The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1915-05-13
MRS. VAUGHN As STAR WITNESS
Mother Of sonly Woman He Ever
We'd Tells of Her aPstor Son-in-
Law as Government Rests It's Case
Today-Mother Takes the Stand.
(By a Staff Correspondent

Milwaukee, May 12-The govern
ment rested this forenoon in the trial
of James Morrison Darnell, Kenosha s
passionate parson, and the defense in
stantly moved directed verdict for
DarneH on the ground that the gov
eminent had not proved that Darnell
had ever transported Ruth Soper across
any state line. Judge Geiger, however,
overruled the motion and the defense
started it's side of the case by calling
Mrs. Spurgeon, mother of Ethel, who
testified that she had supposed, but
did not know, that Darnel was mar
ried to her daughter.
Before the government closed its
case, the Rev. George Ashworth, of the
Unitarian Church Fellowship Commit
tee, of Sycamore, ILL.,, was again on
the stand continuing yesterdays testi-
mony, in which he told of the manner
in which Daniel had told different
stories about his affair with Ethel
Spurgeon, whom at one time he claimed
was divorced from him, and at another
time dead.
Mrs. Anna Vaughn, mother of Oar
nell Is Chicago wife, Doris, was the star
witness, for she said Darnell told her
he had lived with another woman in
Chicago, but would not say that Ruth IS
baby was his. She said that she told
him after the marriage with Doris
and the disclosure Of the affair with
Ruth Soper, that he must marry Ruth,
and that she would then arrange for
the annulment of the Darnell marri-
age to Doris Vaughn. This closed the
government s case, and then the de-
Tense began Immediately, calling Ethel
Spurgeon' mother and then the father
of Darnell, who proceeded to Civ Oar
nell Is record as school boy student,
preacher and husband
The elder Darnell's testimony was
confined entirely in the. forenoon SEES
sion to Ethel Sturgeon, and the evil
dence he gave was that his son and
this girl were not married. When he
found this out, through the girls in
ability to produce marriage certif-
cate, he said he told them to go and
get married at once, and then they
went to Minnesota. This brings the
life of Darnen to the acquaintance
with Ruth soper, where the forenoon
session ended.
Mrs Darnell, the preachers mother,
caused one of the sensations of the
trial when she said she had visited
Ethel Sturgeon at Owatonna, and that
Ethel said she was not married and
that she would kill Darnell before she
would have child by him.
Tuesday Afternoon Session.
That the fellowship and discipline
committee of the Universalist church
refused to grant the Rev. James Morri-
son Darnell transfer of his fellowship
from Illinois to New York, because Oar
nell could not satisfy them as to his
alleged relations with Ethel Spurgeon
and Ruth Soper, was the testimony of
George H. Ashworth of Sycamore, Ill.,
secretary of the committee, at the trial
in which Darnell is charged with viola
ton of the Mann white slave act, in
federal court, Milwaukee, on Tuesday
afternoon.
Darnell told the committee, said the
witness, that he had visited Hammond,
Ind, on two occasions. On the first, he
said, he went to the home of David C.
Martin, who said: $50 this is the new
Mrs Darnella'' referring to Ruth Sop
er. Darnell made no remonstrance. Then
on the second visit Martin told Darnell
that, in consequence of this statement
and Darnell's failure to correct the i'm
preston that the woman who accom-
panied him was his wife, they were mar
ried, according TO common law mar
riage provisions in indiana, the wit
ness said the committee was told.
Produced Alleged Divorce
Darnell produced an alleged decree of
divorce from hel Sturgeon, which
was not signed by any county clerk, and
an alleged marriage certificate, intend
ed to show Darnell' 8 marriage to Ruth
Soper, signed in typwriting with the
name David G. Martin, said the witness.
These documents were rejected by the
committee as unauthentic, he said.
That Darnell married Ethel Spurgeon
in Quincy, H., using the name Of James
or Morrison Che could not remember
which,, and the girl that Of Ethel Bald
win, but that the girls relatives and
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