Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-07-18
COUPLE IN LlMElIoHTATM MASON
CITY LIVING A LIFE OF
DECEIT.
WOMAN Is WIFE OF
pEs MONIES TRAVELLING MAN
Stripe is Member of Prominent keokuk
Family Of Another Nam-constant
Guard is Kept Over Woman to Pre-.
vent Further Efforts to Destroy
Herself.
pecial to Times-Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Mason City, July 18.-If Mrs. Emma
Stripe. at least the woman who is pas
sing under that name, would only tel
all she knew, the papers could be pro-
vided, no doubt, with a mighty inter
esting article. She is about thirty
years Of age, splendid form and seem
ingly unusually brilliant A year age
she and O. man giving his name as
Harry Stripe came to this city. He was
a we'll dressed man and had no trouble
Of at once falling into a good job as q
bridgeman. They secured quarters in
the east part of the city and were fire.
quently seen and it was geenrally
thought that some very desirables had
come to town. Later Mr.. Stripe got
to drinking, hitting the cups harder
and harder. This led Mrs. Stripe to the
delivery Of special lectures which on
occasions were overheard, and their de-
livery was the admiration Of the neigh
borhood. About two weeks ago they
had clash and Mrs. Stripe was over
heard to say that she very soon would
end it all. Stripe bovled up and was
lodged in Jail. Mrs. Stripe secured a
butcher knife, razor, hat pin, strychnine
and rope, determined that earthly ex-
fstence would be ended. She gave an
mixing to one Of her close neighbors
Of what she was going to do. She
looked upon 1t as nothing wrong and
told the neighbor that she had two
brothers and a sister who had COM
mitted suicide. Physicians were sum-
moned and she was saved. She cried
frantically for Stripe and the officers
finally liberated him long enough for
him to see her. She grabbed him
about the neck and sobbed and would
hardly permit of the officers taking
him away. Then she would grab at
anything and everything near that she
could use to end her life. For forty
eight hours two men have constantly
been by her side.
Couple Not Married.
But she proves to be not Mrs. Emma
Stripe and the man passing for the
past year as Harry Stripe is not a
Stripe at all. Officers have been dill
ligent in running down all clues. It
has been ascertafned to a certainty
that she is MRS. Emma De Wess, that
they are not legally married, that she
is the wife OF John DeWess, a travel
ing man who did live at Washington,
Iowa, but is now a resident OF Des
Moines. When Stripe was put in the
sweat box this morning he admitted
that he was Some other parsonage, that
his father was man Of political prom
inence and that he would not give his
right name nor any history whatever
of the case. One gentleman Is quite
positive that Stripe" was a Keokuk
man, that his father was prominent
there, but he withheld names. Stripe"
is now serving a five days sentence for
drunkenness and as soon as the term
is served a more serious charge will be
lodged against him in connection with
this case.
The commissioners Of insanity made
a thorough examination of the condi-
ton of MRS. Stripe" but they could
find no evidence Of insanity. A guard
was kept at the house and will be
awaiting further developments.