The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1859-09-09

portion of his very being, from which death
alone could divorce him. 1t is remarkable
that at the same time he treated his wife
with the most undertaking attention and
tenderness. By no action or word is he
known to have given her a moments un-
happiness, or caused her to suspect the SIM
cerity of his affection for her. He has main
tanned also the consistency of his Christian
character, and by the unfailing discharge Of
all his religious duties, enjoyed to the ut
most the confidence of his brethren. As
man of business his integrity has ever been
above reproach.
-Four weeks ago to-day Aug sth, Mr..
Patton left the city in company with his lit
tie son child of five years, with the avow-
ed intention of going 10 Chicago. He had
been very closely occupied with business
for some time, and having few days leis-
ure he concluded to make short trip to the
lake for relaxation, as he said. He pressed
his wife to accompany him, but she was un-
able to do so, and he took his boy instead
He provided himself with but a single
change OF linen, and adj the money he is
known certainly to have taken would not
exceed twenty dollars. He remarked as he
left that he would probably go no further
than Michigan City, in which event. he
would return on the following day, but it
he went on to Chicago he would be back by
Thursday at farthest.
Thusday came; and Friday; and Satur-
day; but he failed to return. His wife grew
alarmed; but her apprehensions became
agonizing when week passed beyond the
allotted time and lie still came not. Mr.. John
son, his partner in business, himself seriously
concerned, now started in quest of him.
He found that he bad stayed one night at
the Massasoit House, Chicago, aud that he
bad left there carly the next morning but
from that point he lost all trace Of him.
Fearing that some accident had happened
him, or that he had bcep toully dealt with,
Mr.. j. engagedthe services of an experienced
detective to assist him in the search. After
u long anddiligent search, his aid announc-
ed his conviction that Mr.. P. was not in
city, but hadleft it alive and well, and, in
his opinion, for some sinister purpose.
Mr.. johnson recollecting that p. had an
acquaintance in Elgin, H., DIR. Campbell,
with whom he occasionally corresponded, it
occurred to him that be might have gone
there and taken i'll. He accordingly left for
that place which he duly reached, and in
calling upon the Doctor and stating his bust
ness, he discovered BY bis manner that some
thing was wong He urged him to tell him
anything Inc might know that would enable
him to solve the mystery, when, after some
delay, and with evident reluctance, he dis
closed to him the fact that Miss Potts was
his sister-in-law, and proceed to make him
acquainted, for the first time, with the re-
lations that subsisted between her and Mr..
p. He then gave it as his opinion that if
Mr.. p. could not be found, he had eioped with
her. IL could be ascertained by going to
Janesville, where she had been residing for
some time; and to that place Mr. j. accord
ingly posted without further delay.
On arriving at GAINESVILLE, Mr.. johnson
found Miss Poots absent Her friends stated
that on the 9Th of August 1.-THE day after
Mr.. P.'s leaving this city, she had received
a telgraphic dispatch requiring her to 60 to
| Beloit to act as bridesmaid toa friend of hers
who was to be married there on that day
! that she went, and returned on the follow
ing day, but Immediately packed her truks
and went back, saying that she had an OPP
| portuniiy OF making visit to Richland
county, (which she had long contemplated, J
]
Beloit, and that she was going there. Mr..
johnson, on inquiring at the telegraph Office,
ascertained that the dispatch for her to GO to
Beloit, had been sent from Chicago. and was
dated at 3 A. NJ, Aug. 8 and was signed
1 {" HaIding."
Mr.. j. then went to Beloit, and at hotel
near the railroad station, in examining the
| register, found at the head of the list of ar
rivals for August 8, tile name of "John w.
Harding and son, Chicago" IN Mr.. Pdtton's
Handwriting. The landlord informed him
that he recollected Mr.. {" Harding" perfect
| ly; his description of him Tailed exactly
with the personal appearance of Mr.. r.. He
said that he came there expecting to meet
has soife, whom he had telegraphed from
Chicago at GAINESVILLE on the evening pre-
vious, and that he appered to be greatly dis
appointed in finding that she had not ar
rived. That he (the landlord) told him that
| in all probability the dispatch had failed to
reach her in time, and that she would be
| in on the next train. That his " wife" did
arrive in the evening; and that they re-
mained all night. That on the following
morning Mr.. H." remarked to him, that
that he found he would have to go back to
! GAINESVILLE, and that he took the train for
! that place.
/ The impression is that p. aud his para
mour have fled to California, and that the
elopement was deliberately planed. He had
drawn no money from the firm beyond his
current expenses, but he sold some Western
lands few months ago, the payment for
which, it has been ascertained, he had re-
ceived. 1t is also known that Miss P. had
recently received, by the death Of relative,
some FIVE or six hundred dollars which she
bad with her when she left Janesville. P.'s
leaving here with apparently 50 small an
amount Of money and without baggage, was
only to delay suspicion, though he doubtless
desired that bis wife and remaining child
should have the benefit of all the property
and money be could possibly spare them.
( Mrs. Patton, through Messrs. Orti l.
Stein, attorneys, has commenced an action
for divorce, on the ground of adultery and
abandonment, and the firm of Johnson <
Patton is dissolved.
rs may well be supposed, our community
/ is inexpressibly shocked at the affair Mr..
Patton's moral character stood high as the
highest. He was a prominent member of
| the Methodist Episcopal Church, and was
I" foremost in every good word or work.
None among Us lead more blameless life,
and a clap of thunder, in n clear sky, could
not have startled us more than the intelli-
gence of his fall.