Iowa Old Press
LeMars Semi-Weekly Sentinel
November 7, 1901
Mrs. McCaustland Wins.
The sensational McCausland divorce suit came to a sudden termination late yesterday afternoon, ending rather ingloriously for the young husband, she sought to get a liberal slice of his aged wife’s alleged fortune of $60,000. Mrs. McCaustland gets her divorce and he gets nothing.
At the conclusion of Mrs. McCausland’s evidence in her suit for divorce, the defendant’s attorney admitted the hopelessness of his case by asking for a consultation for settlement. An agreement was reached whereby Mrs. McCaustland gets her divorce without condition or the payment of a dollar except the costs of the present proceedings and the lawyers fees in one or two cases brought by her husband in Plymouth county. In addition to those she is pay the balance of a grant of $600 temporary alimony given by the court some time ago. McCaustland agrees to dismiss his two cases in Plymouth county, one of which was to compel a division of the valuable homestead farm and the other to compel her to pay him wages amounting to $2,500 for service rendered during their married state.
The defendant was swamped yesterday afternoon by the perfect claim of evidence presented by Mrs. McCaustland. Her attorneys, Geo. W. Argo and Sargeant & Ferguson, showing that McCaustland had spent most of the past summer at various South Dakota towns, Delmont and Tripp among the number, with a mysterious woman whom he held out to be his wife. Half a dozen or more witnesses were brought from South Dakota to establish this ground for divorce, and they did it completely.
All of the sensations that were produced in the preliminary pleadings materialized yesterday, and more, too. Very ardent love letters that passed between McCaustland and a niece of his aged wife soon after their marriage were read in court by Attorney Argo with much rhetorical effect. In them McCaustland sent carloads of kisses and love. Late in the afternoon, Mrs. McCaustland tried to show by her testimony that this niece and her young husband conspired to poison her and get her fortune and then marry.
The story of marriage of Mrs. McCaustland and her youthful husband is somewhat unusual. She met him in 1895. He was tramping along a highway near her farm in Plymouth county, hungry, dejected and cast down after a short term in jail. As he trudged along, the young fellow hit her fancy. She stopped him and offered him work. He accepted, climbed into her buggy and drove back to her house with her. He worked hard and seemed to grow into the woman’s favor until she proposed marriage to him and the knot was tied New Year’s day, 1896.
On their wedding trip some time later, the old lady took her strapping young husband back to Indiana with her to exhibit her catch to her folks, but this proved to be the beginning of the trouble. He met her niece, Mrs. Belle Leedy, and fell in love with her. Later she visited the Plymouth county farm and the love grew still more and led to an ardent correspondence which lasted until the young woman’s death some time later.
Tired of the marriage, both husband and wife fretted under the bonds and had quarrels without number. Both wanted to be free, but the wife wanted to keep her fortune intact for herself, while the young husband wanted a share of it, claiming that he had earned it by hard work. She commenced to harass him with criminal prosecutions and filed two different charges against him in Plymouth county, one charging him with forgery and the other with an assault with an attempt to murder. Later she brought divorce proceedings. In the divorce suit she was taxed with a $800 alimony fee before the suit was dismissed.
LeMars Sentinel
November 22, 1901
From Sioux City Journal:
MARRIED.
Mr. Sam Hemphill, of Westfield, and Miss Mae Parker of Atkinson, Neb., were
married Wednesday night at eight o'clock at the home of the bride's sister,
Mrs. Frank Prouty, of Moville, Ia. The bride comes of a good family, is well
educated and loved and respected by all who know her. Mr. Hemphill needs no
introduction to the people of Westfield and vicinity as he is well and
favorably known and is one of the firm of the Hemphill Bros. Hardware Store
at this place. They will arrive here the latter part of this week and will
make this their home. The JOURNAL joins with numerous other friends in
wishing them all the pleasure and happiness possible during their future
life. May God's richest blessings crown them both is our earnest wish.
~Transcriber Note: Their wedding date was Wednesday, November 20, 1901.
LeMars Sentinel
November 25, 1901
KINGSLEY:
C. W. Stortz and wife and Mesdames Chas. and M. Stortz were Sioux City
visitors Wednesday.
J. C. Meachem came over from Sioux City Saturday to visit relatives.
Mrs. Meachem returned home with him Sunday after a short visit with
relatives here.
F. D. Cathcart moved his family into their new home this week.
Born to T. Dean and wife, November 17, a boy.
J. R. Burton and wife visited friends at Merrill over Sunday.
Mr. Shaw and family of Early are visiting with M.F. Fell and family.
Fred Rastette, Sr., and son Fred visited at the Oltman home last week.
The ladies at the Christian church gave a chicken social at the Woodman
hall last Friday evening.
The ladies of the Congregational church will hold a handkerchief bazaar
at the rink Friday, December 6. This is something new in the way of
entertainment and promises to be an attraction.
Jno. Warner and J.F. DeWitt left this week for a trip through Oklahoma.
Jas. Cunningham of LeMars was in town this week.
Mrs. S. Fryer is receiving medical treatment at the Samaritan hospital
at Sioux City.
Walter Randall has returned home from Oklahoma.
Geo. Franzen and O.W. Bennet were LeMars visitors this week.
Mrs. Gantner of Wayne, Neb., is visiting with L.A. Dugan and wife.
Jas. Donovan, an old Kingsley resident, was in town this week. Mr.
Donovan left here in 1888.
The primary pupils are preparing a nice Thanksgiving program.
AKRON: (Special Correspondence)
John Raish returned from Billings, Mont., Wednesday where he spent his
summer vacation.
Postmaster Muhs burned his hand quite severely one morning last week
while starting fire in the office stove.
Miss Mabel Chandler and Fred Waterbury were married at the home of Mr.
and Mrs. G.W. Raish Wednesday evening. Only their relatives and a few
friends attended. They will go to housekeeping at once on their farm
northwest of town.
G. H. Wooten has been appointed town clerk to fill the vacancy
occasioned by the appointment of former clerk, Ray Smith, to the
mayorship.
Chas. Jones visited his home over Sunday with his family after an
absence of five weeks on duty as collector for the Osborne Manufacturing
company.
Misses Josie Agnes and Gracie O'Reilley assisted in a musical given at
Hawarden Friday night under the auspices of the St. James school of
music.
Harry Clarke made a record of picking 130 bushels of corn in eleven
hours on his brother's farm west of town last week.
A. W. Wade, a former Akronite, visited friends in town a few days this
week.
SENEY: (Special Correspondence)
J. H. Walkup went to Marshalltown Friday morning where he will visit
relatives for several days.
Miss Lizzie Lancaster is visiting relatives at Dalton and Merrill this
week.
J. Lancaster and family returned home from Maurice Thursday.
Mrs. James and daughter of Stockton, Ill., arrived Wednesday evening to
see her mother, Mrs. Grundy, who is dangerously ill at the home of her
son, A.W. Foulds.
Marie McKnight who is attending school at Mankato, Minn., visited at the
Baldwin home last week.
Lyman Penning returned home from Sheldon last Tuesday.
Archie Brown and wife of Ireton visited relatives here last Thursday and
Friday.
George Morrissey left for Vermillion, S.D., Monday morning to visit
relatives.
Miss Eva Wubbena returned to her home at Ashton Sunday morning after a
two weeks visit with friends at this place.
H.J. Cook and family of Fredonia visited relatives in town Sunday.
Revival meetings will be held at this place this week by the new
minister, Rev. Skaggs.
RUBLE: (Special Correspondence)
The dance at John Gale's was postponed on account of the funeral of John
McGrath.
DROWNED IN STORM LAKE
M.F. Toohey, section foreman for the Illinois Central railroad company
at this point, was called to Storm Lake on Friday by a telegram
announcing the sudden death of his brother-in-law, Henry C. Hill. Mr.
Hill was drowned in Storm Lake on Thursday afternoon. He was out
hunting and shot a wild goose, which fell on the ice in the lake.
Young Hill walked out on the ice to get his game when the ice broke
through and before a companion who was with him could render assistance,
sank and was drowned. The young man was the only supporter of a widowed
mother and highly respected. He was twenty-five years of age.
ELECT OFFICERS
AT their regular meeting on Wednesday evening, Canton Logan, Patriarchs
Militant elected officers for the ensuing six months as follows:
W. B. Moore, Captain
R. W. Harrison, Lieutenant
Roy Hamblin, Ensign
J. F. Beattie, Clerk
Gus Ostrom, Accountant
The installation of officers will take place next month.