The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-05-29
LIVELY FOR A CORPSE.
JOHN THoRNeURG sPolLs HIS
WlFE'S DAMAGE SUIT,
by Making His Appearance Alive When
She Would Rather Had Him
Dead-A Nice Little
Scheme Spoiled.

BRooKFIELD, No., May 29-Mrs. Martha
Thornburg, of Linneus, Mo-, is having
hard time to rid herself of John. her hus-
band. She sued the Chicago, Burlington &
Quincy road Oct. Is, 1881, for $4,000 dam
ages for the death of her husband in the
Grand river bridge accident at Sumner, Mo-,
in June, 1881 Pending the suit John walked
into notarial office in Brookfeld a few days
ago and in the presence Of Notary Crandall
took oath that he was living and not a
dead man. He established his identity, and
the suit against the railroad company was
ink family dismissed. On receiving news of
Johns resurrection. Martha filed a bill for
divorce, claiming that John, her lawful and
truly welded, had deceived and deserted
her
The story of this case is OF more interest
than the usual everyday happening; Be-
tween 6 and O'Clock on the evening of June
so, 1884, construction train on the Chi
cago Burlington e. Kansas City railroad,
having on board track-laying gang who
were at work on the extension of that road,
broke through temporary bridge which had
been constructed over Grand river, in Liv-
ingston county, Missouri, and five cars, ca
booSe and engine, with about twenty men
on board, were precipitated into the river, a
distance of some fifty feet below. About
fifty laborers were on board, but,
fortunately, about one-half of them
were on fiat cars at tie rear end
of the train, which broke in two, and
left the rear cars on the track Seven
men were killed and quite number in
jured, and among those who it was claimed
went down in the wreck was John Thorn
burg, but of this there was doubt in the
minds of the railroad officials At the time
of the accident they could not locate
him, and he was accounted as among the
missing.
Mrs Thornburg, as stated, instituted suit
on the day mentioned. At the time the suit
was instituted divorce proceedings were
pending between Thornburg and his wife
They had lived at Brookfeld for number
of years, but in December, 1885, she left him
| and went to Bucklin, Linn county, where
her parents resided He claimed desertion
and inhuman treatment, and alleged brutal
| ity upon her part to the children, Of whom
there were three, one, however, having
| since died. On one occasion, he claimed,
she had said: On you, / wish you were
dead, and I'd be rid of you" This state Of
domestic affairs but added to the suspicious
of the officials as to the death of Thornburg
and tended to confirm their belief as to hi.
existence H. H. Tremble, general solicitor
of the road. determined upon vigorou:
search for Thornburg, and for this worE
Palmer Tremble, assistant attorney, wa:
selected, and he at once set about to dis
cover the whereabouts of Thornbu-g, if still
| in the land of the living
He was discovered at Olathe Kan, and
willingly agreed to come when wanted
Mrs. Thornburg's attorneys had stated thai
they would prove by two witnesses, whC
were on the train at the time the bridge
| gave way, that Thornburg was on one Of
the cars that went down, and to clincl
this they were TO offer the testimony of fish
ermen who claimed to have seen Thorn
burg's body in the river two days aftel
the accident 1t was the original in
tention of the defense to have allowed thu
prose cution to go on with this testimony il
the trial of the case and then, at the proper
time, to have materialized Thornburg, Il
the astonishment and CONSERVATION of The
attorneys and witnesses for the prosecution
and to the bewilderment of court and spec
tators, which would have made a strikingly
dramatic and sensational ending of tbs
| trial