The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1873-08-01
A Sorrowful Case.

There seems to be universal sympathy
for the woman Elizabeth King, who
took the life of Charles Goodrich. a
correspondent of the Brooklyn Eagle
offers q subscription to a fund for her
defense, and adds:
"For one, hazard the opinion that in
meeting with a violent death Goodrich
not only reaped the natural eonse-
auences, but the just desert of his un-
scrupulous lIbertinism; and further,
that imposing upon this poor, unpro-
tected female by the vile subterfuge of a
mock marriage, he perpetrated greater
crime than did she in avenging the foul
wrong upon herself by the taking of his
worthless life. Had a father or brother
slain the seducer Of his daughter or sis
ter under such circumstances, where
could Jury have been found TO convict?
Shall we be less charitable to a weak
woman than to a strong man ?p
Another correspondent of the same
paper SAYS he could almost propose COM
plimentary resolutions for the woman,
and thank her for ridding the world of
such q selfish and unfeeling libertine
The Cleveland Herald puts the case
thus:
"Cast off by the world, she had but him
to cling to. Their life was a mutual
crime, to be sure, yet the consequence
to her was immeasurably more fearful
than to him. He had position, social
and financial. He could look the world
in the face, and was received as a
respectable member of the community.
But her criminality of life was no
greater than his. And yet she was shut
out from decent associations. Even his
society she must seek under the shadow
Of night, and to her he was all the
world. And to be east off, by one who
had sought her favors, TO be left in want
and wretchedneSs, made the more in
tense from her previous association
with him, that was heart-breaking, and
there comes in emotional insanity that
should not be sneered down."
Her case seems to be far more pitiable
even than this. For it appears that she
thought Goodrich her lawful husband;
her letters to him now in the hands of
the authorities are all written evidently
under that impression. A portion of his
letters to her acknowledge the relation.
When he got tired of her and wanted
another woman, he informed her that
the marriage was a sham, and he would
not permit her TO assume longer that
such a relation existed between them.
Whether the marriage ceremony was a
sham one or not, their letters show that
they regarded each other as husband
and wife, and the laws of New York
make the act of living together with
acknowledgment, either open or i'm
piled, of the married relation, a lawful
marriage. His own letters will there
fore come up in proof to establish the
fact that she was his lawful wife,
whether the marriage was intended by
him TO be sham one or not. The case
IS one which secures very general SYM
pathy for the unhappy woman. 1t is
commented on by the press in all parts
OF the country, and the expression of
pity for her and eXecration of him is
almost universal The case attracts
this degree of attention partly from its
own painful features, but largely from
the fact that it is known to Indicate a
prevalent sin and disorder in society.
There are too many like GoOdrich; YER
min who are burrowing under the foun-
dations of social order; subjecting the
highest sanctities of life to the basest
passions; turning the holy temple of
human affections into q nasty sty for
their own lusts. Knowing this, people
in whom the sense of morality and JUS
tice is not blunted, cannot withhold an
of satisfaction that libidin-
Gus scoundrel, devoted TO the selfish
qualification of his own passions, got
his deserts.-BuLLetiR.