ME to the mercy of
the world without money. with blackeucd
reputation without cause. I now solemnly
declare and swear that the relation be
tween myself and Mr.. Bell has only been
hat of friends. and such only as nv hus.
band cultivated, aud that Mr.. Bell was
never at any time guilty of any improper
proposals or advances, and ut all time con.
Quoted himself as a gentleman. and is 10 no
sense responsible for the existing unhappy
relations between my self and husband.
IDA NJ. McCAULEY.
Subscribed and sworn to nefore me This
24th day Of February, A. D. 1880.
g. W. ROBERTS,
Notary Public.