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

have been continued with steadily in
creasing violence until the present timo.
The mother-in law refused TO treat the
young wife as daughter; forbade her
the service of the domestics; refused to
allow her linen to be washed in the house
treated her with indignity at the table ;
and in every way sought to humiliate
and degrade ber.
About one year after the marriage the
young witc gave birth to son which was
named Buchanan. Prior to this event
Oaksmith and Goicoria had secured the
release of those vessels which had been
seized as stated above. and had joined
Walkers Nicaraguan expedition. In
this affair Oaksmith figured conspicuous
ly as an intimate Of the very remarkable
"grcy-eyed man of destiny" When
Walker had secured temporary footing
in Central America De Goicouria, recent
ly executed by the Spaniards in Cuba,
was appointed his minister to England,
and Appleton Oaksmith was accredited
in the same capacity to the United States
In August 1856. Oaksmith proceeded to
Washington to present his credentials
The shrewd Marcy, then Secretary of
State, managed adroitly to avoid mis-
chicvous political complications by refus-
ing to recognize the pretender rs Minis
tor, on the ground that he was citizen
of the United States. And thus his vision
of ambassador ial honors vanished into
thin air Soon afterwards Walker was
captured and shot, and his expedition fell
with him.
These events afforded Oaksm NTH q fit
ting excuse for financial failure. He
was heavily involved, and what real
property he possessed he shrewdly cover
ed in his mothers name. The house in
Stuyvesant street. which stood in his
mothers name. was rented and furnish
ed in Older to yield the family little in
come. Appleton took his wife and in
fant child to board with a Mrs. +. V.
White, in Sackett street, Brooklyn. He
represented TO his wife that this Mrs.
White was a poor widow who had an
swered his advertisement for board
But it subsequently appeared that she
was his mistress, and the mother of q
child of which he was the father. She
was fourteen years older than 1sotta. q
rough, coarse. tyrannical woman. who
treated the timid wife and mother with
even greater brutality and indignities
than had Mrs. Elizabeth Oaksmith, her
mother-in law. At the end of three
months this furious mistress made an at
tempt on the life of her boarders, the
wife of her paramour, by endeavoring
TO cut her throat with carving knife
This affair brought matters to locus.
Oaksmith removed his wife from the
dangerous locality. More OF his iniqui-
ties came to his wife's notice. but she.
meek and forgiving. bore his cruelty and
wrong in meekness and silence. Her
first-born died, but three other children
were born to them.
In 1862, Appleton Oaksmith was ar
rested for completely in the slavc-trading
operation for which the notorious Gordon
was convicted and hanged. Appleton
and his brother Sidney were supposed to
be the principals in the business. while
Gordon was but their agent. Sidney
Oaksmith eluled arrest and got out OF
the country. Appleton was arrested,
tried convicted and sentenced to be hang
ed, and was confined in The Jail at Boston
awaiting execution, when he managed to
escape. He had refused to permit his
wife to be present at his trial, but had his
oldest daughter, Bessie, then mere child
four or five years OF age, present in the
court room throughout the trial TO- york
upon the sympathies of the court and
Jury. When this expedient failed the
child was sent back to Patchoguo to the
care Of its mother.
Now more Portland people appear up
on the scene. Precisely how his escape
was effected is not known, but the princi-
pal instrument was Augusta Mason,
cousin of Oaksmith, who, with her mother
carried on the millinery business in this
city. We are informed, though the Sun
does not state the fact, that Oaksm!th and
his cousin had been intimate from child
hood and were warmly attached to each
other. Oaksmith's marriage to lsotta
Rebeccini was not for love, neither for
mohey, but, rs we are told, for the pur-
pose of obtaining n wife whose talents
and requirements. particularly in the
languages. would be more serviccablc to
him.
After his escape from prison, lour years
and half elapsed before tho wife was
permitted TO know Of her husbands
whereabouts, or communicate directly
with him. During all this time she re-
mained faithful and devoted to him, and
struggling to take care Of her children,
partly by her own toll and partly by the
miserable pittances that came to her lhro
her mothor-in-la who kept close watch
and ward over her. In this long period
OF separation four letters had come TO
her from her husband, through her moth
or. in-law, one of which that woman had
destroyed. though generously vouchsahng
hal Of p,apt nE SO