The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1839-12-14

and such too, as they nlSht ralse WIFI thc
same, or less labor, than that with Which
they have procured them.
JOHN MCQUEEN, Chm.
TRUTH STRANGER tn. .AN FICTION
We copy the following detail from the
doings of the St. Louis police Office, as
reported in the Bulletin Of the Slh ult' We
doubt not that it is true in every part. Gu
lar:
George Mortimer Wardell, gentccl
and intelligent, young man. ofabout thirty,
was brought up this morning on charge
of being drunk in the streets and disturb
ing the peace. He pleaded guilty to the
charge, and evidently labored under great
emotion. When requested to give some
account Of himself, lie proceeded as fol
lows:
"Sir: | have now arrived at that eXtre-
nifty Of degradation, Which lohg ago l
became satisfied would one day or other,
become my position. Sir, | do not believe
l was born to this. In my youth, when |
first started in the world my prospects and
my hopes were as bright as the sky which
bent over me. married beautiful wife,
when was % years old, and had acquired
a considerable competence Sir. need
not tell you how loved hcri | see by
your countcnaHce that you Know same
thing about human nature, andare already
satisfied that | am Eota common lnaler-
have been driven to the present cxtrcmi-
tv by some extraordinary circumstances.
But will proceed with my story.
Two wears aftcl was married to my.
wiic-who was young English lady of
handsome expectations, and had u beauli-
lul boy to bless me with his innocent en-
iea-men,s, VIC received letters from Eng.
land, announcing the death of my wi!e's
father, and soliciting me TO come to Eng
land Immediately, for the purpose Of sci.
tlias up the affairs Of the deceased, and
rccci:iEg my portion Of the estate. / i'm
mc:liatc,y maize preparations for my de-
parture, and leaving my wife under the
protection of an intimate friend, whose
name was lie ry Anson Wi!lnaghhy, id--n
hin!) sci sail for England. NJ business
detained me longer thsn;i anticipated, ,iani
I began to fee! iac mos. intense an&:e'}
in regard to ny family. The letters which
| received from my wife g-ew less ire-
uucnt, sometimes startling me with thel.
abru7tncss. Just before the iinal steps III
regard to my wifc's portion were about TO
he completed, l received a letter from A.
mcr;ca, from an old friend of ny fathers
family warning me to hasten home if |
would preserve ,ny future happiness, an!
The honor of ny WIFI! lmasinr my dis.
NAV! | hurried home, leaving my business
still unsettled, and arrived ia time to fAd
nv hearth desolale, my wife e?o1Hd with
nv friend Willoughby, and my h"y-my
darling bny-.-.in the orphan aSs'lua.---an
object Of public charity.
"WilIoughby had represented himself
as rich planter from Alabama, and that
he was 50 burning a, the north f'r The pur.
pose ofrcganing his health. Placing MY
child unlcr proper protection, l few IN
pursuit Of the destroyer of my peace, with
nv heart bursting s'wi,h revenge At Mon!.
gomery, Ala. learned :?'at Ni''orghhy
had been there, in compa"y Will lady
who lie called his wife---lhat lie had been
for years notorious black leg and sw!nl-
Ter, and had gone to Mobile, leaving his
wife (.ny wife y behind, in circumstances
of deslilution. AGcr waiting for some
lime, and hearing nothing from her base
raranour, she borrowed money Of some
Of The citizens and followed him.
"Mad with rage anil Disappointment,
I pursued. At Mobile lost all traces o.
The villain anI his wrttchcd victim. l p
,ecded to New Orleans; and Oh max
enquiries of the different boats, Was
.old by the captain Of one of them enga-
,eL in running to ST. Loais, that woman
answering the description | gave, had
gone up the river on his boat long since. |
Immediately embarked for this place,
sir, and my n,oacy being nearly exhausted
was compelled to take passage on deck. !.
arrived here in a state OF complete cc:t!-
ution, and being unable 10 learn any thing
IF nv wife or the villain Willoughby, |
became discouraged and disheartcnea.-,
The bottle was my resort. mingled with
the vllcst of the vile; and. last nighs was
persuaded by several others, to visit
-. ,r III f,noo