Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-01-18

Chicago, Ill, Jan. 18.-With every
one of the wives" of Rev. James Nor
rison Darnell now intent upon prose
cutting him under the bigamy laws or
the Mann white slave act, and with
the state and federal authorities care
fully looking up the evidence against
him. the prospects for the preacher
whose double life was exposed in Ke-
nosha, Wis, last week do not grow
brighter
Mrs Ethel Sturgeon Darneu, Of
Avon, III, who says DarneIl married
her in December, 1911, in Chicago, is |
aiding the detectives who are gather !
ing evidence against the minister.
Il am afraid it is true that I was not |
legally married to Mr.. Darnel, al |
though [ did not know it at the time, /
nor for several months after said /
the young woman. I'VE went to Chi |
cago on Dec. II. 1911, to get married. |
I'VE went to the county clerks Of
fee and obtained a marriage license.
From there we went 10 a private home
where Mr. Darnell said some of
his friends lived. The ceremony was
performed by man who represented
himself 20 be a minister. l do not re-
member the minister's name nor the
place where the ceremony was per
formed.
I'VE were given a marriage certif-
cate which I supposed was all right.
NIr. DarneTI has this in his possession,
which leaves me no proof OF our mar
iage, All the time I lived in the city
If Owatonna [ believed I was his legal
wife and endeavored in every way to
perform my duties as such.
q did not stay with him long until I
,egan TO suspect that he was paying
.ttention to another young woman. a.,
shortly after that ] came home to
-isit MY parents in Avon. While here ,
received a letter purpordng to come :
rom a lawyer in Minneapolis stating
hat ! was not Darnell's legal wife
till have the letter.
THAT was the first intimation
yer had that my marriage was not S
sgal. and the shock nearly killed me S
have never lived with him since b
hen. feel that he has greatly wrong C
d me and deserves TO be severely b
Doris Helen Vaughn Darneu the p
7-year-oId Chicago girl who says she ii
as married TO the preacher on Nov. st
last and who a few days ago testi- 81
ed her undying devotion to him has m
arted divorce proceedings. Darnell IL
lys he really wasn't married to her, pl
I'd that none of his marriages was
gal. CT
Another girl victim of DarueH is al
NV an inmate of the State Reforma- hi
ry for Girls in Minnesota, according
dispatches from Owatonna. the
,me of Ruth Soper Darnell. the Min
9sota wife who has a five months q
d baby. The report is that this girl =
Is made a statement holding Oar ~
n responsible for her downfall re
Members of the state board of CON o'
ol,in charge of the Teformatory. re- s'
Sc to divulge the name of the girl,
u it has been given out that she 60
ears Darnell ruined her life while D,
was pastor of the church she at ~,
lded and later induced her to go 10 90
nneapoIis and enter a life of shame NJ
This new information along with
Ter evidence of interstate trips =
'ough Illinois, Wisconsin and Min -
sofa with the Soper girl and Ethel ID
urgeon Darnell has been placed in ID
: hands of Hinton G. Clabaugh of
= department of Justice. who IS in
arge If the investigation of Oar
Is alleged violation Of the white
We traffic act