Morris tribune., 1885-11-04
IS, MINI, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER A, 1886.
CASWELL'S CAPERS.
HOW he OBTAINED A DIVORCE FRoW
HIS WIFE BY FRAUD,
And How It Was Declared Invalid After
Seventeen Years-His Marriage to An
other Woman-His First Wife's
Search for Him.

MONTICELLO, Ills. Nov. 2.-Friday after
noon Judge G. B. Smith rendered a decis-
ion In the noted Caswell divorce case, tried
here at the September term Of court He
withheld his decision at the time in
order that the case might be compromises,
bat nothing having been accomplished In
that direction he at last resolved to make
bis decision known Hs has declared
the divorce obtained seventeen
years ago by Daniel II. Cas-
void by reason of having been procured By
fraud and perjury. and has entered decree
setting aside said divorce ON that account
Caswell and wife were married at Monte.
video, Uruguay, Aug. IL, 1852, aftsrward
removing to San Francisco, and thence to
Cairo, Ills, from whence he sent her TO
her father, James NJ. Willis, in Brooklyn,
IN z, March 10, 1857, aud refused to let
her return to him. For number of years
he lived atEDecatnr, where he made the ac-
quaintance Of wife No. 3, Miss Louise G.
4 Broad well Of Dayton, Oaio, who was Wis
iting In Decatur. He wrote and mailed q
letter from Taylorville, Ills, to his wife
i at Brooklyn. Dsc. O. 1868, stating he was
going to Mexico to set up quartz mills;
that his absence was indefinite, and that
he would write her on his return.
Oct. 81, 1869, he wrote her fron
Evansville, Ind, that he had produced a
divorce under the laws of that state on the
ground Of incompatibiliGy of temper and
disposition, and would return instantly to
Mexico. He had been making his headquar-
ters at Decatur, Ills, all this time, and never
saw Mexico Wife No. searched every
court Of record of Indiana to learn when
the decree Of divorce was granted, but
could not find it For eight years she
sought her lord in the republic
Of Mexico, but without sue
csss Iu 1877 she began the search for Cas-
we'll in the United States, finally finding
him engaged in the plumbing business in
Nashville, Tenn, in 1883 She went to him,
claimed to be his wife, but was repudiated.
He showed her a divorce granted by the
circuit court of Platt county, Illinois, Sep.
teuber, 1869. She came to Monticello, and
began suit to set aside the divorce on the
ground of fraud and perjury. After the
suit was instituted she learned that Cas-
we'll had married Miss Broadwell in Mont
gomery county, Ohio, Jan. Il, 1869, eight
months before the divorce was granted.
Caswell explained under oath that he was
enticed into marrying Miss Broadwell by
receiving letter from friend that ne had
received papers, which Caswell supposed
meant he had received decree Of divorce
but which were papers in patent case On
the strength of the papers received Caswell
married. When he returned to Decatur
Caswell learned the mistake, but continued
to live with wife No. 2 till the fraudu..
lent divorce was granted, when, he
says, they went to Fort Wayne, Ind, and
were remarked by justice Of the peace,
named Sanders. No record was introduced
to show the record of the marriage to the
second wife, but Caswell acknowledged he
didn't have license at Fort Wayne; didn't
know the given name of the justice, and
wasn't certain in what month the Indiana
was formed.
Gaswsll had three children by wife No.
L. one Of whom still lives, miss of Is; +
and six children by wife No. g. all OF
whom are made illegitimate by the decision
Of the court In setting aside the divorce. 1t
IS singular case this setting aside of a de-
fendant throughout the case seeking to take
advantage Of his own fraud to deprive No. |
Of her rights. The trial created intense in
terest here, 100 letters being introduced as
eVidence. The social standing of the
parties, the talent employed as coun-
'el the territory covered, the great
apse of time, the good nams Of wife
No. p the success of the scheme for so long,
ihe high connection of all the parties, and
she dramatic scenes in court-aH tended to
make it the most exciting case on record. It
aas bean a constant theme Of conversation
liHee the trial. ended and although the de-
sision has been withheld for so long it never
sheless gives general satisfaction and is no
more than was expected. Setting aside the
lecree OF. divorce only opens the case Of pro-
'eedings for 'bigamy. Suit for support and
,ther actions will follow.