The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-07-01
INVOLVED IN[QUITY.
A. STORY THAT IS STRANGER THAN
ZoLAS FICTION,
And That Needs No Creative Genius &
Develop = Remark able Complication
Growing Out of the Frailties of
Two West Virginia Families.

CINCINNATI, July 1.-The Enquirer has
the following remarkable story from Par
kersburg, W. Va:
A few months before the outbreak of the
civil war John Rubie, worthy young
farmer Of Reedy district, Writ county, mar
ried Miss Julia Sheppard, whose parents re-
sided in the same district Young Ruble
furnished little home for his bride, and
both were happy. When hostilities began
between the north and south, Rub.e shout
derei his musket and joined Stonewall Jack
sons troops, and not until the end
in the spring of 1865 did he doff the
gray and return to his young wife in Reedy
district John Rubls returned to find his
wife rocking a little cradle and his home
dishonored His old friends and neighbors
corroborated the story, told amid tears and
sobs, by his penitent wife. Her seducer
was Martin Sheppard, her second cousin.
Their guilty intimacy had been carried on
for over two years, but not until the little
cradle was filed did their relatives have
any intimation that the relations of the
cousins were other than of than the most
| Platonic nature.
| John Ruble at the outset threatened to
kill young Sheppard, but finally yielded to
the entreaties of his relatives and the pray
ers of his wife. and forgave her SIM He
also took to his arms and heart the baby
| girl he found in the cradle, and, as the years
few by, learned to love the daughter Of
Martin Sheppard. They called her Vir
| gina.
| At the period when young Sheppard ac-
| complished the ruin of his cousin he
was married, and two children called
him father. One of these, Charles
| Sheppard, was year older than
the little girl who answered to the
name Of Virginia Ruble The two attended
| the same district school, went to the same
Sunday school and tie same church, and
| together joined the church. Soon it was
rumored in Reedy district that they were
engaged Those neighbors who recalled the
disgrace of Virgmias mother straight
| way commenced an agitation which
convulsed the community. They said
the couple should be made to under
stand the true situation of affairs-be made
to realize that their contemplated union
would be the wedding of half brother and
sister, and consequently when it was known
that the young people had agreed upon a
date for their marriage John Ruble told
them the story of their relationship They
refused to believe, and Ruble called in his
wife, who there and then, to her daughter
and her daughters lover confessed her sin
Of nineteen years before.
When the young lovers were once left
alone their grief prompted a desperate re-
solve. They determined to defy the fates.
An elopement was planned and successfully
carried out They waited for no minister to
we'd but found a Gretno Green in Illinois,
and for six weeks lived as man and wife
with some of young Sheppard's relatives in
the Sucker state.
They ran away from Reedy district early
last summer. They were young and mex
peTienced, and, whea their money was gone,
began to yearn for home and friends. Dor.
| rowing the funds needed to defray their
travelling expenses, they returned to this
state, Virginia finding shelter with her
mother, and Charles going to his fathers
house. Both were welcomed and forgiven.
But though forgiven by their relatives the
ma jesty of the law had to be vindicated, and
a charge of incest was made against them
They were arrested and brought into court
Virginia attracted much attention She
is 81 years old, has black eyes, black hair,
and weighs about lS5 pounds. Amore comely
country girl never sat in the court
house Of Wirt's county seat The rose-tint
of her cheeks was not artificial The young
couple were charged with violation of sec
ton -, chapter 1913 Acts of the West Vir
vinia legislature Of 1882, which provides &
punishment for incest of not less than two
nor more than ten years in the penitentiary
) With great earnestness the counsel for The
| DIFF fI.of ha no ms L
ing their final plea on the ground of public
, policy, but the judge was firm and said thu
law must take its course The case, how
ever, was continued until the October tern
Of this year.
We now come to the most remar kablt
feature of this sensational case Up to thi
point, Mrs Martin Sheppard, the mothe
{ of Charlie, has remained in the back
ground. but the accusation of inces
brought against her son has prompted he
T to this revelation: She declares tina
: | Charles and Virginia are not half brothe
( and sister, alleging that her husband
Martin Sheppard, is not father of the boy
O Sic further asserts that if Martin goe
, on the witnesS-Stani and acknowledge
: the paternity of Virginia, SD
| Mrs SheppardD will testify to he
own dishonor and her husband
double disgrace. The excitement produce,
in Reedy district and throughout this sec
ton of the state by Mrs Sheppard's revels
ton is intense. The information which Re
suited in the indictment of Charles and Vir
GINA was lodged VITA the authorities by
= brother of John Ruble From a simpl
family scandal affecting two homes, it has
owing to unexpected AMI startling denoue
e ments, become most celebrated case.
!, halt has been called on both sides, and tn
J, query now is: "Will trial be had'' o.
|, this point public opinion is about evenly d
70 videi