Three Swedish immigrant men had arrived from New Orleans in late 1848. While two soon left, one, named John Root, remained in the colony and in November 1849 married Jansson's cousin and ward, Charlotta Louisa Root (known as "Lotta"). Soon thereafter, Root become disaffected with the commune and wanted to leave Bishop Hill, but the other colonists prevented him from taking his family along. Moreover, Jansson had inserted a phrase in the marriage contract which specifically allowed Lotta the choice whether to leave, and she refused to accompany Root. On March 2, 1850 Root and another man kidnapped Lotta and her newborn son, but twelve Jansonnists pursued them and brought Lotta back. Root then turned to the courts, and again kidnapped her as she arrived at the local Henry County courthouse in Cambridge, Illinois as a witness, and took her to Chicago. Her sister Caroline got word that Lotta and the baby were at her house to Jansson, and their brother Jan rescued the mother and baby and brought them back to Bishop Hill voluntarily. Root tried another kidnapping on March 26, 1850, this time recruiting some brother Masons from Cambridge as assistants, but they left Bishop Hill empty-handed because Jansson hid Lotta and the baby, and ultimately fled with them across the Mississippi River to St. Louis, where he took a job as a flour salesman.