Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-04-22
ALLEGES DUREsS
Startling Claim Set Up by Cath.
crime Greenwood, of
South Moline.
GEORGE LEWIS THE DEFENDANT
Were Married in Rock Island April
8 by Rev. Williams at
His Home.


line, yesterday afternoon filed suit in
the office of Circuit Clerk Gamble ask
ing to have annulled the marriage
ceremony performed April s by Rev.
Williams, of the Rock Island First
Methodist church, on the grounds
that the groom, George Lewis, had
forced her into the wedding and that
she consented to it only under duress
and fear of her life, as she felt that
Lewis was almost insane on the sub
Ject. Both parties, it is claimed, were
engaged to be married to others at
the time and in each case the date of
the approaching nuptials had been
set. The unsubmitting wife is a
daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. Joseph
Greenwood, of South Moline town
ship, the parents being prosperous
farmers, while Lewis is young hus-
bandman living in the same township
Conflicting Statements.
In her bill the plaintiff states that
she and Lewis were playmates as chill
dren and when older finally became
engaged. The engagement was bro
ken off when Lewis commenced pay
Miss Greenwood then became engaged
to vohn y. Miller and the date of the
wedding was set.
She says that April Lewis came
out to see her at the school and that
on the car on the return to Moline he
referred to their former engagement
and told her he was determined to
marry her. She upbraided him for
talking thus i'll a public place. April
: she went to her sisters in Milan.
Lewis came there, repeating his pre-
vious remarks, and announced that
he was going to get a license. ne did
SO, at Cambridge, in Henry county.
The next morning he met her in Rock
Island as she got off the street car
from Milan while on her way to the
school. He walked with her, and
when within block of the Methodist
parsonage, told her he had a license
and that they were to be married.
She says she was so overcome and in
such fear by reason of his threats of
revenge that she consented and that
she had no previous inkling that the
man was in earnest But this is
where there seems to be some con-
fusion of facts.
Another License Secured.
According to Rev Williams the cou-
pie appeared before him the evening of
April with a license from Henry
county. He told them that he could
not perform the ceremony unless they
had a certificate from the Rock Island
county clerk. Accordingly the young
woman said she would &c back to her
home, and that they then left. The
next morning the two again appeared
before the minister with license
from Rock Island county, and the
minister married them. According to
Rev. Williams the young woman did
not seem excited or to be laboring
under any particular mental agita-
ton. She told the minister's wife
that she was Il little tired, but there
seemed to be no evidence of the facts
set forth in the document filed i'll the
circuit clerks Office yesterday.
Went on to School.
Miss Greenwood says that after the
ceremony she went on to school as
usual and that Lewis returned to his
home. Since that time she has never
cohabited with him, though he has
continually pressed her to do so. On
the Friday following the wedding he
came to her and compelled her to go
to the home of his parents in South
Moline township, but she refused to
remain with him.
She represents that she was not a
party to the contract of marriage and
asks that the same should be annull-
ed. Her attorney is Joseph b. Oak
leaf, of Moline.
Hincher Divorce Suit.
Through Attorney II. NJ. McCasl1rin
Mrs. Anna Hincher has filed suit for
divorce from her husband, Hugo
Hincher, on the grounds of adultery.
She states that they were married
April Z, 1895, and have one child, a
daughter years old. In the words
of the document, her husband has
become bartender, under the police
regulations of the city of Rock Isl
and as allowed. tolerated and encour-
aged by political parties" women of
evil reputation are kept in saloons for
immoral purposes, and she accuses
her husband of consOrting with wo-
men. She asks the custody of the
child and such other relief as the
court may deem just and equitable in
the premises.
Mrs Sophia Fitzpatrick. of Milan,
has sued to recover $1,000 from the
Travellers Insurance company, of
Hartford. Conn, her husband, the late
Joseph Fitzpatrick, havingsheld a pol
icy in the company for that amount,
Tho