Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-05-08
WOEFUL STORY THIS
Past Life of Florence Spence Now
Sought as Ward by
Union Mission.
COMES OF ILL-sTARRED FAMILY
Saved by Strategy From Marriage
With nan of Almost
Thrice Her Years.

The appointment OF the Union
Mission as guardian for Florence
Spence, now pending before Judge
Adams, revives a story of conditions
surrounding human existence that the
average citizen would scarcely sus-
pect had ever endured in or near Rock
Island.
Florence is II years of age and a
mem Der of u family that came here
from Bureau county about three ye ars
ago. with. it is said, capital of about
5000. The family was composed of
John Bealer, his three sisters, Mary
Bealer, Mrs Christina Lothridge and
an insane woman who wore a long
beard. and five Lothridge and Spence
children. The mother OF Florence
was said TO be dead.
John Dealers first financial venture
here was not success, as, indeed,
were neither of those which followed.
He bought a restaurant on Market
square and in a month or such a
matter sold out with loss of several
hundred dollars Re then bought
property on Third avenue and
Twelfth street, which in the fall of
'99 he traded for the old Dexter prop
erty in Sears, consisting of house
and two and half acres of land.
Family In Want.
In the meantime the unmarried
sister, Mary, had married John Nc
Cav and all moved to the Sears prop
erty. Early in the spring a year ago
the attention of Supervisor Donovan,
OF South Rock Island, was called to
the condition of the family. They
had virtually lived up their roperty
and their credit, and were in want.
There were II persons in two small
rooms and the state of affairs revealed
by an investigation beggars descrip-
ton. Two of the children were found
almost dead from neglect and had to
be placed in a hospital. Five of them
were afterward taken care of by the
Union Mission and homes found for
all but one, Archie, aged 10. who is
at the mission now. The insane wom-
an was placed in the state asylum for
incurables, and the howell in which the
family had existed through the winter
was broken up. The McCaws now
live at the abattoir, by the city au-
thorities' permission, in the part
fitted up for pest house.
Florence Spence was brought to the
attention OF the public a lew weeks
ago as the girl whom Dudley McCaw,
a brother Of John McCaw, and a man
about 35 years of age. wished TO
marry. A license was procured in
Davenport on the representation
that the girl was IS years of age.
Later, McCaw returned with the girl
to the county clerks Office for some
information and County Clerk Cheek
got hold of the license when he
saw how young the girl was, and
refused to give it up. McCaw de-
clartd he would wed the girl in spite
of all efforts to prevent it.
NcOaw In County jail.
The matter was brought TO the at
tention of the Union Mission. Dud-
ley McCaw had been making his home
in a shnnty boat, and although it was
on dry land and some distance from
the water, the plan of having him ar
rested for inhabiting shanty boat
without a license was hit upon as a
means of preventing an elopement
till such time as the girl could be
made legal ward of the institution.
Accordingly. McCaw was arrested on
a capias and is now in the county
Jail. being unable to give bond for an
The act with respect to
the girls guardianship will render it
impossible for her to legally mar
ry the man without a consent |
that cannot be secured. rbe |
aunt, Mrs. McCsw. is the only one
who lays any claim to the con,rol OF
Florence. and as she has expressed q |
to yield her up to the mis- |