Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-09-12
ARREST THE GIRL
Phoebe coons, Who Figures in
Matrimonial Tangle, Held
by Police.
INFORMATION NOW SOUGHT
Authorities Trying to Learn Exact Sit
uation From Her Home Town
Tells Her Story.

Phoebe Coons, or as she gave her
name here. Dorothy Holmes, now Mrs.
Edward Swathwood, whose marital en-
tanglements were mentioned in The
Argus exclusively last evening, was ar
rested in Davenport last evening with
Oscar Long, a 19-yeaT-old Moline boy.
and she is now held at the Davenport
house of detention pending an investi-
cation of her case. Word has been
sent to Swan Greek and Table Grove,
Ill, giving the situation here and ask
ing for information as to whether or
not she had been divorced from John
Beatty when she was married here
Saturday to Edward SwathwOod of this
city. Long was released after he ex-
planned that he had taken the girl from
the Swathwood home here on her rep
resenting that she had been forced
into a marriage with the Rock Island
young man and that he and his family
were abusing her.
The Girls story.
In police court this morning the girl
said that she was but 10 years of age.
though the record of the marriage Ii
cense at the county clerks office here
gives her age as IS. She said she was
married year ago At Swan Greek, and
that her husband had left her and was
again married She said she left home
and came to Rock Island To the Swath
wood home, and that while here Ed
ward SwathwoCd insisted on her be
coming his wife. but that she refused
She said that finally she was prevailed
- a.v.rfa r,..I
and that they went together to secure
the license The girl declares that she
gave her name TO the clerk as Phoebe
Coons. but that the clerk incorrectly
wrote it Dorothy Holmes. She states
and with apparent tTuthfulness, that il
was Swathwood that give the informa
ton to the license clerk preliminary to
the issuing OF the license.
Accompanied Moline Man.
Monday evening, she says. the Moline
young man came TO the SwathwOod res
idence to see her. and that when she
told him of her marriage to Swath-
wood. they quarreled. and he finally |
took her from the house TO prevent her
being subjected to any abuse.
The couple We're arrested in a park !
yesterday ON serious charge. Tele- /
grams have now been sent to the girls
mother. and she is held awaiting de-
velopments. Letters have been sent !
from this city asking for information Z
regarding former matrimonial alliances |
of the girl. She seems to have said !
that she was not divorced from John !
Beatty. and again to have declared that
she had secared a divorce
Boys Mother Talks
Mrs SWathwOod. mother of the young
man to whom the girl was married Sat
urday, this morning again told the story
of the events here, practically as told |
yesterday in The Argus. Through 4
misunderstanding, il was thought that
the girl had admitted both the mar
rage to John Beatty. the certificate of
which led to the discovery of the tan
gle. and former one. Instead she de-
clared that John Beatty had been mar
ried once before his marriage to her,
and again after he deserted her.
Mrs. SwathwoOd. though she did not
have the papers. said that the certifi-
cate showed that the marriage had TAX
en- place at Swan Creek, before JUS
tice LiPty. May IL. 1905, and the wit
nesses, as she remembered the names,
were a Mr.. and Mrs. NJ. c. McCammon
She states that the girl declared EN-
phatically that she had never been mar