The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1871-05-27
AN AFFECTING SCENE.

"A genteel and intelligent young man
about thirty years of age, was recently
taken up at ST. Louis on charge of being
drunk In the streets and disturbing the
peace. He plead guilty to the charge,
and evidently labored under great emo,
ton. When requested to give some ac>
count of himself 1--WE copy from the St.
Louis BnHtda) he replied:
'Slr: l have now arrived at the ex-
tremity of that degradation which, long
ago, become satisfied would one day or
! other become my portion. Sir, | do not
I believe was born TO this In nv youth,
when | first started in the world, nv
hopes and prospects were as bright as the
sky which bent over me- | married a
beautiful wife, when was twenty~eight
! years OF age, and had acquired consider
able competence. Sir, need not tell
you how loved her. l perceive by your
! countenance that you know something Of
human nature, and are already satisfied
! that | am not common loafer-and
that L have been driven to the present ex-
tremity by some extraordinary circum-
stances. But | will proceed with nv
{
marriage with my wife-who was a
/ young English lady of handsome expecta,
/ tions, and had a beautiful boy TO bless
me with his innocent endearments-we
received letters from England, announc-
! ing the death Of my wife's father, and
! sollcltlng me TO come TO England immedi
ateiy, for the purpose of settling up the
affairs of the deceased, and receiving my
WIte's portion OF the estate. | immedi-
/ ately made preparations for my departure,
/ and leaving my wife under the protection
of an intimate friend, whose name was
Henry Anson Willoughby, set sail for
| England
''My business detained ME longer than
| had anticipated, and began to feel the
most intense anxiety respecting my family.
The letters | received from my wife grew
brief and unfrequent, sometimes startling
me with their abFuptness Just before
the final steps in regard to my wife's pro-
/ portion were about to be completed,
/ received letter from America, warning
me to hasten home, if l would preserve
my future happiness and the honor Of my
wife Imagine my dismay! hurried
/ home, leaving my business still unsettled,
and arrived in time to find my hearth des,
olate, my wife eloped with my tric71C
Wi!loughby, and my boy-my darling
boy-in the orphan asylum, an object q
, public charity!
"WiloUghby had represented himself
a rich planter from Alabama, and that
he was sojoUrning at the north for the
purpose of regaining his health. Placing
my child under proper protection, flew
in pursuit of the destroyer of my peace,
with my heart bursting with revenge. At
Montgomery, Ala, L learned that Will
lcuehby had been there, in company with
lady, whom he called his wife-that he
had been for years a notorious blackleg
and swindler, and had gone to Mobile,
leaving his wife (1qy wife) behind him in
! circumstances of destitution. After wait
lug for some time, and hearing nothing
! from her base paramour, she borrowed
money from some of the citizens and fol-
/ lowed him.
''Mad with rage and disappointment,
! pursued. At Mobile lost all traces OF
the villain and his wretched victim pro.
! ceeded to New Orleans and, on making
inquiries of the different boats, l was told
by the captain of one Of them engaged ii
running to St. Louis, that woman
answering the description | gave, had
gone up the river on his boa! some time
since. l Immediately embarked for this
/ place, sir; and my money being nearly
exhausted, l was compelled to take pas
/ sage on deck.
81 arrived here in a complete state oi
/ desiitution and beiEg unable to learn
anything of my wife or the villain Will
/ loughby, [ became discouraged and dis
| heartened. The bottle was my resort. -
| mingled with the vilest of the vile, and,
last night was persuaded by several
others to visit a house Of iIl-fame. |
entered-and the first object that met my
gaze was n.y Ciite, sitting upon the lap OF
a disgusting rutiian, and resigning her ten
der cheek, which had not suffered seven
the winds of Heaven to touch too rough~
w. TO his disgusting caresses. Sir, sir
became mad l can tell no more, but
that rushed from the house invoking the
most impious maledictions upon him who
udu Oeeh luO ChuSS VI SuSh i3iiSSiy anu
anguish !; and found myself this morning
in the situation you behold me. Sir,
nothing which y0u can inAict will be pun
ishment to me and you can bestow nc
greater favor than to take my life-I have
lived 100 long-I am ready to die
He was discharged.
\ CRUsTY old gentleman in Boston de-
| cided to invest in a two cent paper, and