The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1869-09-23
Sad Sequel to an Infamous
Crime-The Misfortunes
Of 4 Country Girl.
FROM the Omaha Republican.

y 2
There appeared in the columns of
the Republican, q fcw days since, q
brief announcement of the marriage
of Lottie Bedford to Charles II. Smith
by the Police Justice--Smith having
been compelled TO accept wife in
preference to prison.
There is painful sequel to this I'M
happy alliance, which developed it.
sclfon Saturday night. At that time
the bride of a fortnight was conduct
ed to the county Jail n raving ma
niacl
In order to fully explain, it becomes
necessary to relate all the details
which have eliminated SO disastrous
to the unfortunate victim.
A few weeks ago Miss Lotto Bed.
ford, an orphan, sixteen years old, re-
sided with her mother in La Sale
county, Illinois. Her only guardian,
not being in circumstances which
would warrant the support of herself
and child, consented that Lottie sho'd
remove to Council Bluffs, where she
was engaged as . servant in highly
respectable family. She had been
employed at Council Bluffs but afew
days, when she received a telegraph
ic dispatch from Omaha, announc-
ing the sudden and serious illness of
an only brother, and requesting her
immediate presence in this city She
came, as a dutiful and loving sister
should, but found, on arrival, that the
dispatch was a fraud; that her broth
or was not here; and that somo un-
known person had imposed on her
sisterly affection, for what purpose
she was unable TO determine, but
which after results fully demonstra-
ted. She arrived here on the Goth
day of August, and registered at the
International Hotel, where she re-
NAMED four days. The poor girl,
having been deceived by the fraudu-
lent dispatch, found herself in desti-
tute circumstances, among strangers.
In the meantime, she met the individ-
ual known as Charles FL. Smith. In
Producing himself to her as a man
who needed the services Of a domes-
tic, Smith induced her to engage
with him, and conducted her to q no.
torious resort of infamy, known az
'.The Farm" Here her ruin was &C
complished, by means we'll known to
those familiar with the infamiee
which are resorted to by the aban.
doned characters who infest all large
cities. Once under the roof of the
resort named, drugs were applied to
the unsuspecting victim, and what
followed it is not necessary to state
1t is enough to know that the orphan
girl was lost, beyond the hope Of re
covery-betrayed into a life which
can only end in shame and everlast
ing disgrace.
| Four days from date Of her arriva
at the "Farm," Lottie was arrested
at the instance Of Mrs. Fred Kaiser
the wife Of the proprietor Of this viii
den, After her arrest, Lottie procur
| cd the arrest of Smith, ON charge o
seduction, and the two came up to
gether before Justice Porter. In or
der to avoid unpleasant consequence
Smith consented to marriage, ant
theceremony wasperformed in court
as announced, at the time, in the Rep
ublicdn. This occurred on the 2Stl
day of August. The wretch imme
diately abandoned his youthful bride
and from that day until Saturda,
last, she has wanderedfrom one hous
of ill-repute to another, with NJ
place, not even a brothel, to cal
home!
| The torture of mind which has becl
brought about by her misfortune, ha
produced its natural result. Tn
outraged orphan-the mere child i
in years-has lost her reason. At
late hour on Saturday night a Cal
, riagc conveyed the crazed creatur
q to the county jail, and she RENAME
there, ravlng with dclirium-a wrec
of what was one month ago an innt
cent maiden.
II The reporter Of the Republican vi
, tied the jail yesterday and witnesse
! the pitiful wailings and frenzie
shrieks of this doubly unfortuna,
victim Of base treachery and infan
GUS deceit. She was COINED in &c
/ with no other furniture than Goa
Up to that time she had been docil
combining her demonstrations TO viii
shrieks, and indulgence in unnatura
demoniacal glee.
Poor Lottie talks almost continue
ly ofher betrayer, Smith, in her r
! wing moments, and showers upon b
head the most fearful curses, bitt,
denunciations and terrible oaths /,
vengeance. From these she fr
> quently relapses into q mournfl
mood, singing snatches of love sons
and weeping over the misfortune
which her impaired intellect cannt
understand.
1t is evident, from all the circun
stances, that the miscreant who
now the legal husband of this insar
girl, was the sole agent of her de
truction, and that it was he who 70
: ged the fatal dispatch which breugl
her to this city. Conceding this
DO the truth, the whole responsible
ty is fixed upon one who, to-da,
Notwithstanding his great crime,
permitted to walk the streets q fre
!, | T. n