Litchfield enquirer., 1856-08-07
A Tale From Real Life.

A Tale From Real Life.
 The various incidents comprised in the fol- lowing narrative are substantially true. The facts were gathered by the writer from one who was at that time residing in the immediate neighborhood, and consequently possessed a knowledge of the whole transaction In the year 1874, d Mir. w. of Watertown, Jefferson county, \. Y., was appointed Pay Master Gen, cral of the Army, then stationed at Sackett's Harbor. He Was man quite above mediocr
 ty, with respect to his intelligence, and of un- impeaclIed moral character. He was leader in society, aud respected of all with whom he associated. Ills wife, of whom a more particu- Jar account is necessary, was rather above the middle stature, and of somewhat beautiful ap- pcarance. She possessed mind of cxtraord- nary capabity, cultivated by the most assidu- ous application and refined taste, and polish ed manners gave her access to the best society She was honored with the most conspicuous place at all social gatherings, and was regarded as a model of all feminine virtues and accom- plishmcnts. In entering upon his new office
 Mr. W.'s saretics were Judge K. and Mr. F. of the saine town The former was lawyer of iaRch distinction, and had for number of years been Judge to some of the higher courts of the State of New York He was man rarely cQualled for seunduess of judgment and was especially characterized by discriminating penetration, which qualified him well for the part he bore in the tragcal affair l am about Go relate. He resided in the neghborhood of Mir. W., and possessing unbounded confidence in his integrity, did not hesitate to atlix his naiiie to the bond. Mr. l.. less conspicuous character. was plain, honest, upright farmer of considerable wcaltl, aud maintaining u high standing in society Nor did he for u moment hesitatc to sign the bond of Mir. w., accompa- hied by his "fc, in the spring of 1874, left Watertown for Albany, to receive there the demands of the Year. The reason of his wite's accompanying hun is not known. and whether the course taken by her Was prcmcdtatcd one, the reader must judge. They arrived safety at Albany, and after spending Il day or two there, Mr. w received monry tu the amount of S30,- 600 aud they left fur hone. They had got un tle,r rctarn us fur Schenectady, when, at q pub. lie house, where they passed the night, the trunk contann5 the moIry WIS opened, and t3,0O0 abstracted What must have been the feelings of Mr. W. thus to find one-tcnth of the a,uouut entrusted to him stolen The house was i'm inediately searched, and every measure prompt ly taken for the recovery of the funds and the apprehension of the robbers, but it was all in vain no clue that might lead to its discovery could be obtained, No cue dared to suppose, or deemed it were possible, that the beautiful and accomplished person accompanying Mr. w. and who seemed equally afflicted sy his misfor- tunc,coald be m any way concerned in the decd. Nor could the slightest suspicion enter his own mind, after the matrin onial intimacy of years, off nf A making every possible effort for the recovery of the lost sum, and all proving intellectual, they proceeded on their return, and arrived at Wa tertown, where all gave credence to their state ment of the occurrence at Schenectady and the missing funds having been satisfactorily ac- counted for to the Government, nothing worthy ot note transpred till the spring of lsl5, when Mir. w. again made preparations for going to Albany to receive the Government funds. In order to be secure from any feloaious attempts, he decided to 20 on horseback and return with the money in his portmanteau. Strange as it may appear, his wife again persisted in accom- pahying him. What were Mir. w. own wishes with regard to the matter know not deep Iy lad plot, which had bcen years in maturing, could not be otherwise consun,naated, and conse- qncntly no refusal on his part could be effcctual
 Accordingly they again leit home for Albany on tho same errand arrived late, aud Mr. w. with all possible dispatch, procured the moucy, (thc same as before, and immediately left for home They had not proceeded on their way as far as Trcnton when the portmanteau con. taining the money was cut open, and Sla,00O taken. No sooner had the robbery been dis covered by MT. W than, by what device l know not, Mrs. W. persuaded her husband that as the $l2. .000 were actually stolen, and as they could not by any means make amends, (for it was more than they were worth, il would be better to appropriate the remainder to their own use, and pretend as they might with equal propriety, that the whole had been taken Tho counsclings of his wife. aided, as we must believe, by the spirits of darkness finally were effectual, and the unhappy man, till then upright in ail his deeds, consented.
 The reader must ere this be well aware where the $30. .000 were. but Mr. ". did no, know, nor did he learn the full iliquity of the scheme in which hc had suffered himself to be- come involved, until considerable time had claps