The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1872-10-15
A WOman's Devotion.

under circumstances whlch furnish q re-
markable and touching instance of what a
devoted, trusting, and energetic wife can
do for an unfortunate husband. The lat
er used sc live in Toledo, Ohio, and the
facts of his case are vouched for by re-
spectacle journals of that place. Some
time ago he removed to Missouri, with his
wife, and early in 1870 the events fell out
that proved so disastrous to him. 1t ap-
pears that he was not very prosperous, and
had occasion to sell--as nearly the last of
his possessons--a pal of fine horses. For
these he received $500 in clean, new ma
tional currency. The stock-dealer who
bought the horses afterward disappeared.
On the next day after the sale the vender
paid out two bills of $40 each. 1t was dis
covered that they were counterfeit, and the
utterer was promptly arrested and lodged
in prison. He, of course, directly protest
ed his innocence, and told how he got the
money, and the remaining $3.50 was found
on his person. The householder was traced
and brought forward, when, to the horror
and amazement of the accused man, he
stoutly denied all knowledge of the bad
bills, and swore the money he had paid for
the horses was in bills ON an Illinois bank.
No confirmatory evidence Of the prisoners
tale could be got, and as much counterfeit
money had lately been circulated in that
region, public feeling ran strongly against
him. He was tried, and despite his earnest
protostations, and his wife's determined
struggles in his behalf, he was found guilty
and sentenced to five years Imprisonment
in the Penitentiary.
But the wife never for moment believed
him guilty and, with astonishing resolu-
ton and pertinacity she now bent herself
to the task of proving his innocence and
effecting lis release. To the latter end she
first sought and obtained interviews with
the Governor of Missouri To him she
stated her case as she saw and believed it,
But the Governor, although kind was firm.
The prisoner was shown to be guilty. Coun-
terfeiting was greatly on the increase. 1t
was necessary to make examples, and there
was every just reason why her husband
should be one of them. He could hold out
no hope, save in the condemned's restora-
tion to his family after five years. The
wife went home converted all she had into
cash, and thenceforward devoted her whole
time and brain to following the horse-deal-
er who had given her husband the spurious
notes, with the hope of convicting the
really guilty person of that offence. Pur-
suing him like shadow, but keeping out
of his sight she soon found that when he
went to place counterfeit money was said
to be in circulation soon after. This hap
pened at Freeport, ILL.,, and afterward at
Fort Wayne, Ind. AT the latter place she
caused his arrest. But nothing could be
proved against him, and he was set free.
She then dogged him to Canton Ohio, to
Pittsburg, Altoona, Lancaster, Chambers
burg, Philadelphia, Goshen, Binghamton,
Oswego, Elmira, and other towns in New
York, sometimes staying two or three
months in each place. The man was, how
ever, so guarded and ingenious as always
to manage to cover his tracks-in fact, he
never passed false "paper" himself at all
and his implacable pursuer was unable to
bring him to an account. At last, however
he fell i'll at Newton, Sussex Co., N. j.,
and she believed and proved that her gold
en- opportunity was at last at hand.
When the householder fell i'll, the wife of
his victim was at the same hotel. She found
out the physician attending him and frank
| ly told her whole story. She described
how she had tracked the cause of her hus.
bands misfortunes, and begged the doc.
tor for the sake of right and justice to help
her. The physician was moved by her tale
and agreed to do what she asked, which
was TO give his patient some depressing,
but safe medicine, and adroitly to lead him
to think that he was in very critical con,
dition. This was accordingly done, and
worked 10 charm. The patient begged
ut once for a clergyman, who, arriving
pointed out the necessity of full repen tance
and at this juncture the wife entered tho
room, and implored the supposed dying
man to repair the great wrong he had done
her husband. The result was that the
sufferer made deposition before Magis
trate, confessing the five hundred dollars al
described, and furthermore that he was {
member of an extensive gang of counter
feiters, his special business being, not t.
utter bad money, but to spread it among
confederates in different parts of the coun
try. He also said that on the occasion o
making the trade in question lie happene'
to have no other money, and greatly wan