The weekly Butte record., 1858-12-18
A State Official in an Awkward Strape.

The Union, of Friday, the 10th instant,
contains the particulars of case OF seduction.
or rather, the results of such case, which
have caused much wonder and scandal where
ever they have been read or heard of. 1t
seems that Mr.. A. r. Meloney, tie lately
elected State Controller, has, for some time
past, been boarding with a MIR. and Mrs.
Wand, and during that time, as the husband
relates, Mr. Meloney has been very attentive
to Mrs. W. frequently taking her to the
Theatre &c. From the very afectionate
manner in which Mr.. NJ. treated his wife,
Wand was induced to suspect that by far too
much intimacy existed between the two; and
his suspicious led him to watch them, He
relates that on Wednesday night, the oth inst.
the actions OF the two reached such pass
that he concluded to satisfy himself of the
real facts, and at late hour peeped through
a hole which he had previously made through
the walls of Melony's chamber, and there be-
eed the sad proofs of his wife's perfdy In
the agony of grief and desperation, he paced
his room all night and, in the morning, OBJ
tanning Colts revolver, he went to the
kitchen where his wife was preparing break
fast and, after telling her he was about to kill
her, shot'once at her, and then, stepping back
few PAGES, put the muzzle of the pistol in his
own mouth and fired, inficting dangerous
wound in the region of the base Of the skull
and badly searifyIng his tongue. The shot at
his wife did no harm; and as he did not die
Immediately from his own wound, he wrote the
particulars of the whole affair and had them
published as aforesaid. He also published
some letters from party in New York to his
wife, to show thereby that her in6delfty COM
menced prior to her coming to California.
Wand is a Jew, and his wife is an American
woman They have been married for some
years and have beautiful little daughter
Meloney is man of at least 6fty years of age
and has wife in the eastern States and son
in this State. This affair has caused the more
surprise from the fact that, Melony has always
hitherto borne an unblemished private charac-
ter during his sojourn in Caifornia
The facts of the case as they have been re-
lated are decidedly against Mr.. Meloney, and
show that he hss not only disgraced himself
and the State, but also the people, who so
lately honored him with their confidence and
esteem. 1t is the result of chosing men for
us-who are willing to serve the people in an
ef1icial capacity-but do not, by constant
practice of the moral virtues, aid in the eleva-
tion of the society from whence they derive
their honors and support. The case lnpont
is one of unmitigated moral obloquy and dis
grace. A high State official seeks home in
private family and repayS the hospitality
extended to him, by destroying the domestic
peace of the family who have admitted him
into their circle, and the poor fool of hus-
band, whose sacred hearthstone and hospitality
he has outraged, and upon whose innocent off
spring he has aided to cast deep, lasting and
irremovable reproach, instead of giving the
vile and lecherous carcase of the grey-headed
old sinner, as food for the swine that roam the
streets of the Capitol city, attempts self-des-
truction. 1t is no excuse for Mr.. Melony that
the former reputation of his victim was ques
tionable The moral odium attached to his
conduct is the same. His former good char
acter if it establishes anything, merely proves
that person cannot be politically wrong and
morally right-tbat man who is unprncpled
in his political course, cannot discharge the
moral obligations he owes to society. Moral
reettude and conduct disappears with correct
political principles, in the first flush and excite
ment Of Lecompton success.