The Bowbells tribune. [volume] (Bowbells, Ward Co., N.D.) 1899-1969, 1913-11-28
CONVICT OARES ALL
FOR BRIDES HONOR
STATE PENITENTIARY WALLS
DARKEN ROMANCE LIVED
IN TWO COUNTRIES.

Bismarck, N. D., Nov. 25.-The
honeymoon of an international ro
nance. begun in sunny Saskatoon
and continued in Minnesota, was
darkened forever yesterday by the
prison walls of the, North Dakota
penitentiary, when A. M. Greenfield
clerk of the district court, from
Fessenden, brought William McBain,
20, to the state prison and placed
his girl wife, Margaret McBain, ,16,
in the custody of Humane Officer
Blake.
McBain was arrested near Fes-
senden Monday, pleaded guilty to
the charge of committing a criminal
operation on his wife, and was SEN
fenced to an indeterminate term in
prison by Judge Coffey at Valley
City.
The conviction was prefaced by a
pitiful boy and girl love story that
took two years in the telling and
led the lovers through two states
and a province in Canada before
ending at last in the shame of a
prison stain.
Nearly two years ago McBain
went to Canada to work on a claim.
Margaret Walker, mere child then,
just budding into womanhood, liv-
ed on the next farm. The boy and
the girl loved with all the thought
less impetuosity of children. They
pictured little cottage some
where. where they two could live
alone.
Thought Couple Too Young.
The girls parents only smiled at
the romance. Their baby was far
too young, they said, to think of
getting married. But the boy and
the girl were determined. i! One
night last summer Margaret stole
away from her home and the two
went to Fessenden.
But there they only encountered
more trouble. McBain's relatives
declared he was too young to marry.
Then came the darkest chapter of
the story. The crimson smirch OF
shame was hanging over the little
girl woman.
McBain was frantic. Rather
would he have faced prison a hun
dred times than have disgrace come
upon the girl he loved better than
life or freedom itself. The couple
went to Moorhead in the hope that
the Minnesota laws would be more
lenient with them. But here, too,
the clerk of the district court re-
fused to issue a marriage license
tc the slip of a girl and the strip
ling boy with the fearful fugitive
look in their eyes.
McBain and the girl went back to
Fessenden. Something had to be
dine to avert the terrible nightmare
of shame that threatened. McBain
dared not trust a physician. That,
he felt, would be to place the hon
or of his sweetheart in another's
keeping. So he procured drugs
and administered themb and the
awful danger was averted.
Refused License.
Still the pair were unhappy.
Their dream Of little home Of
their own was still unrealized. A
few weeks after the trip to Moor
head they went to Crookston, and
there, last October, they were mar
ried and went back to Fessenden,
happy and contented at last.
For nearly month McBain and
his girl bride lived on the farm OF
his brother, Henry McBain, as happy
IS two people could be.
/. Then someone discovered their s'e-
,ret. An; investigation was made,
followed by a complaint to the au--
and a warrant was issued
FOR the boy husbands arrest. Of
icers came and the romance was
over.
81 IN vain did the broken hearted
,hild bride cling to her husband.
ID vain did she weep and beg Of the
,fticers to spare the boy she loved
With all her heart and soul.
.rime had been commit tilted and the. .
10Y and girl must pay the penalty.
B To-day the childish dream Of q,
title cottage with the tender, de-
,oted girl he loved seems very,
cry far away to the bowed boy sit
ing with misty eyes in g narrow
ell at; the state prison.
Miles away sobbing broken
,irl is: thin king. too, on the shatter-
ID dream cottage and dreadfng the
morning B, when she must wake In q
loma that charity has founded tosl
eform fallen wone