The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1870-07-12
A Singular Story.

III IhaC part OF jersey Clty nltherto
known as Hudson. The parties to the
affair are all of the highest rcspectability.
All but one of them-the injured hus-
band-are possessed of valuable property,
which fact led to the trouble. Whether
there is anything criminal in the matter
is not known; but from the respectable
ity of the parties it is supposed they are
innocent of any evil except that of very
persistent malice toward their deceased
relatives husband. Still, as the property
in question, at least so far as the dead
woman's share goes, is entailed under GER
tain conditions, a very nice legal point is
involved.
Three years ago this spring, young
man named Starkey, of good habits and
respectable connections, was taken into
the employ of Mr. John Tice, who keeps
dry goods store in Hudson city, and
whose family is one Of considerable
wealth. The Tice family inherited this
from their father, hard working farmer,
who owed his prosperity to the rise in
property which he purchased in his
youth. When they took young Starkey
into their employ they intended that he
should act simply as their clerk, But
there was young lady in the family,
Miss Mary Tice, who conceived other
ideas. Starkey being rather cookbook
ing young fellow, of pleasing manners
and address, Miss Mary was not long in
discovering his good qualities nor in man
ifesting for his company decided pref
erence over that of the other young gentle
men Of her acquaintance. Starkey, in
his turn, was rather impressed by the
young lady's good looks, and the result
as was but natural under the circumstan
ces, was reciprocal attachment.
The family, discovering how matters
stood between the young couple, and
having rather higher notions than the
girl, at once dismissed Starkey from the
shop, and forbade his ever setting foot
in the house again. They also denied
the girl the privilege of meeting or con-
versing with her lover. The result may
be imagined Opposition only fed fuel
to loves fire, and within month after
the clerks dismissal he became the girls
husband. She Immediately left her re-
latons-a brother and sister-to live
with her husband. Her relatives finding
their opposition useless, gave tacit con-
sent to the marriage, and furnished the
apartments in which the young couple
went to housekeeping. Young Starkey
being a man of good habits, had made a
great many friends, and bore agood name,
so, being offered assistance, he at once
went into business on his own account,
and succeeded in making very comfort
able living for his family.
Things went smoothly and happily
with him until year after marriage
when his wife gave birth to a daughter
after which her health failed. Thinking
that her sister and other relatives would
be able to give her more care and atten.
tion than she would otherwise receive
she proposed to her husband that she
and the child should go to her sisters
and remain until she should recover. Mr.
Starkey, although he and his wife had al
ways lived together in the happiest man
ner, the two never having had word
of difference, gave his consent. Thereu
pom Mrs. Starkey removed with her child
to her sisters residence. 1t was sad
day for Starkey when he gave his con-
sent to the removal, for from that time
he never saw his wife nor child again
What arts the family used, or whether
his wife was confined to her bed by illness
he does not know, but certain it is he
never saw her, nor could he gain access
to the house. The child, as he learned
from the neighbors, was sent away, and
the family would tell neither him nor his
wife where it had been taken. This latter
fact he subsequently learned from let
ter his wife left for home--Time passed
and Starkey went three times to the
house where his wife was lying sick, bu
each time he was refused admission tC
her bedside, although heknew she was i'll
When she died he was not informed
of the fact by the relatives, but learned
it from the death notices in the news
papers, the woman's death having been
advertised, strangely enough, under hel
maiden name. Starkey then went tc
the house and asked to see his wife's