The sun., 1904-12-04
A KENTUCKY BELLIES ANGER.
FOR MANY YEARS 1T HAS PUR-
SUED u. ID. WURTSBAUGH.

BY Error He Married Her Three Weeks
--ChiyalrOus Kentucky Governors Aid
Her In Her Campaign Against Him.
DEs MONIES, Dec. 3.---Hell hath no fury
like a woman soorned' But when that
woman is a Kentucky belle, the fury is a
little worse than usual. At least that is
the opinion of j. D. Wurtsbaugh, an Iowa
lawyer and politician
For over ten years now he has been fight
ing an attempt to take him back to Kentucky
for trial on charge Of bigamy brought
by Miss Teresa E. Jones' his former wife,
now a resident OF 0wensboro, Ky. The
chivalrous Governors Of Kentucky have
issued requisition papers for him, but for
the third time an Iowa Governor has this
week refused to permit his extradition.
On Feb. 81, 1884. Wurtsbaugh became
the husband Of Stella A. Rowland in Oregon.
Their married life was not happy. and they
separated within year He came East
and she began divorce proceedings
He received letter from friend saying
that the divorce had been granted, and on
the strength Of this he married in Kentucky
Miss Jones, whom he had met at Columbus
Oity, Ind. where he was practising law.
The marriage took place on the first day Of
April 1885. Wurtsbaugh thinks now that
he made mistake in having the ceremony
performed on All Fools Day.
Mr.. and Mrs. Wurtsbaugh lived happily
enough for five or six years Then Wurts-
baugh accidentally learned that while he
was married to Miss Jones on April /,
1885, the divorce granted to his first wife
in Oregon was not signed until April 20,
1885, and that he had for a space Of just
three weeks been the possessor Of two wives.
The matter worried him. He thought Of the
possibilities of being prosecuted for bigamy
if some enemy should get hold Of the facts,
and lines of care appeared about his face
while his hair began to turn gray.
Soon his wife noticed the change which
had come over him. She questioned him
about his trouble. but he attributed it to
business cares. She insisted every day
on learning what worried him. Finally
he told her
She was horrorstricken. and for weeks
refused to believe him. She went to her
parents for advice. They told her to asoer-
tain first il her husband had told her the
truth. If true she was advised to leave
him.
Investigate she did, and she learned that
the first wife had obtained a divorce on the
ground OF cruelty. After that she refused
to live with her husband. Not only could
she not forgive him for deceiving her, but
also she did not want 10 take chances by
living with a man whose first wife had got
n divorce on the charge OF cruelty.
divorce with alirnony The husband
made no resistance and agreed to pay her
$50 month while ne lived. But his pfac-
tice fell OF and hts- money. gaye out and he
stopped Paying 4ss,,hIas sln,oIy. Ey..,,v ,.r,n Mr..
wurtsbaugh got a Judgment against him
in Nebraska. but he had nothing to collect
upon. He fed from the judgment to Iowa.
settling at Fonda. His former wife pur-
sued him again with alimqny judgments:
He refused to pay them, Under the laws
Of Iowa he was not liable.
Mrs. Wurtsbaugh then tried q new tack.
She began prosecution IN kentucky on a
charge OF bigamy. That was over four
years ago. she had an officer sent to Iowa
wouldn't come and Gov. Shaw declined to
make him. When Gov. Cumrnins was in
stalled in office the Governor OF Kentucky
issued a requisition for Wurtsbaugh, For
a second time the requisition was not
honored.
This week. for third time, came a requi
sition from the Kentucky Executive. This
time the papers were backed up by Grand
Jury Indictment for bigamy.
Attorney General Mullan made a thorough
and reported to the Gov
ernor that Wurtsbaugh could not be re-
turned. He does not believe that the Iowa
man was an intentional bigamist. The fact
that the prosecution was not begun until
twenty years after the alleged crime was
committed is another point found in Wurts-
baughs favor. And the resentment Of the
Eeptucl-v bella efa = % Of fhe refIisel Of her
ex-husband to pay alimony il found to be
lack Of the entire nroceedings.