The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-11-21
A Fresh Chicago Mystery-A Lady
About 10 be Married Receives the
Dead Body Of an Infant by Express.

From the Chicago Times, November III
On Thursday forenoon an express wag
on wound its way leisurely down South
Clark street and came to halt in front
of the Morrison Building, situated or
the east side of the said street, between
Washington and Madison streets. The
driver as leisurely dismOunted from hi.
seat, and taking a small fourteen by six.
| teen inch box from the vehicle, he
mounted two flights of steps and stop,
ped before No. y. He knocked, and
gained admittance. The lady knew
him not, and he knew not the lady
but that made no difference; lie
had received orders TO deliver
the property TO Mrs. James, room
3s, Morrison Building, and all he
wanted now was his charges amounting
TO seventy-five cents, which were paid,
and bowling his adieu he came down
stairs, mounted his vehicle, and drove
away as leisurely rs he came.
Mrs. James was of course III great
desire to know the contents of box
so mysteriOusly delivered. For a mo-
ment she could not surmise who could
have sent the same. but all of a sudden
the mystery was apparently explained.
Was she not to be married in few
days. and who but slover would pre-
tend to use snch cautioni II was, no
doubt, intended for surprise, and
magnificent wedding HOassedHs
danced before her sparkling eyes,
She procured hatchet, and, with trem-
bling hands pricd open the top. The
sight that was presented spread blush
over her fair features. Ii was a steel
plate engraving, representing some rude
heathcn goddess, in an amorous attitude
on the back of noble swan, toying in
the waters of n beautiful lake. That
was surely strange present for lover
but, she she could excuse il in him
in their degenerate days, and she quiet
ly puts it on one side. Next there came
layer of straw, which, on being re-
moved, revealed glass jar. A jar !
What could that contain 10 re-
quire such extraordinary caution.
She could think of no suitable we'd
ding present that required jar, and
her wonder increased. But hold, there
was Il slip of white paper pinned to the
top, and something was written thereon
in n neat, female hand. She read, and
n sickening sensation Ovcrcame her D.;
she lifted the glass jar from the box,
and had barely time to place it on the
table, before she fell fainting on the
floor. The noise occasioned by the fall
attracted the attention of some ladies
living i'll the same portion of the build
ing, who, on entering the room, found
Mrs. James in deep sw0On. They at
tempted to revive her, but before this was
accomplished, they also observed the con-
tents of the jar, and We're hardly able To
take care of themselves. But, in the
course of time, Mrs. James revived, and
the ladies, after rcgaining their compo-
sure to some extent, attempted Il more
careful examination of the contents of
the jar; but the object was SO shocking
that they could scarcely believe their
own senses. This extraordinary dis.
turbcr of female composure, was the
fGtus of male child, about seven
months old, preserved in alcohol, and
on the slip OF paper were these words
written in neat female hand:
II am in search of p, Clark. vii,
my future step-mother tell me where
can find himi'
The feelings of Mrs. James can bt
imagined when it is stated that this "P
Clark is her afiianced husband. Aftel
a lengthy consideration of the subject
as to what they should do with thu
strange and unnatural object, the ladie!
concluded to notify the coroner, wht
subsequently took the contents of th'
jar in his charge.
The matter is undergoing Il careful
investigation by the authorities, but n
yet ihc perpetrator Of this disgusting
and terrible outrage has not been DIS
covered.