Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-12-15
HAVE FAITH IN
WOMAN HUSBAND /"
FRIENDS OF MRS. CHURCH
DOUBT DECEIT IN PECULIAR
sioux CITY CASE.
ATTAINED SOME SUCCESS /
AS WRITER OF FICTION
Has Written Several More or Less
Successful Stories-Mrs. Church
Center Point-Brother at Mason
City Goes to Investigate Charges.

Special TO Times Republican.
Center Point, Dec. 15.--Mrs. Agnes
M. Church, wife OF the chief distrib-
uting clerk in the Sioux City postof-
flee, who was arrested Monday at
Sioux City charged with having play
ed the role of another woman's hus-
band for three years, Is well known
here and often as a young girl i'm
personated boys OF her acquaintance
successfully.
She comes of prominent family
here, the Pearsall family. her father
having been at one time mayor of
the town. Mrs. Church is a novelist.
having written several novels land
short stories, her first novel having.
been named 1.-THE Gardenaof-Eaitl...
a work in which many Center Point
characters were fictioniZed and al
forwards recognized.
! "'rhe Garden Of Faith" was written
by Mrs. Church while at Sioux City
under the nom de plume of Clifton
E. Revere. her brothers picture hay
ing been used on the little page as
that of the author. The novel is one
depicting rural life and character,
the scene having been laid near Cen
ter Point and several of it's charac-
tiers named after people at one time
well known here. The theme is lofty
and the chapters are filled with bibli-
cal s.llusion.
Brother Doubts Wrong Doing.
That Mrs. Church has done any
thing wrong is denied by brother.
p. n. PearsalL photographer at Ma
son City. Mr.. Pearsan says he was
IN the Church home less than three
years ago and that his sisters hus-
band was living with her as her hps-
band, that he is we'll known IN Sioux
City, and that he also met another
woman by the name Of Dora" who
was staying with the family, wom-
on he believes who came from Chero-
kee.
This woman, says the brother,
knew Mr.. Church WAS Mrs Churchis
husband. She also saw Mrs. Church
attired as woman while he was at
home, he says. The two collaborated
in writing, often getting up In the
middle of the night when inspiration
came to them to write. Dora" SUPP
plying the description and MIRA
Chur,h. Agnes as the brother calls
her. the narration.
With the money obtained from the
sale Of her first novel Mrs. Church
purchased an automobile. "She has
the artistic temperament" the broth
er said today, cor something like IT.
when visited her home all at once
she determined she wanted to 20 on
a trip to South Dakota. So she got
the celr and away she went late that
evening, regardless of the fact that
[ was a visitor and had not seen her
for several years. te
Hint, at Mystery Sg
That the former Linn county girl
mas done no wrong is the opinion
OF her many acquaintance here,
That there is some mystery back OF
the whole affair that not yet has
come to light is the idea entertained
by many persons here. Mrs. Church
as girl was a person imbued with
lofty ambitions, she desired to be-
como II writer and she has tried all
her married life to find success as
one. This she has accomplished to
no small degree, having written UNI
der several aliases.
It is the prevalent opinion here
that the two women hayeIbeen mas
querading bit for the purpose Oh
making study Of results that they
might write OF what has been dis.
closed. In Sioux City another sister,
formerly Lottie Pearsall. of this
place. has lived for years. That any
thing wrong could have been going
on for the past three years without
this sisters knowledge is much
doubted here. Lottie was graduated
from the Center Point high school
and is thirty years old.
Mr.. 1oearsall left Mason City fof
Sioux City at midnight last night to
investigate the mystery.