Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-05-08
Man With Two Wives Convicted
in Keokuk County.
VICTIM THOUGHT HE WAS DIVORCED
Tells the Court In Straightforward
Way at Sisourney of His Martial
Troubles Which Have Resulted In
His Conviction.

general interest was shown yesterday
in the sentencing of Joseph Dagle,
convicted at this term of court of big
amy. Sentence was to have been pro-
nounced at 8 o'clock, but owing to
Judge Clements trip to Washington,
the hour was postponed to 1880 o'clock
which found the courtroom well filled.
Attorney Hamilton, defendants coun.
sci, moved for a new trial, assigning as
cause eight errors, but the motion was
overruled. Mr. Hamilton made an ear
nest plea for his client, acknowledge
ing his guilt under technical law, but
showing that there were very miugat-
ing circumstances.
A Mr.. Dougherty of Keota was in
troduced as witness and testified
that his wife had received letter
from the first Mrs. Dagle stating that
she was to have divorce. The letter
was found in a packet in the posses.
sion of the county attorney, and veri.
fed substantially Mr.. Dougherty's
statements. Judge Clements having
disposed of this point stated that the
case was very unfortunate in the way
it had been conducted. At this juno
ture the defendants counsel requested
leave for his client to speak. Joseph
Dagle, handsome, black-haired, we'll
dressed man arose and began
straightforward account of his case.
He claimed to have lived very un-
satisfactorily with his former wife;
that she had unceremoniously deserted
him several times, taking the children
with her; that she had written him
asking whether he would oppose her
getting divorce and finally, after his
reply that he would not she had writ
ten that she had applied for divorce.
That, presuming upon this, he was
married to Miss Sadie Brolliar of Rich
land and had lived with her for some
time when he received letters from
Eta Dagle, as did his father, asking
for $500. Later, on August Is, 1901, he
was arrested at Ollie, charged with
bigamy. That both he and his wife's
folks at Rchfand had been offered the
case for $500. Sa0O or s5O0-to go scot
free upon such terms.
Judge Clements upon sentencing the
defendant remarked that he bore him
no i'll will. He then reviewed the tes-
timony referring to the very remark
able letters Dagle had written to his
former wife, first berating her and
then begging for mercy; called atten-
ton to Dagle's dereliction in the mat
ter of his four little children by his
first wife, and admitted that there
were mitigating phases to the case.
He said that he would subtract from
the time he had determined upon-two
and one-half years-the six months
Dagle had lain in Jail awaiting trial,
thus fixing the period at two years.
Attorney Hamilton appealed the case
to the supreme court and asked that
the bond be reduced to $500 which
could be easily furnished. Judge Gle
ments took che matter under advise
ment.
The Dagle case is remarkable in ma
ny ways. First there is the matter Of
the desertioh q his first wife, formerly
Eta Barber of Spring Valley, Mimi,
and the peculiar conduct relative to a
divorce. Then Dagles second mar
riage to Sadie Brolliar, of Richland,
and her tenacious support of Dagle alt
through the struggle despite even the
efforts of her own folks to turn her,
The apparent feature of blackmaib
which hobs up so serenely from time
to time. Dagle's long incarceration
awaiting trial-from August is, 1901.
until the February term of court When
Dagle finally was tried in February be-
fore an empaneled jury. Judge Dewey
dismissed the jury, continued the case
to the April term, releasing Dagle on
his own recognizance for the reason
of errors on the part of the state in
serving the defendant with notice of
testimony to be introduced on trial Of
case by important witnesses who had
not appeared before the grand Jury.
Defendant made no attempt to es-
cape though he could have walked
away, and now on this his second trial,
a second time in jeopardy before a
jury for the same offense, he is con-
victed and sent up for two years. Da-
gle had one child, a boy, by his second
wife, who died between the February
and April terms of court Judge Gle
ments in his review of the case called
attention to the efforts of the general
government to suppress polygamy in
Utah, to Dagle's manifest guilt under
the law, and to his ignoring his four
little children who were present with
their mother, Eta Dagle, at this trial.
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