The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1861-03-02

extraordinary Adventures Of an EngIlsl,

the trlte adage that truth is stranger tina
T ficti2p. The most remarkable portion q
the history we are about to relate is, tina
1t is entirely true
In the year 1887 or 1898, Sir John n
Fenwlck, of Fenwick Hall, England,
wealthy nobleman, married Clara Ssy
mour the daughter of poor clergyman
who lived on the Cumberland Hills, and a
whose house Sir John had been detaine,
while upon a hunting excursion. The ia
ther of Clara Seymour died short tim,
before her marriage and she brought t,
her husband no dover but her beauty anc
her love. The welded pair made tn tou
OF the continent. and soon after their re
turn to England, Lady Fenwick presented
her lord with a son and heir, who wa!
named John North Fenwick, and who be
came the heir presumptive Of his father
title ana wealth.
Sir John had no other relatives save two
sisters who resided with him, and who
while pretending to approve of the mattel
he had made, and to love and esteem his
| beautiful young wife, were in reality
scheming against her and determined upor
! running her. But their Vaccinations pro
duced no effect, save to occasionally rem
der Sir John InorOse and cold towards his
wife, until the boy had reached the age ot
seventeen years. Then suddenly, one
day, these two sisters, in the presence 0.
/ Sir John and Lady Clara, accused the lat
ter of the most horrible crimes. and de
clared that she had herself confessed tina,
! her son was the fruit Of an Illicit amour
! between herself and certain French
/ Count, TO whom Sir john had introduced
her at Venice, during the Honeymoon.
Stunned by these terrible and unexpect
/ ed accusations, Lady Clara swooned and
her husband, completely carried away by
passion, and convinced that the story told
him by his sisters was true, ordered her
and the boy to be expelled from the Hall,
and Immediately hurried 10 the seaboard
and embarked for the continent
| The shock had rendered the unhappy
wife and mother insane; and in this con-
/ dition her sisters in-law caused her 70 be
removed from the hall and conveyed 10 2
neighbo-ing village, where she remained
for some time on the yesy brink Of the
crave. Her only friend during this sad
period, was 4 certain Captain Edward
o Neil, Of the Enniskiilen Dragons, at
that time quar,cged near Fenwick Hall,
aud who had seen Lady Clara often enough
To lpva her He Euesci her through her
had returned bas0u-ht her TO accompany
him to his home in ireland. and share it
with him For long time she resisted
his appeals. but finally. asccrtaiuin- that
her husband had taken steps TO obtain 9
divorce from her, and that Captain {. Neil
was her only friend. she consented They
went 10 Galway. Ireland. where they were
married privately and took up their resi-
d5ucc. Her son, in the meantime, mani
Tested q desire "a travel and his mother
furnished him with t:vo thousand pounds.
which she obtained 10y the sale OF her jew
els. and placed him on board the steamer
Adgiatlc, with instructions TO sail TO New
y ork, and from thence 10 Texas, 10 visit q
cousin Of hers named Someryille, who re-
sided there as a wealthy planter
Without any misfortune, our youth ar
rived 1T the cousin ; rancho, situated on
the frontier Of Texas. where he was cor
daily received, and made welcome. His
cousin had daughter, named E.tclle, Of
about his own age, and very handsome,
with whom be fcll in love, and in whose
society he passed six months. But on one
fatal night the rancho was attacked by a
party Of Camauchc Indians; his cousin and
Este.le were murdered and lie carried off
into CO apt.vity. IL remained a captive for
three months. when, Selling q favorable
opportunity and a tolnaaGWll, he killed
/ the Indian with whom Ae was, and made
/ his escape 10 Brownsville, Texas.
Here he met three Tex. Il drovers, who
were about 10 start with an immense
drove OF cattle to Carliuvilie, Nscoupiu
/ county. in this State. Being short OF
hands, they offered TO hire him to 20 with
/ them and help them drive Rendered
destitute by being deprived of everything
i by the marauders, lie gladly accepted their
oiler and went.
Arriving al Cariinyille he determined tc
return to England and boldly proclaim hi
nights. Accordingly he took the cars fol
/ the East. While travelling on the New
York and Erie Railroad, he fell in with :
noble hearted farmer, named Preston +
Sappington. of Point Isabel. Clinton coun
| ty, who induced him TO return with hin
to Clinton for the purpose OF studying law
/ with Mr. J.. Weldon. Our hero, however
disliked the profession, and was employed
in the Office Of the Clinton NergH bv Mr.
Sackett. and lately by Mr. Stansbury.-
While here during the October term Of III,
Circuit Court, he stated his case to Hon
Abraham Liucoln, who immediately wrot,
to the British Consul at Chicago
Two days afterwards, the British Con
sui, Hon Mr.. wilkins, arrived in Clinton
After listening to Fenwick's story, anC
having a long consultation with Messrs
Lincoln and Stansbury, he took him Il
Chicago, and employed him in his Office
In the meantime, the Consul wrote Il
England, making inquiries in regard t
Sir John Fenwick, but could only hsa
that he was travelling on the Continent
but could not ascertain the precise spot.
The Prince of Wales while travelling il
this country, it will be recollected, stopped
in Chicago. Here the Consul Introduce
Fenwick to the Prince, who became con
vinced Of the truth of his statement II,
accompanied the Prince in his tour thro
the United States, and went with him t
| England.
On arriving in England, Fenwick pro
ceeded Immediately to his ancestral hall
where he was informed by the servant
that one Of his aunts, who had caused hin
and his mother SO much trouble and un
happiness, was now on her death-bed at
tended by her brother, Sir John Fenwick,
He entered the chamber of death. Th'
ghastly visage of the dying woman became
still ghastlier, when she beheld the bo,
whom she and her sister had SO deepl,
wronged. She Immediately confessed tina
the tale they had invented to blast the re
puta,ion of Lady Clara, and ruin his ant
her innocent son was without foundation
that Clara was good and true wife unit
he drove her away andspurned her. Lore
Fenwicl1 folded his longlost son to hi
heart, and shed tears of joy over him.
The woman died in few minutes afte
: making the confession. Her sister is a
; present the inmate OF convent, anc
Strives to atone for her biack-heartef
treachery by fasting, penitence and prayer
The health of Lady Clara greatly iaile'
after the departure Of her son for Amer
ca, and Capt. Neil took her TO the soutl
Of France, in the hope of restoring it. Bu
:: she soon died. and not long afterwards th
captain was killed in aduel. BY awill, h