St. Paul daily globe., 1891-06-21
With AN UlD FLAME.
Chaska Village Shaken to It's
Social Foundation by an
Elopement.
Hrs. Joseph Bierline Skips
for Parts Unknown With a
Young Musician.
The Viper in the Home Proves
to Have Been an Old
Lover.
Both Of the Guilty Parties Ex-
PEELED From the MoraVianD
Church.
Emigration Agent Johnson's
Wife Makes Very Serious
Charges Against Him.
The Young Helena Forger Is
Sentenced to Five Years
in the Penitentiary.
Sneclal to the Globe.

SPECIAL to the Globe.
CHAsKA, Mimi, June 20.-Chaska is
in a ferment of excitement tonight.
Knots of people are standing in earnest
conversation on every street corner.
The literary society meeting has been
postponed for week and the members
are divided up into twOs and threes dis
cussing eXcitedly the event that has
shaken ChaSkas social fabric to its base.
Mrs. Joseph Bierline. one of the most
prominent married women of Carver
county, has deserted her husband and
eloped with Z. Theodore Smith. Both
the parties are of families highly re-
spected in the community and wealthy.
MIR. Smith was, until week ago, organ
ist of the Moravian Protestant church
at Chaska and member of the organi-
zation. He is son of the late Rev.
David Il. Smith, widely known in the
Northwest, and has lived in Chaska since
a boy, his parents having come here
Twenty Years Ago.
Until short time since he was man
ager of the brick works in ChaSka,
owned by J. S. Burris, of st. Paul. His
mother, Mrs. E. A. Smith, and sister,
still reside here. A couple of months
ago it was noticed that the organist
was paying good deal of attention to
the pretty wife of Joseph Bierline, of
the firm of Joseph and Jacob Bierline,
brick mould manufacturers. Both were
members OF the same church. Or
ganist Smith kept his horses at
the Bierline barn, and after putting
them up at night it became habit of
his to linger until late in conversation
with Mrs. BierIIne. The gossips
the state of affairs, forbade Smith the
premises. On Friday, June II, Mr..
Smith stated his intention of going West
to look up a new location. He sold his
horses and disposed of his other effects.
On Saturday
He Left Chaska
for Minneapolis, and has not since been
seen. The following day Mrs. Bierline
expressed desire to visit her parents
at Norwood. Mr.. Bierline interposed
no objection, and the lady left that
evening. taking the year-and-a-half old
baby with her. Mrs. Bierline's father
is l. ludlow, wealthy farmer of this
county. Thursday last, Mr. Bierline,
having preSentiment of evil, hitched
up his horses and drove over to Nor
wood to see his wife. He was received
by Mrs. Bierline's parents with
great surprise and questioning. They
had not seen their daughter. She had
not been there at all. The husband was
frantic. He Immediately began an in
yestigation of the route taken by his
pretty wife, and found that it lay in the
direction of Minneapolis. 10th to be-
lieve her guilty, he investigated more
fully before returning to Chaska, and
established beyond a doubt that Mrs.
Bierline and Theodore c. Smith, the
Organist, were facing the world to-
gether. When the
Facts Of the EIopement
became known in Chaska excitement
ran high. No such thing had ever hap
pened IN the history of the place.
Chaska's morality had been as far above
suspicion as C@sar's wife and now the
flood. The facts in the case were at
once communicated to Rev. G. A.
Haehnle, pastor of the Moravian
church. That gentleman last night
called a meeting of the board of elders
and trustees of the church. Mr.. Bier
line stated the result of his investiga-
ton and evidence was adduced
to show plainly that Mrs. Bier
line and Mr.. Smith had defed
the Moravian church and all the world
for love. There was stormy scene at
the meeting. Some members were of
the opinion that no hasty action should
be taken; but the evidence was too con-
vincing even for them, and before the
adjournment Mrs. Joseph Bierline and
Theodore Smith had been unceremon-
iously expelled from the church. A
representative of the GLOBE called on
George A. Du Toit, president of the
Carver County bank this evening. Mr..
Du Toit is Intimately acquainted with
all the parties concerned, and has
known them for many years. "This
is
Most Unfortunate Affair.o
he said. The grief and distress caused
the two families is terrible to witness.
The entire community is in sympathy
with Mrs. Smith, the mother of the man
who has eloped. His father, Rev.
David Smith, who died here
few years ago, was a very able
minister and worthy gentleman,
and Smiths mother and sister are
ladies who command the respect and
admiration of all who know them. Theo-
dore was bright fellow, thoroughly
well educated, a splendid musician.
and a young man who always had
stood well until his infatuation for an
other mans wife began. The lady in
the case has always hitherto borne a
good reputation and is of very fine
family. Her husband, Joseph BierIine,
is well known and highly respected in
st. Paul and Minneapolis as we'll as in
Chaska. Almost all Smiths relatives in
the male line are ministers. A Mime
aDOliS minister ic hic hrotharin 10 =.