The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-10-08
ELOPING EPIDEMIC.
Two Husbands depart with
their Wives Sisters.
A Romantic Young Couple
and their flight.
STRANGE SISTERS.


There is a first class sensation brough
to light near the county line, which in
| wolves the good name of a well-to-do farm
| er, as also the purity of female who il
related to him in the capacity of sister-in
law. For obvious reasons there ha
been an effort to hush the matter up
but as no arrests have been made. thu
names and particulars are given iii tall.
In one OF the southern townships LIVED
an old farmer named Isaac Bettner, who
! by hard work and economy had amassed 6
considerable fortune. He was generally re
spected for his integrity and honesty, and
was generally regarded as one of the lead
ing farmers of that section. A few months
ago he with his family moved into Timber
township, Peoria county, where the sub
joined scandal occurred, and where the af
fair was first unerathed.
THE DETAILS
An exchange. in narrating the details,
says: Bettner was the father of two daugh-
tiers, who were quite noted for their gooo
looks and the wealth that would fall to
them on the death of their parents. About
two years ago one of the girls married a
man named James Watson. The other Sis
ter had married man named Preston, who
afterwards died. After the loss of her hus-
band Mrs. Preston resided with her pa
rents She was rather prepossesslng in ap
pearance, but bad at heart. She was often
at her sisters where she became acquaint-
ed with her brother in-law, Watson. The
two became great friends and afterwards
were crminally intimate with each other
But no notice was taken of their actions
until some time in August; when
their criminal relations raised a dis
turbance in the family, and the injured
wife insisted on her rights.
REFoR3IER.
The husband promised to reform, and to
do so he said he would sell his property
and he and his wife would 90 elsewhere.
His father-in law, in order to keep the mat
ter quiet and get the married couple away
where they might outlive the scandal, and
his son-in-law redeem himself, purchased
the property, and arrangements were made
for their departure; but on the 9Th of Sep
TENDER Watson and Mrs. Preston, the I'M
grateful sister, were missing, and the truth
flashed upon the family that they had elop
ed, leaving wronged wife and sister. with
child, to look for themselves. The wife
wanted her father to let the guilty couple
go without punishment, and take no steps
to overhaul them. and no doubt he would
have acceeded to her wishes if another
piece of villany on the part of his son-in-
law had not been developed. He visited
the county recorders Office and there dis
covered that heavy mortgage had been
placed on the farm lately owned by Wat
son. His son-in-law's villany was then en-
tirely unmasked, and he determined to hunt
the villain down and make him pay the
full penalty of the law for his acts. The
matter was placed in the hands of the au-
thorities, and a search commenced.
SEARCH
was instituted and the guilty parties were
traced to Rock Island and from there to
Kansas City. Finally it was ascertained
that the couple were located at Denver.
1t is probable that requisition will be
taken out and the guilty pair returned to
Illinois, as Beltner is determined to have
the punishment melted out to them as they
so richly deserve.