Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-02-20
CUPID'S BLUNDER.
a Bad One Made in the j. G.
Blaine, Jr., Case.
YOUNG JIMs WIFE ON THE STAND.

y Fatrim oniaI Experience that Beean
Wrong and Ended MiserabIy-The De-
testable Secret Marriage Has Its Sequel
in Divorce Court-The Young Wlse
Tells Her Side of the Story Uncontra-
dicted by Her Husband, Who Does Not
Appear.
DEADwOOD S. D., Feb 20-The Blaine
divorce case has been tried, all the deposi-
tions have been read, the plaintiff has Civ
en- her evidence, and the attorney has
rested Argument will be made today
only for the plaintiff, however, as the de
fendant did not put in an appearance The
weather had moderated greatly since
Thursday, and Mrs. Blaine was able to
take the witness stand and, under the
stare of 800 eyes, answer the questions of
her attorney and tell the sad story of her
life since her marriage with j. G.. Blaine.
Jr., Sept. 6, 1856. According to her testi-
mony the courtship was short one They
met at Augusta, Me, and in a few weeks
became engaged.
The AbominabIe Secret Marriage.
The engagement then was that they
until Miss Nevins had fulfilled her
theatrical contract with Madame Modjeska
and Daniel Frohman and Mr.. Blaine had
completed his collegiate course. The
young man changed his mind, however,
concluded he did not want Miss Nevins to
appear on the stage and persuaded her to
hasty and secret marriage. The difficulty
that she was a Roman Catholic and he a
Protestant was overcome by dispensation
from Archbishop COrrigan, and the we'd
ding took place in the veStry of st. Leo's
church, New York. Rev. Father Dreury
officiating. The couple started the same
evening for Boston, arriving there next
morning.
Goes to Reconnoiter the Old Folks.
Young Blaine left his bride and went to
Augusta, Me, to inform his parents of his
marriage. Mrs. Blaine returned to New
York. A few days later she received a
letter from her husband stating that his
parents objected strenuously to the match
and intimating that he would have to
give her up. The letter Frustrated her and
she was i'll until the receipt of second
letter apologizing for the first and stating
that since his father had become acquant-
ed with all the circumstances, their trip to
his bride. The husband followed the let
ter in day or two and all went merry as
marriage bell for some weeks, during
which the couple lived at the New York
hotel, on Nineteenth street, and in Pitts
burg, Pa, where young Blaine chased
items as reporter for daily paper.
Commencement of the Trouble.
There was little more than year of
bliss, then came the crowning happiness,
the birth of son. Fifteen months after
the marriage, in August, 1885, Mrs. Blaine
accompanied her husband ON a visit to his
parents at Augusta, Me, and from this
time her troubles dated. Arriving at
Augusta she found that children of Mrs.
Coppinger, then visiting the Blaines, were
down with whooping cough, and that it
was necessary for her to send her maid and
baby to hotel while herself and husband
went TO the parental mansion. This was
| the first of a succession of disagreeable
incidents. A state campaign was in pro-
gress in Maine and her husband constantly
accompanied his father to various places
where the senior Blaine was making
speeches.