The Fort Wayne Sentinel

Thursday Evening, June 16, 1881

Page 1

A Rapacious Rapist

An Itinerant Chair Caner Arrested for Rape on His Own Sister

Yesterday afternoon Conctable (sic) A. J. Doggett, of Monroeville, arrested J. J. Raplee, near Adams station on a charge preferred by his wife, who swore out an affidavit that Raplee had committed a rape on his own sister, a girl about eleven years old, named Mary M. Raplee.

Raplee was taken before Esquire Baker, at Monroeville, and bound over in the sum of $500, in lieu of which he was lodged in jail. The girl was also locked up for a witness. In conversation with Raplee a reporter of The Sentinel was told that it was all a pack of lies gotten up by Mrs. Raplee to get him railroaded, so that she could return to her life of shame. He says his name is not Raplee, but Greenwood, and that he was adopted into the family of Raplee when quite a boy. His home is nowhere, as he roams the country at will, reseating cane chairs for a living. He took the girl Mary, aged eleven years, and her brother aged fourteen years, with him in order to support them. They have only been with him since June 2. His wife has always been of a jealous dispotition and was always ready to do something in order to raise a row. He married his wife in Greensburg, Decatur county, Indiana, on the 21st os (sic) January. His only wish is to be brrought (sic) before the grand jury, so that all guilty parties may suffer.

The girl is a small size, illiterate child of about eleven years of age. She admits that Raplee committed the crime with which he is charged. He told her he would kill her if she did not submit to his embraces, etc. The whole affair as related by the child are disgusting in the extreme.

Charles Wilson, the step father of Raplee lives at Monroeville and Raplee makes some grave charges against him and claims that other parties must suffer if the case comes up for trial.

Raplee is an unattractive looking man - possessing but very little education and seems to be under a cloud when speaking to any one.