The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-06-09

over the ladies winch he utlllZeS TOT MS
own benefit when the law places him be-
hind the bars.
After being taken from Moline to Des
Moines and while there awaiting his trial,
well arranged plan was made to secure
his escape. Fortunately the plot was dis
covered in time to prevent it. Strange as
it may appear a member of the Ladies
Christian Union was the person who acted
with Watson and endeavored to secure his
escape.
The Des Moines Mailcar gives the fol-
lowing particulars:
A ROMANTIC STORY,
of peculiar character, showing forth the
emotion palpitating for all, /" has recently
cone to light in this city, after having been
carefully suppressed for a considerable
time. It strongly illustrates the vagaries
of the human affections, and shows how
thoroughly the impulses of the heart are
untammeled by the dictates of reason. The
affair is strangely paradoxicai a
blind and unreasoning attachment on the
part Of woman, who has long been en-
gagged in the work of Christian missionary
among the lowly and won among her
piety, for convicted thief of an unthank-
full and treacherous disposition. The thief
in question is Watson, who was convicted
of stealing silks, etc, from w X. Birds
and Morris s. Hepbhrn's some three months
ago, and who was taken to Fort Madison
on Wednesday to serve out a sentence of
two years and nine months. The lady is
Mrs NJ. " Murphy, who went to Darling
ton, Indian Territory, April 1eth to become
matron of an Indian school.
1t appears that the members of the Wo-
mans Christian Temperance Union are in
the habit of visiting the jail once every
week in parties in order to conduct services
for the benefit of the prisoners. This is
very praiseworthy undertaking, and it is
unfortunate that it should in this one in
stance have led to such an unfortunate de-
movement.
MRS. MURPHY
took an important part in these meetings
and early manifested a decided preference
for Watson, who attended them. She sang
off from the same hymn book with him
and sat by his side whenever it was posi-
BILE. She was wont often times to praise
his singing, remarking especially on his
rendering of "Beulah Land After this
she came into the habit of visiting him
three or four times a week, and would hold
long conversations with him. Once when
asked if she was talking religion to him,
she said that she was not, and advised 9TH
ers to do So but she failed to explain what
the subject of her conversation with Wat
son was.
1t is furthermore reported that during
this time and afterwards she was carrying
on correspondence with pal" of Wat
sons in the east. She declared that Wat
son was
TOO MUCH OF A GENTLEMAN
to eat without napkin or to use the same
towel as the other prisoners, and accord
ingly she sent him in fine napkins, towels
and delecacies for his special use. These
were regarded at first as being merely sub
stantial indications of charitable good VIII
but it afterwards appeared that these bun
dies contained letters from her to Wat
son.
Everything ran on without any suspicion
being aroused until she made request to
Jailor West one day. to allow Watson to
come out into the hall and remain till tea
time, which request was fatty refused
Subsequently, Mr.. West refused to allow
any more meetings to be held until GER
tain party g. e. Watsonl should be dis
posed Of When her communications were
thus cut off, Mrs. Murphy endeavored to
send notes to Watson through a lady in the
city, but the latter refused to have any
thing whatever to do with it.
After about three or four weeks boy
named
BILLY ANDERRoN,
who had the freedom of the hall on good
behavior, was taken into confidence and
given a bundle of wearing apparel for
10 a To h ia
own interest, concealed it in his own bed
and afterwards delivered it to Mr. West.
This package, on examination, was found
to contain underclothing, a pair of slip
pers, a bonnet and veil; also six saws
and bottle of liquid to aid in saving the
bars of iron. Several of the articles of
clothing were identified as belonging to
Mrs. Murphy and there can be no room
for doubt that she was in conspiracy to
assist him in escaping Letters passed
back and forth between them from time to
time, and Watson used to show some of
these to his fellow prisoners, remarking
that he would make love to any one in or
der to get help in escaping. In his letters
to her he called her his darling" and in
one of them said that he felt very badly
because he had not Ftseen her sweet loving
face for two days" One Charlie Schnei-
confident of Watson's and learned about
the whole matter, and afterwards, having
been freed by executive clemency, made
known the whole matter.
JUST BEFORE LEAVING
for Darlington, Mrs. Murphy went to Jail
to bid the prisoner goodbye, but she was
refused admiittance with permit from the
Sheriff, which that officer or his deputy re-
fused to give.
This is substantially the story and
peculiar one it certainly is. Watson APP
pears to have been perfectly heartless
throughout the whole matter he simply
intended to make use of the woman's
infatuation to consummate his escape.
His action can be clearly understood; but
what could have induced Mrs Murphy, a
lady, married highly esteemed among her
acquaintances, and, SO far known, an
earnest worker in the cause in which she
was engaged, to bestow her affection on
such graeeless wretch is hard indeed to
understand They are separated now,
however and she, in her new sphere of
work, viii doubtless soon forget the erring
episode in the past