The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-02-09
OSKALOOSA MAN
HAS TWO WIVES
CHARGE OF 5lGAMY BROUGHT
AGAINST IRA JOHNSTON.
IN TOLLS AT MARsHALLTowN
Had Wife Living At Melbourne Wher
He Married Again in Muscatine
Innocent Newspaper Item
Lets Cat Out of Bag.

Lets Cat Out of Bag.
Marshalltown, Feb. tine publict
ton Of an innocent little item in tn
newspapers on the evening Of Janr
airy 81, has brought grief to Ira Johns
ton of Muscatine, a young man fol
merly living at Oskaloosa, who recent
ly married Miss Margaret Espersen
of this city,at Muscatine. 1t is claim
ed that Johnstons legal wife is Mrs
Mabel A. Johnston, living near Me-
bourne, who, prior to ner marriage
was Mabel Gowdy, daughter of tn,
late j. r, Gowdy. Johnston, charged
with bigamy, was placed under ar
rest at Muscatine Thursday night.
The misunderstanding item was a!
follows:
Through the visit of Mrs. Ira
Johnston, who was formerly Miss
Margaret Espersen, to her par
ents, Mr.. and Mrs. j. p. Espersen,
500 South Sixth stree, was made
public the fact of her marriage
p w Ahls OoiAAoIOlt ~ 41uSIdlllCs Oh
January 4. Mrs. Johnston arriv-
ed in the city Saturday, and sur
prised her parents by the news of
her marriage. Mr.. Johnston
came Sunday, and left for his
home this morning, but Mrs.
Johnston win remain for a long.
er visit. Prior to her marriage
Mrs. Johnston had been clerking
in a dry goods store in Muscatine
for four or five months. Her hus-
band is a cigar maker"
While the above was read with in
terest by the friends of Miss Esper-
sen in this city, the news at Mel
bourne, or at least in a certain Mel
bourne family, was of more interest.
Il did not take the Gowdy household
long to determine upon the course of
action, and Thursday morning C. S.
Gowdy, brother of Mrs. Mabel A.
Johnston, filed in Justice w. M.
Clark's court, an information charg-
ing Ira Johnston with bigamy. Sher-
III Hutson wired the sheriff of Musca-
tine county, informing him that he
had a warrant for Johnston's arrest,
and at z o'clock Thursday evening
received a telegram from Muscatine
announcing Johnston's arrest. Sher.
III Hutson left for Muscatine at 1870,
to take his prisoner in charge.
Iohnston's First Marriage.
A4@TfSgc of Ira A. Johnston to
Mabel "A. Gowdy took place on June
20, 1900, and they lived together un-
til Jan. 4, 1901. At the time Of Mrs.
Johnston's marriage she was 10.
years of age. Mrs. Johnston has one
son, Jesse F. Johnston, who was born
May s, 1901. Mrs. Johnston filed a.
petition for divorce in the district
court, charging cruel and inhuman
treatment, and specifying a most seri-
Ous variety Of cruelty which the de.
PENDANT, in his answer, denied. The
cases the work of one society was a
on April 80, 1902, the petition was
at the plaintiffs costs, to.
which the plaintiff excepted.
The Second Marriage.
On January 4, 1905, Johnston took
as his bride Margaret Espersen, Of
this city, daughter of Mr.. and Mrs.
John p. Espersen. Miss Espersen
has been making her home in Musca-
tine during recent months, and upon
her marriage wanted to let her par
ents know Immediately. 1t is claim.
she was persuaded by Johnston to
keep the wedding a secret for a time,
and compiled with the request. The
marriage was not made public, there
lore, until the visit of the young peo-
pie here a few days ago. The mem.
1ers Of Miss Espersen's family did
attempt to keep the fact of the
wedding a secret, and made their
acquainted with the news OIL
ne wedding, when they were them
informed. Johnston left this
,ity for tuscaloosa, where relatives
eside, last Tuesday morning, and his
wife joined him in Oskaloosa the fol-
owing day, leaving here Wednesday
morning. Johnston and his young
wife had arrived in Muscatine only a
hort time before the formers arrest
vas accomplished.
Sheriff Hutson is expected to ar
i've in the city this evening from
.duscatine, with Johnston in custody.