Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-01-28
WILL HAVE EXCUSES
REV. TAYLOR HINTS THAT della.
WARE MARRIAGE WAS CASE
OF " WILD OATS"
The Court In That Eastern State Has
Found That the Ceremony Was Val
Id, However, and the Result Is An
Innocent Iowa Woman's Disgrace.

Sigourney, Jan. 26. Especially =
That his marriage to a woman in Del
aware was case of wild oats" is the
claim Rev. l. B. Taylor in Jail here on
the charge Of bigamy will make, &C
cording to the hints he gives when
.lewspaper men attempt to interview
lin. To them all he answers that the
accusations made against him are mis-
taken ones and that he will be able to
clear himself when his trial is called.
Whether this is true remains to be
seen and when the next term of the
Keokuk county district court convenes
Mr.. Taylor's case will be one of the
most important on the docket. 1t is
said that the woman to whom Rev.
Taylor was married first and who
therefore is his lawful, wife, lives in
Delaware. He was tried at Whining
ton some weeks ago for deserving her
and was ordered by the court to pay
his wife S25 on the first day Of each
month. When he failed to carry out
fined in the Wilmington workhouse
Here Sheriff, John Baty of Keokuk
county found him when he went to
make the arrest on the Indictment
charging Rev. Taylor with bigamy
This indictment was drawn upon In
formation furnished by the father OF
the preachers second wife. Miss
Graves Of Martinsburg.
The saddest part of the story is evil
dent when it is viewed from this young
woman's standpoint. Once the pref,
test and most popular girl in Martins.
burg, Miss Graves was wooed by
many. The debonair young preacher
won her from his rivals, and soon
were married. They lived. at ). ut
Pleasant. and to all IDpearances the,
were very happy. Finally, Mr.. Tay
lois brother. who knew Of his first
matrimonial alliance, came to visit a
Mt. Pleasant. and found the preacher
married TO Miss Graves. He accused
his brother, but was sworn to secrecy
Later, however, it is said, he was tolG
to leave the house by the young wife
who objected to his lazy habits, and
| this is said to have been the cause fol
his -journeying to Delaware there tc
report that his own Mnsman was q
bigamist.
Arrests followed, and Mr.. Taylor was
taken back to Wilmington to stand
trial. His wife, realizing her position
and knowing for the first time that she
had no right to the name of Taylor
tried to hide from public gaze, and tool
refuge in the home Of relatives at New
London. There she still lives with he
two babies, one of whom was born af
| ter the arrest of the father.
That this woman, still young ant
beautiful in spite Of her trials, mus
endure all the rest of her life, thu
jeers of an unfeeling public, and tina
these children must grow up and q
out into the world to fight not onl.
against poverty but against dishono
for which they are not responsible.
Rev. Taylor is young man, will b.
26 years of age the first day of Feb
ruary. He makes good appearance
has fine shaped forehead and an ey
indexing determined spirit. In re
cent interview he talked of himself il
a way that would lead one to thin
there had been some great mistake
made and he seemingly has perfec
confidence in himself to clear u
things SO that people will soon be abb
to understand all mysteries and acct
sations now covering his good name.