Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-08-17
An En0ch Arden Case In Missouri.

THE assertion that "truth is stranger
than fiction" is certainly illustrated in
the following sketch, and we are indebted
to j. G. Ryan, the agreeable first clerk of
the steamer st. Luke, for the princ ipal
items:
During the first year Of the war j. NJ
Waldrup left his pleasant home in Central
Missouri and shouldered his musket to
fight for what he considered right, and to
spill his blood, if necessary, in defense of
the Confederate cause. At home he left
young wife and one child, and from that
time till last Sunday they never even heard
from him.
Mr.. Waldrup passed through the strug-
gle safely, and was parUfed in st. Louis in
1865. So soon as he could earn money
enough he started to find his wife and
child; he visited his old home, and called
on his neighbors. But his search was un-
successful. The only information he re
ceived was that his wife had taken the
child and gone to live with some re-
latives in Galloway County.
Visiting Galloway 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 meantime Mrs. Waldrup had
herd that her husband was dead, and had
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 mar.
ried, and last week were living in their
comfortable home at Cedar City, and Mrs.
Waldrup had blessed the blacksmith with
three fine children, the eldest five years
old.
Last Saturday Mr.. Waldrup rode
leisure,y into Cedar City, and, hating al
the black mith shop, requested that worthy
to shoe his horse. While conversing on
| the heat of the weather, crops, etc, the
blacksmith learned Waldrup's story, and
having heard his wife tell about her lost
| husband, surmised the truth, and, in his
blunt honesty, invited Mr. Waldrup over
| to the house with him. The recognition
| was mutual, and the wife tainted in her
first husbands arms. After the first agita-
ton, Mr.. Waldrup went back to the black
smith shop, and the men talked the mat
ter over sensioly and coolly, and aeEeed to
allow the woman to decide as to which
man she would cling.
After bordering the matter over in her
own mind, the doubly-mat, d lady decided
to go with her first husband on condition
that the second allow her TO take the child.
rem. BY some process of reasoning mex.
plicable to us, he decided TO give up his
wife and children, and Mr. and Mrs. Wald-
rup decided to come to st. Louis.
Yesterday the st Luke stopped at the
landing and Mr. w. came on board and
engaged passage for himself and three
children, and the blacksmith assisted his
wife on board, and then brought on the
children. Then came an aft. citing scene,
that brought tears to the eyes of the cap
tain, clerks and passengers The deserted
husband first took one child and then the
other in hi arms and kissed them passion.
ately, while the tears rolled down his
cheeks Then he babe goodbye to his
wife, who seemed deeply affected, and
lastly TO Mr.. Waldrup. The two men
gazed into each others faces, shook hands
long and earnestly, aad then the black.
smith, by strong effJrt of will, released
the hand of Mr.. Waldrup. and walked
quietly ashore, never turning his face to-
ward the boat, which soon passed out of
sight. We can only imagine the loneli-
ness in that poor mans heart and home as
he reached the room where he bad SO
often sat with his vie aad children.-,1.
Louis Dispatch