Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1870-05-25
SAN FRANCISCO LETTER.
4 Sad stsry-Ana AnstheF-onall.
Pox - War In ChiaaAsa : Hew
California STRIKES = shswAan.
SAN Francisco, May "a, 1870.
A Sad Btsry.
IyRox OUR REGULAR ooRRr.roxDESr.l


SAN FRANCISCO, May "a, 1870.
A Sad Story.
Son the back Of the picture were
written words which plainly indicate
that the deceased was not in his right
mind" "a photograph was found In
his memorandum book, and near the
picture written in pencil: "A thor
oughly heartless woman The mis-
tress Of d. w, formerly my wife; she
Is the u of my DEATH" These
sentences appear In the papers in de-
scribing the death Of Captain Godfrey,
as true a gentleman as ever breathed
the breath of life-a man so pure, so
good, so tender and so brave, that to
know him was to love and respect, to
have his friendship a privilege that the
proudest might boast of, to be intimate
with him a diploma Of honor that none
could gainsay. At the present time,
when the whole English speaking
world is discussing the acquittal Of the
wretch Mcfarland, the circumstances
which led to the suicide Of Captain
Godfrey possess unusual interest, and
as the San Francisco press is not likely
to dilate OH the delinquency OF n OF
its members, 1t remains with your cor
respondent to tell ~ sad a tale Of
domestic wrong and secret aifliction as
ever pen wrote OH paper.
David Wilder, formerly critic on the
Times, now Corresponding Secretary
of the Mercantile Library and editor
Of the To,cn and Stage, made the &C
quaintance of Captain Godfrey some
two years ago, Don after that gentle.
mans marriage. He was introduced
to the Captains family circle, and
found 80 much attraction there as to
become n constant visitor. His con-
nsction with the press gave him the
entree to the theaterS, and he would
occasionally invite Mrs. Godfrey to
Tighten the load of his literary labors
bY accompanying him to places Of
amusement. As time strengthened the
intimacy Wilder would escort the lady
to picnicS and to lectures, discuss ice
cream with her at strawberry festivals,
point out the industrial progress Of the
State while strolling through the Me-
chanics' Fair at the Pavilion, show her
tho beauties Of nature and art at
| Woodward's Gardens, and make him
self so generally agreeable that the
poor deluded husband thought he had
introduced to his wife q treasure Of a
| friend, and congratulated himself on
| the good luck that had made him &C
quainted with such q genius. 1t Is an
old, old tale; old rs the story of Helen
and the siege of Troy; old as the
history of Arthur and his Queen
Guinivere. Trust betrayed, confidence
abused, Kindness repaid by perf1dy,
q fallen wife, q heart-broken husband,
a desolate home. The result was q
divorce; but instead Of the wronged
man being the petitioner, he proved
his great love, his care for his wife's
reputation, by allowing her to sue for
a separation OH the ground Of his adult
terry with an Indian servant girl. He
uttered no reproach, sought for no
vengeance, but let the shadow of q
great calumny rest upon his fame In
order to save the fair name Of the
guilty woman. But he suffered terri
BLY, the more so that his atfiiction wal
secret and none could know the sorrow
bthat was consuming him. At last the
burden of his grief became too heavy,
and "He dressed himself In his best
suit, arranged everything in order
about his room, and was so found dead
| with n half empty bottle of morphine
beside him." And this glorious, self
| sacrificing, true nobility finds no
recognition his wrongs no indignant
pen to write fiery words of scorn
against the seducer; merely a lying
sentence. "On the back of the picture
were written words which plainly in
dictate that the deceased was not i'll his
right mind" The papers which thus
try to suppress facts had nothing but
sympathy for the crazy drunkard who
murdered Albert d. Richardson. His
fate was a just one, a warning to all
who would poison the holy relationship
of husband and wife; but Wilder Is
"one of ours" and we must deal
leniently with him, and put all the
blame on the defenceless dead. So
Captain Godfrey is credited with aber-
ration of mind, and the affair hushed
up rs much rs possible. In every par
ticular, except the fate Of the victim,
this deplorable domestic tragedy bears
q striking resemblance to the one that
eliminated in the momentary insanity
of Mcfarland and to add to the SINH
larity, Mrs. Godfrey-Wilder was about
to make her debut on the stage, in the
Grand Duchess, for Mrs. Raymond's
benefit. Captain Godfrey was, until
q few months since, in the employment
Of the North Pacific transportation
Company, and commanded several
steamers of the line In trips to Mexico,
Portland and Honolulu. Few men
were better known, none more highly
esteemed, and his sad ending has given
q greater shock to the community than
the death of many others In q higher
social position would have done.
A Fallen Woman.
What i~rretrievable ruin a heartless
man can bring into q happy domestic
circle. Within the last few days all
other story almost a sorrowful Us the
one l have just related, has been told
to me. Three years ago c. l.. was the
loved and loving wife of \ we'll known
merchant, the mother Of two beautiful
children, occupied an honorable posi-
ton in society, and was as much Of n
belle rs a married woman can be. At
q ball given by n semi-litcrary club,
she met q gentlemen Il use the word as
indicating wealthy from Charleston,
who had come to the Pacific on a visit
to his brother. and whether it was an
actual cas- of natural affinity, or sec
ond love at first sight, psychologists
can perhaps determine, for the infatu-
ated woman made no struggle with
temptation, but deserted husband,
home and offspring two weeks after
her first introduction to the South Car
Gilman, and accompanied him as mis-
tress back to the Southern States.
Twelve months ago her protector died,
onI ca cttS1a,1p f1,ot H. h.l ,,o1 IL.