A FAMILY REUNION

THRELKELD, ROOSEVELT, SHORT, CHURCH, SMITH, MARSHALL

Posted By: David (email)
Date: 12/9/2004 at 12:31:02

The Chariton Leader, Chariton, Iowa
Thursday, February 21, 1907

When President Roosevelt reads the following passage in human life it is to
be hoped he will not instruct his Attorney General to look up the law and
try to exclude The Leader from circulation through the mails, startling as
the narrative may be. A few days since, a couple of men, accompanied by two
women, drove into town, looking somewhat like pilgrims. They hitched their
steed to the chain on the west side of the square, where it remained most of
the day, they scattering about town. Later they rendezvoused in an empty
house in the northwest part of the city, but an enemy seems to have spread
the news of their presence, as a telegram came to the officials here to hold
them. The Sheriff of Jasper County seemed interested and also a man at
Nevada, Iowa, named ANDY SHORT, saying that they were elopers; that one of
the women was his wife and the younger one, a daughter.

The men were placed in jail. The cast of characters in this drama are: ANDY
SHORT, the aggrieved husband and father, MRS. ANDY SHORT -- or MAUD, the
wife untrue, ROSA SHORT, the misguided daughter, JOE CHURCH, clandestine
son-in-law of SHORT and J.H. SMITH, paramour of MRS. SHORT and the wrecker
of a home. But to get a thorough understanding further explanation is
necessary.

MAUD, the eloping wife, was the second wife of SHORT and is stepmother to
ROSA. MRS. SHORT -- or MAUD -- and JOE CHURCH were brother and sister and
cousins to ROSA, the daughter. SHORT was an uncle of SMITH, therefore he
eloped with his aunt by marriage. There may have been some other
combinations, but the human mind is not broad enough to retain them, so this
is deemed sufficient to establish the fact that it was a family reunion.

MR. SHORT arrived from Nevada, on Saturday, reproached his wife, buying her
a ticket to her parental home at Newton, saying they would be as strangers
hereafter. His daughter was given the privilege of returning home with him,
which she did. The Sheriff of Jasper County arrived, Monday, taking CHURCH
to Newton, where he must answer to the charge of horse stealing, which
occurred last October. SMITH has disappeared, being released from custody,
SHORT not caring to prosecute his nephew -- this is the long and short of it

The outfit left Nevada last October and have been wandering about ever since
sleeping in straw stacks, school houses or wherever they could find shelter
and when captured were on their way back to Newton. ROSA was not of
marriageable age but she and CHURCH had formed the vows clandestinely in
Kansas City, a few weeks since. They were all well enough appearing people
but seem to have been enjoying a little "high life" ala Thaw and White. JOE
CHURCH and MAUD SHORT are niece and nephew of MRS. RACHEL MARSHALL, of this
city, and she is the one who "blowed."

About a year ago CHURCH came here and boarded with his aunt, afterwards
jumping his bill. When he arrived in town, the other day, she got after her
beloved nephew and told him that something had to be done. They mortgaged
their horse, wagon and harness to J.D. Threlkeld and paid her, but the "cat
was out of the bag," which precipitated the family gathering.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert
November 29, 2004
iggy29@rnetinc.net