Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-08-04

] "A Ouy LOtbnrtO M1rftes a IcnleS
see Girl and Has 81 wife in Ohio
Deserts No. TO go 10 No. 1. and I.
Captured
While the war fever was high in Ohio
one Allen w. Dimes alias Whitaker
Diamond, concluded he would win glory
or grave in his efforts to put down the re
bellion. He had heard that old John
Browns soul was still marching on" to
ward Secessia and he would march in the
same direction. He made gallant soldier
till there was prospect for fight and then
he became disgusted with the smell of the
"villianous saltpetre" and got cut off u
from his regiment at the Murfreesboro
fght-that is, he deserted. Returning to
! Nashville, he laid aside his insignia as
a soldier and hired himself out as las
borer, to a gentleman five miles from the
city. There was at this same house a
good-looking, unsophisticated young lady,
! who was acting in the capacity of nurse
| and seamstress to the family.
Rejoicing, as he did, with the sweet pa
tronymic of Diamond, she was captivated
with his brilIiancy Oft in the silent
watches of the night would they sit and
watch the moon climb those tall hills sur
rounding their home, while he would, in
| dulcet tones, tell her of the battles, sieges,
fortunes" through which he had passed,
"Of the most disastrous chances,
| Of moving accidents, by food and field;
of hair breadth 'scapes, in the imminent deadly
breach -
These things to hear.
| Would the gentle Geraldine seriously incline,
| But still the house affairs would draw her
thence"
Suffice it to say he wooed, won and mar
ried Geraldine Garland, an amiable and
industrious country girl, in the month of
January, 1865. Time rolls on and a child
is born. A few months ago he left his
wife, Ostensibly for the purpose of going to
Ohio, to see his parents and collect some
money due him from his brother, and was
to have returned in three weeks. Not re-
turning at the appointed time, his loving
and trusting wife became very uneasy, never
for a moment, however, doubling his 6deli-
ty to her and her innocent child at home.
Like true woman, she was ever ready
to throw the vail of love and chart
ty over the mutterings of suspi-
ciOn which was aroused among her
neighbors. At last, hopeless and broken
hearted, she came to the city aud laid her
fears before the minister who married
them. She remembered that he claimed to
be from Dark county, Ohio, and that he
had told her that his father was named
Bennett, and his mother Prudence, and that
he had a brother named Chambers. A let
ter was then addressed by her friend to
Mrs Prudence Diamond, widow of Bennett
Diamond, inquiring for Whitaker Dia-
mond. Nothing was heard from this letter.
A second letter was addressed to the Clerk
of the County Court of Dark county, asking
for information of said Diamond, and rela-
ting the fact that he had a wife and child
here. The Clerk responded by saying
that there was no family by the
name Of Diamond in that coun-
ty, but there was man there
named Bennett Dimes, whose wife was
named Prudence, and whose sons were
named Chambers and Allen, aud that Al
len had recently returned from the South,
his friends supposing he had been killed at
the battle of Murfreesboro. An ambrotype
which Dimes alias Diamond, had left here
was then sent to the Clerk of the County
Court at Greeneville, Dark county, and was
Immediately recognized as Allen W.
Dimes, alias Diamond. A requisition was
obtained from the Governor of Tennessee
upon the Governor of Ohio, and an order
was issued by Gov Cox for his arrest. The
bearer of the order went to GreenVille and
got the Sheriff and rode ont six miles in
the country to Diamonds home. There
he was, binding up oats, not dream
ing that slow-footed Justice was
on his track. The Sheriff arrested
him and brought him before his accuser,
whom he recognized as the gentleman who
married him TO his Tennessee wife. He did
not deny his guilt, but was terribly con-
fused and mortified. His wife and father,
mother and family came around him, no
one seeming much interested in his fate,
except his wife, who cried piteously. He
was told that he must either make arrange
ments to support his Tennessee wife and
children tone having been born since he
left or make up his mind to 20 TO the pen
itentiary. His father, though man OF pro-
perty, would not assist him, and said he
ought to 90 TO the penitentiary. He was
carried to Greenvile and put in Jail. He
was taken out Of Jail the next morn
ing on a writ Of haJeas corpus, he
claiming that his name was Alfred and not
Allen. A compromise was however effected
by which he agreed to pay $500 to support
this branch of his family, all Of which was
secured by mortgage. The Ohio wife,
with more charity than is possessed by most
women, proposed to raise his Tennessee
children, if the Tennessee wife would let
her take them. He asked about his wife
and children here and manifested no par
ticular compunctions of conscience at the
enormity of the crime of which he is guilty.
The S400 may be of much more value to
his poor, discohsolate wife than his penance
in prison, yet in order to attain the ends
of justice he should peck rock twenty
years in our State penitentiary.