Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-02-09
Love PAID TIE 0E1T.
Mexican Of High Family weds the
Woman Who Got His Re.
lease from Prison.
ROMANCE OF A KAEsAs WIDOW

Tertiary, Believes Him Innocent ans
Proves 1t, Thus Securing HIS Liberty. To-
Which Service He Makes Her His WIFI
asd Takes Her to His Family In Mexico
Story for . Novelist.
Kansas City. Feb. "A scion Of a no.
BILE Mexican family languishing un.
known In the Kansas state penitentiary
for six years for killing done In self.
defense; his pardon after three years Of
untirfng effort On the part Of the ma
tron Of that institution, and their final
marriage by justice Of the peace. cul-
minating in a revelation of his identity,
are the chapters in q most remarkable
story OF real life made public yesterday.
The principals are Prescilliana L. Cor
pio. whose late father. Prescilliana Cor
pio, was millionaire and ex-postmaster
general Of Mexico, and Mrs. Matte u,
PEBBLES. Of Dispatch. Kan, a widow.
The story is most interesting. In the
early eighties young Mexican who
gave his name as Camille Lopez came
to Kansas City with q bunch Of cattle
from Guanajuato, Mex, his home. He
was handsome. dashing fellow, who
dressed we'll ano spent money freely. In
a short time his money was gone. He
went to Wichita, Kan, and made a
living as a street vender,
When His Trouble Began.
One night after an unusually coed
days business he was lured into a re-
sort bya Mrs. Sam Dodson Dodson soon
arrived on the scene and began making
trouble for the Mexican. Mrs. Dodson
claimed in court, later, that Dodson was
demanding an explanation Of the Mex.
leans conduct, and the Mexican said
that Dodson and his wife had tried to
rob him. At any rate Lopez STABBED
Dodson to death with a lony-bladad
knife. Lopez could not talk English
and he did not know how to go about
making a defense. The court assigned
him an attorney, and in the trial he was
convicted of murder Judge Christopber
Reed sentenced him to thirty years in
the penitentiary.
Meets the Woman Who Saved Him.
The general opinion was that the sen.
tence was unjust, but Lopez had neither
Influence nor money with which to Sc
cure a new trial. At the penitentiary
Lopez learned to TAX English fluentlv.
He worked at the tailor trade, but was
sent into The library frequently, and
there met and became acquainted
with the matron, HIS. Matte u. Pee.
blcs. The matrOn became interested
in the good-looking Mexican, and as
fntN lyx.A
from him his story. Feeling positive
that Lopez was innocent, Mrs. PEBBLES
set about to prove so to the governor.
She visited Wichita ara gathered facts
to show that the KILN. O. Dodson was
done in self-defense. Then she OBJ
tained the signatures ofprominent men
to petition for his Rlease. It was
three years ago this n,nth that Mrs.
PEBBLES began TO int est herself in
Lopez behalf. and on ian. 10 of this
year he was pardoned by Governor
Leedy.
Takes his Bride to Sc, His Folk.
In the meantime Matts PEBBLES lad
left the penitentiary and ls living with
a grown son and daug Ger near Dis
patch. Kan. Both Of he children have
recently married, and Fl q time she
had been living alone. Wen Lopez was
freed he wrote her lont letter. 1t re-
suited in bringing Mrs. p ebles to Kan
sas City Sunday mornin:. and it was
given out yesterday that they were
married by Judge Ebert in a room in
the Rrevoort House. a second class hoe
tel. Then followed the revelation Of the
mans identity. The groom is short and
slender. He has delicate features. long
straight black hair and piercing black
eyes. The marriage license places his
age at Al years and that of his bride at
49, She Is rather tall. Her face is
round and full, while her dark brown
hair is flecked with gray. The couple
has started for Mexico on a honeymoon
visit TO Corpio's family.