The Chariton Leader, Chariton, Iowa Thursday, April 5, 1906 It is to be hoped no one will trip The Leader up on the following when it says the most congenial tempered family in Lucas County resides in Pleasant Township. The court calendar for this term bears the modest little inscription "State of Iowa against CORWIN STORMS, rape." A year ago he was indicted by the Grand Jury on the testimony of his fourteen-year-old sister that this charge was coupled with incest and that she had given birth to a child of which her brother was the father. On Tuesday the case was reached and the family came into court -- the father and mother, son and daughter. The father sat on one side of the group, the mother on the other side and between them the son and daughter -- the group being imperfect by the absence of the third generation. The prosecuting witness was placed on the stand but refused to testify, resorting to her right under the law that no court could compel her to give incriminating testimony against herself. This ended the case. A crime against her person and society had been committed but her mouth was sealed. It may have been through sympathy for her benighted brother or it may have been from some other cause, but that is immaterial. Then this congenial family arose to go. The father headed the procession, next the son, the sire of his own nephew, then the daughter and mother of her brother's son and after them the mother of these guilty children -- both being of tender years. You may not enjoy this publicity but does the degradation of the savage offer anything more revolting than this. it was perhaps proper to withdraw prosecution on the grounds that the crime had been committed and that the infliction of vengeance could not cure the wrong done, but the happy commingling of the actors was a scene that amenities of society cannot endure without a sense of nauseation. Why send missionaries to Japan and India and China when the harvest is ripe for the sickle almost within the shadow of church spires and sounding anthems of holy praise? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert October 5, 2004 [email protected]