The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-12-03

The Taunton (Mass.) Republican in -
pOnsible tor the following:
A romance in real life has lust coma =,
light, and 10 at present the chief gosois ~
this city. The facts, as related by an inf.
mate acquaintance OF the fortunate family.
are as follows:
It appears that about twenty-seyeu va.,.
ago, Capt. Brown, whose family resided
in Mattapoisett, was the overseer of the ~
tate Of Mr.. Henry f. Clifton, a wealth.
gentleman of Richmond, Va. From son,s
cause which still remains secret. an.
Guilty arose between Capt. Brown and M
Clifton, wherein the former considerei
himself the aggrieved party. To revenss
Mr.. Clifton's infant daughter lt6en ~ s. s;s
weeks old, on the day she was chrntensd
The child was brought to Mattapoisett M
secretly adopted by Brown and his via :.
their own. She was named Julia and ensv
to be q woman. When only sixteen ~.
old she married Mr.. IsaacO. Pierce. 4 eeiaA
or, who learned his trade in Fall Riyer.-
Several years ago they moved to Taunton
living for q while 1t East Taunton, but
more recently at the Green. Two children
have been boon to them, one Of whom =
now living.
During this long period Mrs. Pierce b..
lived in blissful ignorance Of her high "a
rentage, and Mr.. Pierce, who took her fnr
better or worse, had never imagined him.
self the husband of an heiress. He aben.
d0ned the printers trade, shortly affer
it, and for several years hasearned
Mr.. MasOn's works in this city. This II
their history until within very abort TIM.
Now comes the desOHense7st.
Last summer while Rev. Mr.. Talbot. Of
this city, was at Saratoga, he became ~.
quainted with Mr.. Clifton and wife, who. Il
appears, at the breaking out of the rebel
lion, converted their property into cash
and moved to Baltimore. In the course Of
conversation with them Mr.. Talbot r.
marked upon the striking resemblance Of
Mrs. Clifton to lady parishioner Of his II
Taunton. Nothing particular was thought
of it at first; bat on his repeating the re-
mark, Mrs. Clifton inquired the age Of tho
lady. On being informed that she va
about twenty-seven, Mrs. Clifton immedi.
ately said to her husband, "Why, that
would be just the age OF our daughter that
was stolen" a
The matter then received their serious n.
tention. Mr.. Talbot was taken into their
and inquiry instituted as to the
reputed parents OF the young lady. He re-
turned to Taunton; has = cOnversa.
ton with Mrs. Pierce in regard to her
parentage: informed her Of the SARATOGA
which led her to ask Mn.
Brown, VINO Sne mad never doubted Wa
her own mother, If she really were such.
at the same time telling her the reason Of
her inquiry. Mrs. Brown, who had kept
the secret of the child's parentage for
twenty-seven years, was 50 overcome by
the question and development Of facts.
that she Immediately became i'll and died
of the heart disease. Before her death,
however, she acknowledged that Mn.
Pierce was not her own daughter. Can
tain Bro IN died number of years ago.
Within . few weeks the affair has devel-
oped itself rapidly. Mr.. and Mrs. Clifton
and Mrs. Pierce have met each other and
the old colored woman, who nursed the
abduced infant, has recognized Mira.
Pierce a. their real child by mole on her
The indentity of their long
lost daughter having been fully establishss
ed, Mrs. Pierce and her husband have
been invited to live with the Cliftons and
share in their wealth; and this they are
preparing to de, having broken up house
keeping and disposed Of their furniture.
The cream Of the affair 10 that Mrs
Pierce IL an only child, and therefore sole
heiress to an estate said to be worth hum
dreds of Thousands If not millions OF dollars,
or as an old lady friend ofMrs. Pierce ex-
presses it, "a tr!fe less than two millions."
It having been ruuored that Mrs. Pierce
had applied for divorce from her hus-
band, she has published y card denying
the SANDER