The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-01-27
AN ELOPEMtNT
AND A MYSTERY
Wife Leaves Her Children,
Then Comes Back,
SAYS SHE WAS DRUGGED
Admits She Did Wrong ng---Neighbrs Suspec
Who Her Partner Was, He Has Not
Seen Seen Since.
Especial to News and Observer)

Especial to News and Observer)
Rutherfordton, n. c., Jan. 26.-An
clopement which has caused much tai'
has just come to light in this county
Saturday morning, January 10TH Mr.. Bud
Clemment left his home on Broad River
and went to visit his mother on Camp
Creek. He left his wife and five child :
rem at home. That night, or early the
following morning, before day, the eigh
teen months old baby awoke and began
crying for its mother. The older of the
five children took the child to another
room where its mother was supposed to
have been, she telling the children she
would sleep in another room that night
and get a good rest. The children found
no mother nor any signs of her in the
room Here the children remained unit
the following morning when they CAV
the alarm to some of the near neigh
bors. Mr.. Clemment was sent for and he
and his father-fn-law Mr.. J. w. Guffey,
began diligent search for the missing
woman, going to almost every place in
she might have gone, but all efforts to as
certain her whereabouts were fruitless.
On the Saturday afternoon of the same
day that Mr.. Clenment went to his moth
ers', Joe Smawley, a married man, who
has wife and one child, and who is a
close neighbor to- the Clemments, was
seen at Mr.. Clemment's house talking to
his wife, so the children stated. They
fa nc ff1S az hal
there all the afternoon He too was miss
ing the next day and could not be found
This led Mr.. Clemment to believe that hi
wife had deserted him and the children
and had eloped with Smawley, and the
search. then followed, but as above, with
out success
The following Monday night at a late
hour. Mr.. Clemment, his father in law and
children were seated in Mr.. Clemment's
house, discussing the matter as to the fu-
ture course to pursue. when Mrs. Glenn
ment was heard to speak in an adjoin-
ing room. She had returned. but from
where she did not wish to tell at that
moment. Mr.. Clemment demanded that
she tell the story, and she proceeded say
ing Smawley was there that night and gave
her some kind of m~'I;c.ne. she did not
know what. for neuralgia, as he said. and
that she knew no more until she was five
miles from home towards Landrum, in
Polk county. Hero she says she came to
her right mind and broke down, begging
Smawley to let ter return to her child
den. She SAYS Scnawlev would not con-
sent to this and dragged her on towards
Tryon. Finally, she says, Sunday night
she got away from him and walked home
She confessed that she mad wronged and
begged her husband for forgiveness, bu
he turned shis back to her pleas and sent
all his children except the baby TO his
brothers to live, and told her she could
not live in his home longer, and to re
move at once. She was then taken to her
fathers, where she has been since her
return
Mrs. Clemment upon her return gave
her husband the small vial of medicine
which she says Smawley had given her
for neuralgia which has been sent to Raj
eigh to have analyzed by the chemical
authorities there to ascertain just what
the vial did contain.
From the fact that Smawley had never
been seen to pay Mrs Clemment any at
tention before, and that she returned and
produced the medicine all the nor
makes her statemeho plausible but there
are things connected with this story that
are yet to be unearthed. Just what
they are. may never be known. Why
should Mrs. Clemment leave her five chill
dren and Glope with a man whom she
had paid little or no attention? No one
can. or has said, that Mr.. Clemment has
mistreated his wife
Mr.. Clement is a hard working man.
He has been in the saw mill business for
sometime and has realized quite a COM
Portable margin outside his daily expen-
ditures. He has sold all his property and
other effects since the trouble and says
ne is going to Maine to live
Since Mrs Clemment returned Mr.
Clemment has been on the lookout fo
smawley, but not up to today has he lai
eyes on the man. Friends of Mr.. Glenn
heht say should he ever run acros
0ihawiey, there will be trouble.
But where is Smawley?" is the oues
,ion tndt goes from lip to lip each day
IL is stated that he returned to his home
on the same night Mrs C-lonn,an+ Ala
nut lett early the following morning for
p'i,s Unknown. Some say he has gone
10 washington and others say to Hot
0rings. he has left that section that is
one thing certain.
IL is stated that Smawley hal heen
drinking heavily for some months and
ust before he and Mrs. Clemment went
he borrowed, or his wife gave To him
Sf5-0O TO go to the Kelley Institute AZ
Greensboro to be cured of the wbiskex
habit
We are told when Smakley's wife wa.
asked about the matter she said she "did
not blame him much, that he was easily
influenced anyway