Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1860-12-13
The Rnreh Divorce Gaze.

Sickles business, md Ehirh has been on
tFial in the rural village of NnpierVille,
Illinois, for some three Weeks, is about
closing, aud has, perhaps, already gone to
the intelligent jury. The telegraph and
the newspapers have given us all the de-
tails of the affair. The gossip of the maid
servants and the man servants, the stories
of the friends of both parties, the plain
4ale.of the a1ledged seducer, the fascinating
Stewart, the agonies of the doting hus-
band, the damning confession of the wife,
The shame of the children, and q peep gem
orally into the private affairs of an atIiu-
emit family of the supper ten" The social
home circle has been thrown open to the
rnde gaze of the public, and scores ofpeo-
ple-fair girls aud upright men-have
been dragged into the disgraccful business
TO be buliied and blackguarded by counsel
and rendered unenTiabIy famous. The
husband charges several acts of adultery
committed BY the wife with Stewart, she
confesses it, and he sues for di.orce.-
The defence claims that the confession
Was extorted by fear, and that Mrs. Burch
is as pure as snow, and from the character
of the evidence it will puzzle the jury to
say which is right
The last two or three days have been
devoted to hearing the arguments of the
counsel. The Chicago papers received
yesterday are full of them, and in perus-
ing the arguments, we are forcibly remind
ed of the great case of Badell VS.. Pick
wick, in which Sergeant Buzfuz rendered
himself immortal. As we wade through
the detailed arguments and eloquent pc
roratious of the learned counsel, we find
Mrs. Burch pictured as woman of spot
l-a.,-t,ts ~ Pl.s-,,o o,..5 fl;so.ro re
by a villainous, plotting husband and
again, we find her represented as vile
character, most pernicious wanton, UNI
worthy of the name of woman. Stewart
alternates between Almost omnipoteut vii
lain aud man of infinite aud most exem-
plnry virtue. Nearly all the Witnesses are
similarly and continually metamorphosed.
And SO they go, 'swrenching the true cause
the false way" whilst every word is caught
by the eager throng of reporters, and sent
broadcast over the country.
SIR. o. a. Browning, one of Mrs. Barcha
counsel, made most eloquent aud feeling
speech, in which he handled Burch and his
Witnesses in a most unmerciful manner
that the confession Is said 70 have been
forced from Mrs. Burch:
"The whole value of confessions are the
freeness and willingness with which they
are given. Did ever Mrs. Burch even as
sent to anything she signed? Every word
you hear from Der are protestationg and
denials.
When Monday night came, and tho day
of sorrow and anguish had passed, night
came and drew its sable mantle over the
events of the day, and bright the lamps
shone through tue hall and vestibule par
Tor of that Palntial mansion. But in
remote corner of that mansion was one
chamber, cold, dark and raylcss as the
bar, one of its solitary occupant. There,
alonc-tor you remember she had been
bhnished from her own room aud forbid
den to make her appearance 1.-THE table
=. - ''1sae. supplied by the fierceuess of
ing over her fate, srr w,JtrfseAtf
Deen ITS former mistress. She felt on that
Monday night how lone aud desolate abe
Has-lhat the hearts of all around her
were for her as cold and unsympathizino
as the marble walls that enclosed her
put they were not SO, gentlemen. There
was one young heart, yet Impractical in
Tue selfish ways of the world, whose
chords yIbrated in unison with hers. That
was little Minnie. Something was wrong.
D9t she knew not what. All others roam
90 tue house at large; her poor mother
was prisoner in the strangers ROOM
All Others came at the accustomed hour
to take their places at the table; her moor
mothers chair alone was vacant or susnrn-
Ell by another. Minnie did not understand
her. y
Poor chtldl She was just beginning 10
drink her first draughts oflife's bitter Gun
o6l that itmtght behcr last.
When the supper was ended, and all
others had assembled amid the dazzling
splendors of the parlors, Mipnie's hesri
waswith= the .desolate sufferer in the strans
gers room. Timitlly, fearfully and with
talterlpg tread, ste crept close to his side.
and said, in trembling tones, "FatlIer NAV
go and see mother2n God bless The
child God bless the childl No wonder
our saviour said. "SufFer little children to
come unto me, and forbid them not. for of
such is the kingdom of Heaven" But
what strange question fora little child
20 ASK. One wouldhave thought it would
nave e., broken o. that ,father's heart. But no;
as Mrs. Burch had said, s'his heart was
turned a. to stone" aud the freezing reilly
VA vas, 'sYes, If Fanny will go with You -
Fanny did go with her, and when mother
and daughter were clasped in each Others
arms, 5mipgltng their tears that fell like
ram, tneY lltted their eyes. aud beheld the
cold, stony gaze of the spy upon them. the
indignation fthe mother triumphed over
s9e 1lInaalty OF the woman, and sue ex-
claimed, flannel leave mel / will not
be watched when my children are with
me-: AndfFannle did leave them alone in