The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1872-11-15
A Man Hunt.

The Governor of Missouri has recently
pardOned an inmate of the Penitentiary,
under circumstances which furnish a re-
markable and touching instance of what
devoted, trusting and energetic wife
can do for an unfortunate husband. The
latter used to live in Toledo, Ohio, and
the facts of his case are vOuched for by
respectable journals 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 appears that he was not very prosper
Gus, and had occasion to sell-as nearly
the last of his pOssessiOns-a pair of fine
horses. For these he received $500 in
clean, new national currency. The
stock dealer who bought the horses
afterwards disappeared. On the next
day after the sale, the vender paid out
two bills Of SO each. 1t was discovered
that they were counterfeit, and the ut
terer was promptly arrested and lodged
in prison. He, of course, directly pro-
tested his innocence, and told how he
got the money; and the remaining $3.50
was found on his person. The horse
dealer 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 paid for the horses was on
an Illinois bank. No cOniirmatory evi-
dence of the prisoners tale could be got,
and, as much counterfeit money had
lately been circulated in that region,
public feeling ran strong against him.
He was tried, and despite his earnest
protestations, and his wife's determined
struggles in his behalf he was found
guilty, and sentenced to five years i'm
prisonment in the Penitentiary.
But his wife never for q moment be-
lieved him guilty; and, with astonish
ing pertinacity and resolution, she now
bent herself to the task of proving his
innocence and effecting his release. To
the latter end she first sought and OBJ
tanned interviews with the Governor of
Missouri. To him she stated the case as
she saw and believed it. But the Gov
ernor, although kind, was firm. The
prisoner had been shown to be guilty.
COunterfeiting was greatly on the in
crease. 1t was necessary to make eX-
amples, and there was every just reason
why her husband should be one of them.
He could not hold out any hope, save in
the condemneds restoration to his fam
lily 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
dealer who had given her husband the
spurious notes, with the hope of con-
victing the really guilty person of the
offence. Pursuing him like shadow,
but keeping out of his sight, she soon
found that when he went to q place
counterfeit money was said to be in cir
culation soon after. This happened al
! FreepOrt, Illinois, and afterwards al
[ Fort Wayne, Indiana. At the latter
place she caused his arrest. But moth
ing could be proven against him, and he
was set free. She then dOgged him to
Canton, Ohio, to PittsfSslrg, Altoona,
Lancaster, ChamSersburg, Philadelphia,
Goshen, Binghampton, Oswego, Elmira,
and other towns in New York, some
times staying two or three months in
each place. The man was, however, so
guarded and ingenious as always to
manage to cover his traeks-in fact he
never passed false "paperu himself at
all-and his implacable pursuer was
unable to bring him to account. At
last, however, he fell i'll, at Newton,
Sussex county, \. J., and she believed
and proved that her golden opportunity
was at last come to an end.
When the horse dealer fell sick, the
wife of his victim was at the same hotel.
She found out the physician attending
him, and frankly told her whole story.
She described how she had tracked the
cause of her husbands misfortunes, and
begged the doctor, 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 medi-
cine, and adrOitly to lead him to think
In a v~uG N a
This was accordingly done, and worked
to a charm. The patient begged at once
for n clergyman, who, on arriving,
pointed out the necessity of full repent
anee; and at this juncture the wife en-
tered the room and implored the sup
posed dying man to repair the great
wrong he had done her husband. The
result was, that the sufferer made a
deposition before magistrate, confess
ing that he had passed the $500, as
described, and, furthermore, that he was
n member of very extensive gang OF
counterfeiters, hisspecial business being,
not to utter bad money, but to spread it
among eOnfederates in different parts OF
the country. He also said that on the
occasion of making the trade in ques-
ton, he happened to have no other
money, and greatly wanted the horses.
Armed with this document, the now
happy woman FASTENED back to Mis-
souri,, laid her evidence before the Gov
ernor, and had the satisfaction of carry
ing full pardon to her husband almost
Immediately after. They are now living
! joyfully together on farm in Southern
Illinois, and their case is naturally at
tracing abundant comment and con.
graduation.