Girl Wife Roughly Seized and Carried Off By Force

1919

Sensational Cave Man Tactics Charged Against Young Husband — Brother of Alleged Kidnaper Said to Have Rendered Strong-arm Assistance in Strange Affair

CRESTON, Iowa — The sensational kidnaping of a young wife who was stolen from under the very eyes of a watchful brother-in-law, who, worn by his vigil, nodded and then slept, is alleged to have taken place in the southeast part of this county, and resulted in a hurry call for Sheriff E. C. Young, who early in the evening arrived at the scene of the excitement and placed under arrest the parties to the affair.

Clifford Bullock is charged with kidnaping his 16-year-old wife, from whom he had been separated, and carrying her to the home of his sisters, where they were found by the sheriff and brought to Creston.

The brother-in-law of the girl-wife, named McGuire, told the sheriff that while Mrs. Bullock was staying with her sister, Mrs. McGuire, Clifford Bullock and his brother arrived at the house in a bobsled. They asked Mrs. Bullock to go with them to a rehearsal for a play by amateur talent. She refused to go and the Bullocks retired, but it appears did not go very far.

McGuire, scenting trouble, decided to stick around and watch, but sleep overcame him, and he says that the first he recalls was hearing screams of the girl, who was calling upon him to come to her help. He rushed to her rescue and found her in the hands of her husband and his brother, who were forcibly taking her from the house, which they did despite her screams and kicks and struggles.

McGuire says that when he attempted to interfere he was shot at.

The Bullocks drove off, and McGuire says he could still hear his wife's sister screaming far up the road. Evidences of the struggle in the bobsled, he says, were also found, as several comforts and blankets which had been thrown from the sled were picked up.

Sheriff Young says that when found the young wife of Bullock declared she would never live with her husband, but still was reluctant about being the cause of his getting into trouble.

It has not been determined what disposition will be made of the case.

—The Saturday Blade, Chicago, Jan. 3, 1920, p. 7.

Note: The article says "comforts."