The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1865-01-06
A RomaGce in Real life,
The Taunton Mass J Republic

A Romance in Real Life.
The Taunton Mass Republican
is responsible for the following story:
A romance in real life has just come
to light, and is Mt present the chief
gossip of this city. The facts, as re-
lated by an intimate acquaintance OF
the fortunate family, are q follows:
at appears that about twenty seven
years ago 4 Captain Brown, whose
family resided in Mattapoisett, was
the overseer of the estate of Mr..
Henry f.. Clifton, a wealthy gentle
man OF Richmond, Va. From some
cause, which still remains n secret,
difficulty arose between Captain
Brown and Mr.. Clifton, wherein the
former considered himself the ag-
grieved party. TO revenge himself
for the supposed wrong, he stole Mr..
ClIton's infant duaghter( then but six
weeks old) on the day she was chris
tened. The child was brought 10
Mattapoisctt, and secretly adopted bv
Brown and his wife as their own.---
She was named Julia, and grew TO be
woman When only sixteen years
Old she married Mr.. Isaac o. Pierce,
n Printer, who learned his trade in
Fall River. Several years ago they
moved to Taunton, living for awhile
at East Taunton, but more recently
at the Green. Two children have
been born to them, one OF whom is
now living.
During this long period Mrs.
Pierce has lived in blissful ignorance
of her high parcntagc, and Mr. Pierce.
who took her for better or worse, had
never imagined himself the hus band
Of an hcircss. He abandoned the
Printers trade shortly after learning
it, and for several years has earned
his daily bread hy the sweat of his
) brow at Mr.. Masons works in this
+ city. This is their history until with
in very short time. Now comes
denoucment
'Last Summer, while Rev. Mr..
Talbot, of this city, was ut Saratoga,
he became acquainted with Mr. Cliff
ton and wife, who, it appears, at the
breaking out Of the rebellion, con-
verted their Richmond property into
cash and moved to Baltimore. In
the course of conversation with them,
Mr.. Talbot remarked upon the strik-
ing resemblance of Mrs. Clifton to n
lady parishioner of his in Taunton
Nothing particular was thought OF it
' Mt first. but on his repeating the re-
:, mark, Mrs. Clifton inquired the age
of the lady. On being informed that
she was about twenty seven, Mrs.
Clifton Immediately sai'l to her hus-
- band; "Why, that would be just the
age Of our daughter that was stolen"
THE matter then received thoir
serious attention. Mr., Talbot was
taken into their cociidence, and in.
= quiry instituted as to the rcputed
! parents OF the young lady. lie re-
" turned to Taunton; had n conversa-
ton with Mrs. Pierce in regard to her
h. parcntagc; informed her OF the Sara
= toga conversation, which led her to
ask Mrs. Brown, who, she had never
>, doubted, was her own mother, if she
!. really were snch, at the same time
!, telling her the reason of the inquiry.
Mrs. Brown, who hal kept the secret
=. Of the child's parentage for twenty
seven years, was so o, ercome by the
question and the development Of
.. facts, that she Immediately became
=, i'll and died of the heart disease. But
! before her death, however, she ac
" knowledged that AIRS. Pierce was not
" her own daughter. Capt. Brown died
a number Of years ago. Within Il
=, few weeks the affair has developed
" itself rapidly. Mr. and Mrs. Clifton
, and Mrs. Pierce have met each other;
, and the old colorcd woman, who
:. nursed the abducted infant, has re.
cognized Mrs Pierce as their real
- child by n mole on her shoulder
! The identity of their long lost dangh-
' ter having been fully established,
:, Mrs. Pierce and her husband have
= been invited TO live with the Cliftons
: and share in their wealth and this
~ ~ they are preparing to do, having bro
= ken up house keeping and disposed
= :. of their furniture. et
o, "The cream of the affair is that
Mrs. Pierce is an only child, and
be therefore soc hercss to an estate
s. said to be worth hundreds of thous
w ands, il not millions of dollars, or II,
an old lady friend OF Mrs. Pierce ex
Il presses it, - triRe less than two mil
is. lions 1t having been rumored tina
ut Mrs. Pierce had applied for divorce
RS for her husband, she has published ,
card Indignantly denying the slam
ry der"