Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-05-19
THE WOODHULL-CLAFLIK FAMILY
The neither Of Future President EBdeaY
sFs 10 Believe her Daughter from
EBtaBglIHa Alliances.
A ST. Louis Firm Mixed up IN it-Rsmark'
able Enthusiastically History.
From the st. Louis Times, May g.

able Enthusiastically History
! From the st. Louis Times, May 81
The New York firm Of Woodruff,
! Clafiin d Co., composed mainly OF
! femaleism of the Clafiin persuasion,
/ bid fair to increase their nOtoriety, if
! not their reputation. Victoria Wood
| hull. the senior member of the house,
| has an anteeedent history. She re-
| sided in this city a few years ago,
where she appeared as the prOpriet-
| ress Of an eclectic institution, located
on Sixth street, next door to the pres
| ent City Dispensary. 1t was here
! that she first formed the acquaintance
| OfCOlOnel James II. Blood, who was
at that time City Auditor and Presi-
dent Of the Fifth street railroad. He
was a married man, and lived with
| his wife as agreably as the majority of
men until they are divorced. The
/ mountaineering between Col. Blood
and Victoria Woodruff ripened into
love, and finally, after the necessary
separations and abandOnments, into
marriage. Blood resigned his posi-
ton as City Auditor, deserted his
wife, and then elOped with Victoria,
who was at that time the reputed wife
Of DR.. Woodruff. A few years after
ward they returned to st. Louis, and
Mrs. Woodruff lived happily under
the same roof with both husbands.
Victoria is now a member of the
gOssiping Broad street firm of Wood
| hull, Clafiin & Co., New YOrk-BlOOd
| being the "CO," and, as has felicit-
I ,-.--AnI ALn 1gno->av.r. -
silent partner. Yesterday, as we
learn by telegraphic dispatch, the
| old lady, Mrs. Annie Clahin, the
mother Of Mrs. DR.. Woodruff, Mrs. /
| DR.. Spar, and Miss Tennessee Clatiin, /
appeared before Justice Ledwith, in
| New York city, and sWOre out a war
rant for the arrest Of James n. Blood,
alias DR.. J. Harvey, who, as she
avers, has assumed to be the marital
associate of the fair Victoria, living
on her family for the last six years. 1
| She further asserts that since his in
| PRODUCTION to the group, he has not
only made every effort to corrupt, but
has actually succeeded in COrrupting
both Of her daughters, Victoria and
Tennessee, entirely weaving them
| from their affectiOnate and never-tO.
/ be-cOnsOled mother.
Her next and most serious charge
is, that she has often heard Blood in
sist that Tennessee should make efforts
to secure the attentions of different
married gentlemen of wealth, in order
that they might make money out Of
them. Such men as were secured, she
says, were blackmailed by Blood.
The afi 5avit supported by the
testimony of Mr.. and Mrs. Spar, both |
of whom have lately removed from |
st. Louis to New York.
Mrs. Woodruff, still true to her
Blood, Indignantly denies the asser- |
tiOns Of her mother, and says it is |
merely an attempt to levy black |
mail; that her mother is old and IL |
firm, and has been induced, by some |
means unknown to her, to make the |
affidavit, which she pronOunces in
famOUsly false.
The history of this delectable fam
ily is a curious one. Buckman Claflin, !
the prinOgenitOr, lived in a village in 4
Central Ohio, where a portion, at least,
Of his talented offspring came into the /
world. He bore the reputation of a /
lOng-headed, tricky man. UnfOrtu-
nately, he was blessed with one eye, but |
could see more with that one than /
most men could see with two.
When Tyler went back on the party /
that elected him, Clatlin succeeded, by /
some ingenious Wire.pulling, in OBJ
tanning the Office Of postmaster against
the wishes of a majority Of the citi-
zens. Some doubted his integrity, and |
received their mail matter at another
Office. He owned a mill on a stream
that failed to run it part Of the year.
The profits were scarcely enough to /
support the fast family and pay off old /
debts. one night, when Clatlin was
staving four miles from home, the /
mill unaccOuntably burnt down.
There had been no fire near it for some /
time previous. Possibly it was case
OF spontaneous combustion. The loss 4
to him appeared great, but appear
ances are deceptive. The mill was
heavily insured.
The old lady who is the author Of
the present sensation was subject to |
religious spells. When the spirit
moved her she was in the habit of GO
ing into an upper room, opening the
windows like the prophet, and pray
ing in a very loud tone. Whether the
prayers We're ef1eCtual doth not yet
appear,
The daughters all bore peculiar
names, such as Victoria Calfurny,
Tennessee, Celeste, Utica, Nanticia,
Odessa MalVida, etc, Vic. and Tenn.
when quite young, are reported to
have seen strange beings dressed in
white among the stars, which they
calledglittle. sister angels. Thus their
wonderful precOcity was brought into
notice at very early age.
A few years later this gifted family
Travelled from city to city, healing all
manner of diseases. That ruined
Cbild"-Tenne5see Celeste-by the aid
Of clairvOyance,c could reveal the secrets
of nature, past, present, and future
events, the whereabouts OF stolen
property, tell ones fortune, and even
the success of venture or speculation.
During the epractice of their profession
In Pittsburg they were arrested for
some fraudulent transaction.
After various pereginatiOns, in COM
binatiOn with DR.. Woodruff, they
opened a house in Chicago, in grand
and peculiar style. Success followed |
them beyond expectation,
After a time, however, they played
out, and removed to the sedate city |
of st. Louis. Here they met Blood, |
and Vic. afinitized. Now the vOra-
ciOus cuss is not satisfied with any
thing less than the whole family,
save and excepting the maternal pro-
genitOr, who appears from her petit
tiOn to be like old joey BagstOck,
"tOugh and devilish sly"
OUR LEVEE SYSTEM.