Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1860-03-10
Extraordinary Runaway Match and Do


EXtruOfuluafy h1nuWay MoLcn ana DO
sertlon.
MAN LEAVES HIS WIPE AND sIx CHILDREN AND
Runs AWAY WITH MS nR"TnER RIN-LAw's wirE.
The New Orleans Delta of Saturday Inst, gives
the sul!olned account of one of tho richest rnna
wny matches that ever turned up in this country
The particulars Of this affair as follows:
Officers Clark and Price, Of the First District
police. says the Delta, received n dispatch from
Mr.. James smith, dated Cairo, asking that n GER
tain James Ovens, alias Patton. be arrested upon
his arrival in New Orleans, he had left wife
Amd six small children and run away with the vile
and two children OF Mr.. Smith.
Accordingly, on the arrival of the Cora Amber
son, ight before last officers Clarke and prico MS
ccrtained that party answering the desert pton
of those described in tho dispatch were on board
and yesterday the officers proceeded 10 arrest them
and they were locked up in the First District pu.
lice stntion-housc. Owens, or Patton, tho latter
(the name he went by,) denied knowing anything
about the crime with which he was charged. and
the officers somewhat ut loss to know wheth-
cr they were really tho right parties or not. =
There many things however. sufficiently
suspicious to determine them TO retain them, and
last night the in jured husband arrived by tho
jackson Railroad, and seeking out the officers,
went with them to the lookup and identified tho
prisoners.
1t was an exciting picture, the injured husband
dusty and carcw"rn having Travelled for nights
and nights. grasping hold Of the iron bars OF the
cells, and almost taintng he recognized the fig
of his wife, whom ho had loved well and tendcry
tor eight years, sitting by the side of the scamp
his brother-inaw, with her children asleep upon
the pallet at their feet. ELLEN, what are you do
ing there" he said chokingly. but tho wife only
held down her head and refused to look her
husband in the face. Don't let him come in for
he will kill this man. and he is not to blame before
God" she said to the officer, who assuming that
ha ,pnulI chn nd idar r,hI hIy al,
1t appears that Patton (aas Owens) and Smith
farmed near each other, near Fincennes, Indiana,
and that Patton married tho sister Of Smith, by
whom he had six children, all of them quite young
lie was mao who always professed to be very
religious, and liked and respected in the com
nunity. About six weeks ago. however, he made
up his mind to sell his farm to his father law,
which he did, and left by himself for St. Louis.
we learned, with the alleged intention Of purcha-
sing land in Missouri.
When in ST. LOUIS. we are informed bv the
hrother.in.law, he caused himself to be reported
drowned, and great many people firmly believed
around Nincenncs that he was dead, but the
brothcr-in-law and fnther-in-law, from the manner
in which he closed up his business, entertained
some doubts as to the truth of the reports
Last Saturday week Smith and tho people in
the vicinity of his farm were thrown into an in
tense state Of excitement by the sudden disnppear-
ance Of Mrs. Smith and her two children. Upon
lnqulrlnH. IL was asceftilneu thut Snc nad taken
the ten o'clock train, and had gone towards Evans
Vile. Smith and his father left as soon as possi-
BILE in pursuit. and when they arrived at Evans
vlle they discovered that she had put up there
at the City lIotol, and that man answering
Ovens precise description had met her there and
had left with her on the steamer Bay State for St.
Louis.
They took the railroad again, in order to inter-
cept them, if possible, at Cairo but upon reaching
that point they found that the Bay State had gone
up to st. Louis, and thther the husband started,
leaving his father at Cairo. Upon reaching St
Louis the husband found ont from the Captain
that the parties he had been in search of got off
the boat at Cairo, and got on board of the Cora
Anderson for New Orleans. lie accordingly re-
traced his steps, and missing his father. (wlo
getting tired Of waiting. had started on to ST.
Lonis,) came down to Cairo, and tclegraphed to
the officers here stated, and jumping into the
cars, arrived hero last night. twas the intentiun
Of Owens to go up Red River and he had sent
word to Red River boat the morning he got here
to engage passage for himself, wDe and two chill
drcn.
1t is the intention of Mrs. Smith to GO back
with her husband, as she does not wish to be sep
Grated from her youngest child. which is perfect
little beauty by the way, though willing to give up
her little son, who walked around in the cell this
morning as Independent as wood-sawyer with his
new boots on.
Smith this morning wished . 'i,ye ~ interview