Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-05-18
TRAGEDY N REAL LIE
Iowa Farmer Assumed False
Name After DESERVING His
Wife In Wales
CASE BEFORE SUPREME COURT
This is the Case of Susanna casley VS..
B. Mitchell, Involving the Estate of
John Wallace, an Honored Calhoun
County Farmer-Lower Courts De-
creed Deserted Wife His Widow.
.nee.a, TO Times-Repub,ican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, May 1S.-One week from
today the supreme court will be asked
| to listen to arguments in one of the
strangest case that has ever been
passed upon by the supreme court.
1t is a case which reveals romance
of two continents and covering more
than forty years of time. This is the
case of Susanna Casley VS.. Is. f. Mitch
| ell, from Calhoun county, a case involv-
| This John Wallace was farmer who
| had a comfortable estate and had lived
! respected and honored among his fell
lows for many years, good member
of the Presbyterian church and husband
| of Il good wife. After he had died the
story was waited to the Iowa praTies
] that Wallace was not his real name and
1 that many years before he had de-
tserted a wife in Wales and that she
was still living. When the news reach
| ed the town of Rockwell City there were
many whisperings and the little Pres
lbyterian church where Wallace had
/ worshiped was almost broken up. And
/ finally a case was brought TO trial in
court in which one Susanna Casley.
PRESIDENT of the village of ST. Just, in
iCornwall was decreed to be the law
full widow of the John Wallace who had
/ died in Iowa. There was evidence which
! showed that John Casley had left this
wife some forty years ago and had
come to America, that he was miner,
! that he changed his name to Wallace,
/ that he was joined by Mrs. Wallace
and they passed rs man and wife, tnat
tthey lived in various places In Iowa and
lin Colorado, that from time to time
1.-The story of the desertion OF Susanna
| Casley had followed Wallace and men
who had known him in CORNWALL
! seemed 10 meet him in many places.
! Finally ne leit the mines AMI beciitne
| q farmer and found rest. The argu-
ments of the attorneys as printed, indi-
cate that there was great deal OF
feeling about the matter in Calhoun
county for the attorneys for Mrs. Wal
ilace show that the others have q suit
for $1,000 pending against Mrs. Casiey
for attorney fees in case they win out,
while the attorneys for Mrs Casiey
quote letters from the Others in which
they sought to buy off the Cornwall
claimant for $500 if she would ignore
her attorneys and settle. The case
lis noted for oral argument 1t is one
of the many life romances that turn UP
in the courts for settlement.
An investigation is in progress in
this city by a bar committee appointed
by the four judges of the district court,
and it is confidently believed that this
investigation will have Il wholesome eff
feet in clearing the atmosphere around
the courts There have been so many
rumors of corruption or attempts at
corruption that the judges felt they
could not longer ignore them and or
dered Il. general investigation. The bar
committee was composed of the best
and cleanest of the lawyers and 1t
was given authority to do whatever
may seem best to get at any form Of
corruption or wrong doing by lawyers
or others in relation to the courts. The
investigation has taken wide scope. |
Not only have the several cases in
which bribery was hinted at been inVes- |
tigated but many others and the gen
eral conduct of well known schemers
and tricksters has been inquired into. |
Attorneys who have been conspicuous
in corruption work have been inNesti-
gated and one especially who is known |
as a great corporation lawyer but whose
work has been of the coarsest kind
is under surveillance. The commit |
tee members have not indicated what
they have found but have given out |
sly hints that they would bring in /
sensational report duplicating some of |
the big ones. 1t is certain that the |
investigation came none too soon and |
the people of Des Moines are hoping |
that evidence will be secured to end !
the work of quite 4 number OF those |
who have been doing business in the |
local courts.
Judge Robinson, who attended the /
national meeting of the charities and |
corrections people at Atlanta, took part |
in the discussion relating to the board |
of control or Capitalization system. He
found that the eastern specialists We're
all generally opposed to it and without
exception insisted on MISUNDERSTANDING
or misrepresentation the system. But
the western people are nearly all for 1t.
The eastern people, however, agreed
that the movement is taking deep root
and that some form of Capitalization
of the work is inevitable in all the
state institutions of the country.
The Des Moines newspaper writer's
have formed a union or central organ
ization for social benefit and TO i'm
prove their condition. They VIII be af
filiated with the International Typo
graphical union and will be governed
by it's rules The movement has been
contemplated long time but not start
ed until recently and it promises to
be of permanent effect ana OF great
benefit TO them. The organization Is in
the hands of conservative men and
women. for there are those of both
sexes belonging, and the membership
includes most of the active newspaper
writers OF the city.
The matter Of the selection OF pres
ident for the State college at Ames
was put off until June IL, when it is
stated that the board will come to