The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-08-25
Strange stories .,oncernfng MAS.

II ttfcm the Baltimore AfneflCAn, z@th.
n MRS. WHARTON rNsANE?-HER EAnLr LIFE.
The following letter was received at the
AMERICAS Office o few days since from lady
friend Of Mrs. Wharton y,s.,,I h sss,,.,5
.PmIADsLrark, Aug.'20, 1871. .
Mich interest having been manifested
Throughout the entire country on the pos.
sible guilt of Mrs! Wharton, Ihave Thought
some account gathered from persons who
knew her intimately as Ellen Nngent might
| gratify public curiosity, and throw at the
ling to the crimes with which she, stands
charged rs having perpetrated. 2 go
| Mrs. Wharton was the daughter Of q
French gentleman OF superior education
and rcputed wealth; who was, with his
family, long q resident of Norristown, Pa.
MIR. Nugentw was greatly esteemed for his ee-
CANT manners, and for his graceful and pro-
fuse hospitality. He had been married and
had lost bis first wife before coming to N or
ristown, and nothing whatever was known
Of the mother of his elder children, al
though rumor asserted that she had been
quadroon. This report took rise from
the fact Of the extreme darkness and mu-
latto tint visible in the compilations Of the
children by the first wife. Although they
had no other foundation for their belief,
the people Of Norristown at first refused to
associate with this family, and for seve-
raj years they were virtually tabooed by
what was called the best society OF the
place. Few caste prejudices, however, can
Withstand great wealth, when such wealth
Is judiciously expended in propitiating or
| overcoming them; and after time the
chest society" Of Norristown became
aware that visitors to the Nugents were eu-
tertained with great profusion, and ee-
gance. This discovery opened their eyes
to the fact that the Nugents were not so
uery dark after all, and that perhaps the
mulatto tint observable in them was due
rather to French than to African blood.
And so society, in its usual graceful and
generous manner, took them up, and made
pets of ell of them and a belle Of Ellen. 7
| The father, being tender and indulgentt to
Il all his children. was especially so towards
Ellen, and supplied her munflcently with
the means Of keeping up grand appear
lance in the arlstocratic and exclusive cir
Giles which she so gracefully adorned. So
! lavish was she in attire and expenditure
that the report soon spread abroad that she
would be heiress to immense Wealth-that
: her father was second Girard, &c.
| This report drew about her crowd OF
eager admirers, and she was soon sur
rounded by bevy Of sultors, all ready to
! 90 to the death for O smile of encourage
: ment from her lips.
, Yet. even whilst the idol Of her father
and the centre Of attraction to score OF
/ honorable men, Ellen Nugent was in the
habit of perpetrating frauds and indulgine
in practices which would, had she been a
poor girl, have consigned her to prison
) cell. Being the child Of wealth and a
petted darling OF society, however, neither
exposure nor loss OF position followed her
Ideiinuuences. Her failings were by COM
!, mon consent hushed up or, at worst, fur
nished u little gossip amongst those who
had become cognizant of them. Indeed,
some of her escapades were so reckless and
undisguised that seems scarcely possible
to believe the brain which conceived and
: executed them to nave been in sane con.
dition-mental alteration, one woul think,
could alone have prompted them.
She was In the habit of spending the
greater part of her time with friends in this
city. Most of those whose guest she was
knew her peculiarities," but were will
| ing, for the sake OF her charming company
to overlook them. On one occasion, whilst
snjourning with 4 prominent family of this
city, she asked her hostess to accompany
. her upon shopping expedition, exhibiting
,, at the same time huge roll of notes which
her father had given her for the purchase oil
her winter outfit. The lady accompanied her
to Levy's, and assisted in the selection OF
silks, velvets, and other expensive material,
hut was somewhat surprised when q few
, months later the bill for the goods purchased
by Ellen was sent to her husband as having
81 been contracted by herself. OF course
. Mr.. Nugent was informed Of the matter,
and at once liquidated the bill. Whilst
upon visit to the same friends, shortly
,, after, she called upon gentleman who was
; acquainted with her host, and represented
to him that her entertainers were greatly
:, straitened in circumstances, and had sent
her to ask him for loan Of few hundred
, dollars. The gentleman applied to, rather
=, doubling the representations OF Miss Ellen,
put her of with some excuse until he could
; inquire if the money was indeed needed by
his friend OF course the whole matter
!; | was discovered to be ,pure fabrication,
but lIpon being asked for an explanation,
, Ellen exhibited no discontinue whatever,
, but laughed the whole affair off as ga joke .
For q long time articles We're being
! missed at the houses she visited before
suspicion alighted upon. Miss Nugent but
after q time circumstances indicated that
she had appropriated the missing property,
!, and during Il temporary absence her trunks
, were opened, and perfect museum Of
/; stolen property was discovered therein
Iarticles, for the most part. which could
never be of the slightest use to her. Upon
going to her trunks after the stolen goods
had been removed and restored to their re-
spectiYe owners, she manifested neither
, the smallest confusion nor modification,
but without voluntary remark or eXplana'
ton proceeded to set in order her belong.
inys. She stayed the length Of time she had
laid out with these friends, and the circunl-
stance seemed neither to impair her plea
sure nor cheerfulness IN the slightest de-
gree. .-.,..
We have been told that she would. spend
hundreds of dollars for costly laces, which
laces she would bestow on the servants OF
the houses she visited as literally as though
Il they had been cheap cotton fabrics, thus
wasting large sums in making presents to
people of interior station articles OF which
they knew neither the value nor the use.
/ she was very fond OF, playing practical
ljokes, and utterly careless as to the damage
she inflicted upon property or feelings IN
having her fun.
The most innocent Of these jokes OF
(which we have heard was the pinning up,
on q. bitter cold winter night, the overcoat
of visitor SO that he could not possibly
| wear il home, and was obliged to brave the
iinclemency of the weather without it, she
having used a-whole paper OF pins upon IL.
On another occasion she prevailed upon
one of her admirers TO kneelat her feet IN
ider some pretence, and then sprinkied
over a new and expensive coat bottle OF
asafptida. ...-.s. D.. --..s.f p. ..E!.
Her reckless behavior gave great pain to
her family, and when at home she became
the object of unceasing care and vigilance.
4 Becoming disguised by this surveillance,
She resolved to leave home for good and
all, and determined to, marry. She had
three suitors, whom she favored about
equally, and to these three she wrote on
| the same day, telling each if they would