The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-07-27
An Enoch ARDEN Case in Missouri
A Second Husbaad Gives up Hts
Wife and Three Children.

The assertion that "truth is stranger
than felton, Is certainly illustrated in the
following sketch, and we are indebted to
il. &. Ryan, the agreeable, first clerk OF the
steamer St. Luke, for the principal items:
During the first year OF the war, j. IL.
IWaldr1ip left his pleasant home in Central
Missouri and shouldered his musket to
fight for what he considered right, and to
spill bis blood, IL necessary, in defence OF
the Confederate cause. At home he left Il
Young wife and ~one child, and from that
time till last Sunday they never even heard
from him.
Mr.. Waldrup passed through the struggle
safely. and was paroled in st. Louis in 1863.
So :soop as he could earn money enough he
started to find his wife and child: lie Wis
tied his old home, and called on his neigh
hors. But his search was unsuccessful.
The only information he received was that
his wife had taken the child and gone to
five with some relatives in Galloway county.
Visiting Callaway county, he obtained
work on farm, and settled down TO pom
der over the whereabouts Of his wife and
child, and to earn money enough to con-
tinue the search. -.-...-- .-....
In the neansime Mrs. Waldrup had
heard that her husband WAS dead, and bad
gone to live with some relation near Cedar
City. opposite Jefferson City, Missouri.
Here she became acquainted with we'll
to-dO blacksmith, whose name we have not
learned. In. due time they were married,
and last week were living in their comfort
able home ut Cedar City, and Mrs. Wal
druD had blessed the blackSn. -. with three
fine children. the eldest five years old.
Last Saturday Mr.. Waldrup rode leisure
ly into Cedar City, and batting ut the black
smith shop requested that worthy to shoe
his horse. While conversing on the heat OF
thei weather. crops. NC. the blacksmith
learned Waldrup's story, and having heard
his wife tell about her lost husband, sur
missed the truth, and in his blunt honesty
invited Mr.. Waldrupt to go over to the house
with him. The recognition was mutual,
and the wife tainted in her first husbands
arms. After the first agitation Mr.. Wal
drup went back to the blacksmith shop,
and the men talked the matter over sensi-
bly, and coolly, and agreed to allow the wo-
man to decide Us to which man she would
cling.
After wondering the matter over in her
own mind the doubiy. mated lady decided
| to 20 with her first husband on condition
that the second allow her to take the chill
dren. By some process OF reasoning, mex
plicable to us, he decided to give up wife
anu cnllQTeu. anu tui ahu 4uis' W "ioi Wy
decided to come to st. Louis.
YESTERDAY the st. Luke stopped at the
landing and Mir. w. came on board and en-
gagged passage for himself and three chill
dren, and the blacksmith assisted bis wife
on board, anu then brought on the chill
dren. Then came an affecting scene that
brought tears to the eyes of captain, clerks,
and passengers. The deserted husband
took first one child and then the other in
his arms, and kissed them passonately,
while the tears rolled down his checks.
Then he bade goodbye to his wife, who
seemed deeply affected, and lastly TO MIR.
Waldrup. The two men gaZcd into each
others faces, shook hands long and carn-
estly, and then the blacksmith, by strong
effort of will, released the hand of Mr..
Waldrup and walked quickly ashore, never
turning his face toward the boat.-St. Louis
Dispatch, 21St.