The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-08-11
ALerson orRenIL Lie

The Philadelphia Ledger INDUCES in
some most appropriate remarks in re-
feronce to the deplorable phase of our
present American society, as illustra-
ted by the case of young Cooper, appre-
hended in that city last week for for.
gerry and braudulently obtaining $780,
600 from the government, just when he
had arrived from Washington with his
innocent bride on the way to Europe
Tor an extended wedding tour. From
prospect of apparently boundless
happiness, the new made wife and her
attendant friends were thrown into
the deepest CONSERVATION and distress,
me case has its lessons more impress
slVe than those OF romance and IL ia
more fearful in its reality than the nic-
! tured distress of a whole library of fiC-
lions. Cooper, in addition to being prepos-
seSSlnS in appearance, and without anv
indication of the swindler or forper IN
his manner, has, it is said, several quail
tiles 0fgreat value to an honest huui
ness man. And he applied his talents
and his natural qualities and advanta-
geS to some honest business with the
same spirit, energy, tact and zeal with
which he employed them in the COM
mission of crime, he could not have
failed to be successful, and ultimately
" AoNc OoCOAu6 "GhlbLlleE ne
was during the few hours when he was
possessed of his ill-gotten fifty thous-
and dollars. He chose another course,
however,-and why? Is not his crime
and destruction cl early traceable to the
depraved passions so prevalent i'll these
days for getting rich at n single stroke,
no matter by what means or at
what cost of present character and
future welfare? He was, or had been
in good employment, he had in WASH
ington free entree to what is chilled
'gooo society,"" he did not lack means
to maintain respectable position he
had won the love of good young girl !;
ana yet he had swung loose from every
ne that should have bound him to u
life of honesty and honor-and WHY :?
Not from necessity but from n morbid
desire to indulge in fashionable Clissi-
patton, to luXuriate among the expen-
sive follies that can only be purchased
by money. Therefore, he must be rich,
and rich at once, even by crime; and.
throwing forIthat stake, he has lost ali
character, liberty, friends, home
everything. A mountain of gold could
not purchase back what he has thrown
away. His poor wife may still cling to
hlmI but what words can paint the
abyss or agony into which he has
plunged that trusting but now heart
sIrlcken woman, or the long years of
shame and anguish that lie before
her, to be ended only by the grave.
Here is one of tho wounds that
even time cannot effectually heal. And
this is one of the mournful but inevita-
BILE results of all such crimes-thnt it is
not alone the convicted and sentenced
criminal who suffers, but the wives.
mothers, fathers and children of the
culprits who suffer in mind and soul
more-intensely more-than can be in
flicted by any human punishment.
The case is one worthy of special no.
tice, and points u terrific moral. Young
Cooper, a husband of but few hours.
and believing himself rich and beyond
detection, and with all the bright an
tlclpation of u luxurious bridal tour
before him, and yet ut that moment
destined to be the occupant of u feIon's
cell before evening, with the earthly
happiness of his innocent and trusting
young bride in the meantime ut
tterly destroyed, certainly presents n
lesson from real life far beyond the
power of any romance.