The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-12-27
SAVED OR LOST?
a Strange Story OF Love that Ended
in Crime.
Courtshlp that Regain. with Evangei.
ism End Ended in FEorse-SteaI-
Ang---Agnes Ausfin's
INFLAMMATION.

GLovERvILLE, N. Y. Dec. 20. "A romance
was copslmmated away up in tee Adiron-
sacks, which in tangled plot and novel detail
Claims equality with the strangest o. the many
| fabulous Christmas tales that are just now
being printed The story is told by aman
who came to this town from Sageville, Ham
| iiton county.
Ford Roderick, a young man of 25 or &c, of
hurly frame, but with a certain manli-
ness in his rough ways the son of popular
old guide over in Indian lake, has been
| confined in the Hamilton county Jail
st Sageville, for the past four or five months,
and was awaiting trial on the charge of steal
ing a pair of horses from a famer Every
Sunday afternoon, Rev. Arthur Chambers,
pastor of the Sagevile Methodist church in
company with dozen or fifteen members of
MS congregation holds e prayer and song
meeting in jail. For two years it has been
the habit of Miss Agnes Austin, the young
and by no means uncomey daughter OF the
village apothecary, to join this missionary
band, and her sweet voice is credited with
| having Influenced many a prisoner to CON
viction.
The first Sunday after Rodericks arrest
Miss Austin became acquainted with him
during the meeting, and ON several succeed
ing Sundays it was noticed, without exciting
| remark, that she was oftener in a side cor
rider doing individual work with prisoner
Roderich, IS the chaplain and baud thought,
than at her customary post in the choir
lsbering for the general salvation
This went on Tor a month OF 50, and Miss
Austin finally got permission Of the sheriff to
make visits to tAe prison during the week
and did 60 frequently. Some five or six
wee2s ago Boderick confess conviction in
a Saturday meeting, giving at the time hearty
praise and credit to the evangelist efforts Of
Miss Austin. Mr. Austin vainly forbade his
! daughter from continuing her visits 70 the
| Jail TIE father then called on the sheriff,
and THIS way was more successful Her visits
at once cuael
| Two weeks ago last Thursday Agnes disap-
| peared from her home, and nothing was
heard Of her whereabouts until last Friday,
| when a constable came riding into Sageville
| with Agnes behind him. She was takea DO
! fore the magistrate and sent to Jail on the
! charge Of stealing the very horses for the
| theft of which her lover was suffering con.
| f;nement The constable said that she stole
the horses in broad daylight, and when pur.
sued made Int very feeble attempt at es-
! cape. Hen" story is that Forl told her tc
| go to his fathers camp ana await his
arrival, which would be as soon as an oppor
| tunity for escape presented itself After
| waiting for him at tde camp for more than q
week, she IS id she became desperate, and, re.
| solving to join him in the jail, she ran away
| from the camp with the deliberate intention
of committing some crime that would com
nit her to her lovers side. Her stealing the
same horse that Ford had once stolen, she
said was simple accident Miss .Austin's
bail was fixed at 5000, bat she refused to &C
cept bondsmen and resume her liberty.
! Roderick sent for the sheriff and informed
| him that be wished to wed Agnes Austin
who, when brought before the sheriff, de
| clared similar desire. The girl being L
| years old, aLi, therefore, of legal age, the
| sheriff deemed it his duty to comply witt
| their wishes, and the committing magis
trate, Jarvis, was summoned At three
o'clock in the afternoon, in the corridor OF
the Jail, with the sheriff and two deputies q,
witnesses the felon lovers were made one
The district attorney says, however thai
the romance Of the case will not preventing
a vigorous prosecution of both. Ho pro
poses, to try and bring both cases up at thu
same term of court and thus allow the pail
to make their bridal journey together t.
| their future mountain home at Clinton
| prison
The father of the prison bride is very
much angered with the sheriff for his courst
| in the matter, and there is much excitemeE'
over the affair. 1t has been said by som,
that no Hamilton county jury will ever con
vict the pair and that. as no one is Loser
by their crimes, they should be permitted
to try liberty again.