The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1885-11-02
CASWELL'S CAPERS.
HOW HE OBTAINED A DIVORCE FROM
HIS WIFE BY FRAUD,
And How 1t Was Declared Invalid After
Seventeen Years-His Marriage to An
other Woman-IIis First Wife's
Search for Him.

MONTICELLO, Ills. Nov. 2 - Friday after.
noon Judge c. b Smith rendered decis-
icn in the noted Casw-il divorce case, tried
here at the September term Of court He
withheld his deci,iol at tho time III
order that the case might be compromised,
but nothing having been accomplished IN
that direction he at last resolved to MAKE
his decision known. Il, has declared
the divorce obtained seventeen
years ago by DAnisl II. Gas
we'll from Ann Mary Caswe,l null and
void by rea son of having b3en pr cared by
frau aud perjury AMI has enttrei decree
setting aside sail divorces on that account.
Ca well and wife were marie at Monte
viiso, Uruguay, Aug. II, 1867, atterward
removing to San France, $50, AM theaca &c
Caro- His from wnance he sent uer u
her father, James NJ. Willie, i'll brooklyn,
n. Y, March IL, 1877. and refused to LEI
Ter return to HIM. For Il numl Ter or years
lie lived at Decatur, whore las ma 10 the ac
quantance of wife N T. :! Mis- Louise o.
Broad well, If Dayton. o 'io, who was Wis
ting in Decatur. Hs wrote an malei Il
istiar from Taylerville, Ills, to his wi't
ut Brooklyn D.c T. isds, Stating lie wa
.;olu3 to M-x.cn t, SET up quartz mill :
that his alb ence wa, iniaGnite, and thai
he wouil write her On his return
Oct ~. 1869 lie wrote her from
Evan, vile, Ind, that hs hal produced e
divorce under the laws of that state ON the
groun of incompatlbiIlty Oh temper anu
dispo siton, and would return Instantly t.
Mexico He had been making his headquar
tiers at Decatur, Ills. all TINS time and never
saw Mexico. Wife NJ. 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
,,,ht hnr in
of Mexico but without sue
cess Iu 1877 she began the search for Cas-
we'll IN tho United States. finally finding
him engaged in the plumbing business In
Nashville Tenn, in 1855 She went to him.
claimed to be his wife, but was repudiated.
He showed her II divorce granted by the
circuit court of Patt county, illinois, Sep
TENDER, 1869 She came to Monticello, and
began snit TO set aside the divorce on the
ground of fraud and perjury After the
suit was in ,ttuted sho learned that Cas-
we'll had married Miss Broad we'll i'll Mont
gomery county, Ohio, Jan. IA, 1869, eight
months before the divorce was granted
Casweli explained under oath that he WA.
entcel into marrying Miss Broadwell by
receivlng a letter FROM Il friend that he had
received Iapers, which Caawell supposed
meant he had received decree of divorce
but which were papers in patent case. On
the strength of the papers received Caswel
married. When he returned to Decatur
Caswsll learned the mistake. but continued
to live with wife No. till the fraudn
lent divorce was granted, when, he
says, they went to Fort Wayne, Ind, and
We're REMARKED by Il justice OF the peace,
named Sanders. No record was introduced
to show the record OF the marriage to the
second wife, but Casweli acknowledged he
didn't have licen at Fort Wayne; didn't
know the given name Of the justice, and
wasn't certain i'll what month TIC lhilHna
ceremony was formed
Casweli had three children by wife No.
l, one of whom still lives, Il miss of Is
and six children by wife No. 2, all OF
whom are made illeg itimate by the decision
Of tho court in setting aside the divorce Ii
j. singular case this settin, aside of de-
cree of seventeen years. standing, the de
PENDANT throughout the ca o 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 a.
evidence. Tho social standing of the
parties, the talent employed as coun-
sol, the territory covered, the great
lapse of time, the good name of wife
Ne. ,, the success of the scheme for so long,
the high connection of all the parties, and
tho Ire m tic scenes in court-all tended to
make it the most exciting cast on record. II
has been constant theme of conversation
since the trial ended and although the de-
rison fr~s been withheld for so long it never
thelass gives general satisfaction and is no
more than was expectel Setting aside the
decree of divorce o " opens the case of p,
c.edings for bigamy. SHIT for support and
other actions will follow.