Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1870-09-09

duced to the British public by his old
chum Hiram Fuller. in the London Cos
mopoltan.
The most villainous part of this whole
drama remains to be told. Sidney had
returned TO this country, and, for some
reason. was allowed to remain unmolest-
ed. Some timo after Applcton's escape
to England, Sidney interested himself in
procuring for him fraudulent divorce
from his wife. Either Sidney or one
| Charles S. Larlabcc went to Indiana. and
personat1ng Appleton, obtained for him a
divorce. His wife meanwhile was living
with her husbands mother. ut Patchogue,
l.. L.. caring for the children Of the
miserable scoundrol. and remained from
the inception of the farce until several
years after its conclusion. in blssful
ignorance of it all. No papers were ever
served on her, nor was it ever intmated
to her that such proceeding were even
contemplated.
As soon rs this decree was obtained,
Appleton Oaksmilh, under the assumed
name of Capt. Mcdonald, returned to
this country in conformity with aprcvious
arrangement, and married Miss Mason,
the woman who had assisted him to
escape from the Boston Jail.
Where he stayed while here. the Sun
says is not known, but we are enabled TO
give the information. For six months no
lived in the city Of Portland. in the closest
secusion. Once indeed being recognized
he threw himself on the generosity Of his
discoyerer and was not betrayed. \
bridal party was made up here consisting
of Appleton Oaksmiih, alias Capt. John
McDonald Miss Augusta Mason, the in
tended bride, and Mrs. Mason, her mother {;
and little Bessie, the only innocent
member of the company. The marrige
was TO be celebrated in church in
Halifax, and all the arrangements were
perfected Tor the ceremony, the party in
church. clergymen in attendance, and in
fact, the solemn ceremony in progress.
when q singular circumstance interrupted
it. The Clergyman said: Capt. John
Mcdonald. wilt thou have this woman"
When the bride burst into tears and
interrupted the ceremony by turning TO
her companion with the remark: "Oh,
Appleton, give your real name; let us
have no deception here"
The guilty and affrightcd man hung his
head in shame and confusion.
'Is no, your name John McDonald?'
demanded the clergyman; but there was
no response.
Give him your real name. Appleton,
or | will not consent TO be married" "
persisted the woman.
"Nor can Iproceed with the Ceremony
so long as there is any mystery attending
it," said the clergyman, and he lett the
chancel Indignantly.
The party returned TO the hotel and q
council was held. the result OF which was
that as the girl was obdurate, the part y
resolved TO return TO Portland, where the
two might be quietly married by the
Clergyman under whose ministration the
Masons had formerly sat, and on whose
discretion they could rely. They could
produce 10 him the decree OF divorce, aud
SO satisfy any scruples he might entertain
on that account, while his benevolent
disposition could be trusted TO prevent his
exposing Oaksmith's presence in the
country. And so the plotters carried
their scheme to success. Oaksmith and
his new bride returned TO England, and
the wronged wife and mother remained
at Palchogue But not word of this
cruelty criminal act was breathed to that
much suffering woman. Little Bessie,
taught to fear her grandmother, had re-
ceivcd her lesson, and was permitted to
say that she had seen papa. but nothing
more, and the scheming woman would
tell no more, though besought with tears
10 do so.
Tn the winter of 1865, by the connivancc
of her mother n-law, Bessie, her Oldest
child, was stolen from the deserted wife
and sent TO her father in England. In
the following June came a letter from
"a. o." desiring his wife to join him in
Liverpool, to which place he had secured
passage for her in the steamer Queen.
The letter directed her to leave the two
children, but the poor woman had begun
10 Learn caution and she hcsitated, but her
mother. in-law treasured her and she
started on her weary pilgrimage. Her
baggage, sent to the care of Sidney Oak
smith, was left behind and her only outfit
was a pocket comb. She arrived in
Liverpool at eleven o'clock al night and
her husband met her for the first time in
five years. All his cruelty and criminal
conduct had not shaken her love for him,
and she had attributed all her sutferings
to others. He received her coldly and
told her she must continue to pass as his
sister, as she had done on ship. board, on
account of his misfortunes; that The
United States had made demand for his
extradilion; and that he had taken private
lodgings for her in distant part OF the
city. The next day he called again.
Taking a seat by her side, he proceeded
at once to earnest business, opening the
nnnleasant topic in q Judas.like manner