Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1863-01-30
n SINGULAR HUSBAND.

| ing anccdote to show that sometimes husbands
and men are mysterious
He states that in the early part of last cen
tury be knew Mr.. Howe, sensiblri well
disposed man, possessed Of an iud pendent
fortune and married TO young lady OF good
family, of agreeobe person and manners, and
who, for the first seven or eight years of their
marriage, made him an excellent wife.
Without any serious dispute or difference,
he arose one morning very early, and told-her
,hat he wus obliged to 60 TO the Tower 10
transact sCme particular business and the
same day about noon she received note from
him informing her that he was uuder the neces-
sity OF going instantly to Holland, and should
! probably be absent three weeks or month.
| He remained absent, however, longer tbau
| the specified time, ard for seventeen yca.ss.aild
upwards she never heard Of or from hlfa.-
About three years after his disappearance
Mrs. Howe Was obliged to apply for an al act
of Parliament to procure a proper settle
nent of her husbands estate, and proper
provision for herself and two children cut OF
it, as it was uncertain whether he was alive or
dead. This she did as, when he first went
away, she and her friends feared that he might
have contracted some large debts unknown to
her, the difficulties of which she could not
easily surmouut. In fact. for some time after
his departure, she had lived in constant dread
Of demands from creditors Of seizures, execu-
tions, &c. Nothing of this Kind, however,
took place and on investigation, it was
found shat he not only had lef! his estate free
and unincumbered, but had puuctua!ly paid
the bill OF every tradesnlan with whom he had
any dealings, to the utmost exactness receipts
and proper vouchers tor all bills being fund,
arranged in the most methodical manner in
his bureau.
Shortly after this the children both died
when the supposed widow. iu order to essen
her household expenses, discharged the greater
part Of her servants, left Jcrmyn street and
took sniaIl house in Brewer street, Goiden
square This was about teu years after her
husbands departure, when one evening" after
she had resided in Brewer street about seven
years, while she was sitting at supper With n
party Of friends, among whom were her bruther
in-law, DIR. Rose, and her sister, lis wife,
note, without any signature, was delivered TO
her, in which the writer requested the fssor Of
her giving him a meeting iu the Brieage walk
in the park! She read the note with snnie
surprise, then tossed it to DIR. Rose saying
g You see, brother, old as / am, have
beau"
The doctor vino perused the note with more
attention, instantly declared it to be Mr..
Howcs handwriting. This, of course, sup
priscd all the company, ard indeed SO much
affected Mrs. Howe that she tainted array
Gu her recovery, it was agreed that the whole
party should accompany her next evening to
tie park and they had not been there many
minutes when the lost husband came to them,
aud after embracing his wife and salutiDg his
friends, walked home with then, took uses
sion Of his house ap9 wife. and lived yzlh her
in great harmony until bis death. -
1t appeared that, instead of going to the
Tower, as be said he had actually gone no fur
ther than to little street in Westminster,
where be took room, for which he paid five
-hiilings week and changed his name, and
disguised himself by wearing wig, flor be
WAS fair man, he had escaped detection,
and remained in that lodging during the whole
time of his supposed absence. Even when the
act Of Parliament was applied for, he Fad en-
joyed the pleasure Of reading the progress of
ii in the papers, at little coffee-house near to
his lodgings; and when his wife removed to
Brewer street, he contrived TO get acquaint-
ed with a man of the name of Salt, a corn
chandler, who lived directly opposite to her
residence. Salt supposed him to be a bach
elor, and became Sc fond Of his company that
he generally asked him to dinner twice a week,
when Howe used to watch his wife's house
with SO much apparent curiosity that Salt
often recommended her to him as a very suit
able wife. On Sundays he regularly went to
Salts pew in st. James church. whence he
could see his wife without being seen by her
practice which he adhered to until the avow-
al Of his existance and return.
Though he cheerfully told all these circunl-
stances, no persuasion of his wife or friends
could prevail on him to assign any reason for
his extraordinary conduct but he owned that
he had taken with him for subsistence between
one and two thousand pounds in gold and bank
notes. which after great economy, were all then
expended Discovery, of course, became nee.
essary for further supply and, indeed, some
of his friends snrmised that if he could have
raised the money without discovery, he would
still have remained Concealed in his obscurity.