The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1873-02-25
A Strange Story Of Abduction.
.,oR the past few weeks the city Of Mar


affair, the,heroine of which is a lady of
American birth, and excellent connections
in this country. About six years ago, Hen
ry F. Bigelow, commission merchant of
210 Canal street, New Orleans, failed in
that city, in consequence of losses sustained
during the civil war, and went to Mar
seilles, where he soon succeeded in obtain
ing good position in prominent mer-
camille house. Mr.. Bigelow was widower
and was accompanied by his only daughter,
Bertha, then about 18 years old, and en-
dowed with remarkable personal charms.
Her father moved in the best society of his
new home, and the beauty and grace of his
daughter were not long in attracting adj
mirers. She treated them politely, but,
after all, coldly, until one day she was
brought in contact with dashing French
seaman, the first lieutenant on one of the
Marseilles and Oriental steamships. His
name was Maurice Kervel. He was little
over thirty years old, tall and handsome, an
excellent conversationalist, and the very
man to win the good graces of a suscepti-
BILE young lady. He became very intimate
with Miss Bertha Bigelow, and one day he
astonished her father not a little by asking
him for the hand of his charming daughter.
Mr.. Bigelow was at first inclined to look
favorably upon the suit of the enamored
sailor, the more so as his daughter seemed
to reciprocate his affection ; but close
Al a.. o,,I oh ofa Of
Mr. Maurice Kervel convinced Mr.. Bige-
low that he was not q suitable match for
his daughter. He found that Kervel was
man of extravagaut habits and choleric
liquor he was extremely quarrelsome, and
had fought several duels that he had run
through the fortune his parents had left
him, and that he had nothing to depend
on but his very modest pay. The result of
all this was that he was requested to dis
continue his visits. Kervel left Mr.. Bige-
low muttering threats of revenge. Miss
Bertha seemed to care very little about the
breaking off Of this Irritation with her lover
and in 1868 she was married to a merchant
named Jouvinet, man of means, with
whom she lived happily for year. In
June, 1869, her husband returned one eve
ming to his delightful country residence,
but to his astonishment, found his wife
absent. He questioned the servants about
the whereabouts of their mistress, and they
said that they had seen Nine. Jouvinet
walking in the garden before dusk. Mr..
Jouvinet searched every nook of the gar
den and the neighborhood, but not trace
of his beautiful wife was to be found. He
sent out messengers in every direction, but
they returned without bringing any in
formation. An examination of the lady's
boudoir furnished no clue whatever as to
where she might have gone. The husband
passed wretched night, hoping every mo-
ment for his wife's return; but morning
dawned and she had not yet come. He
then sent for the police, and several de-
tectives began to look for the missing lady.
They were unable to find any trace of her
after a protracted and patient search
Advertisements, offers of large rewards for
information concerning her, remained with
out result. Both the husband and father
abandoned all hopes of seeing her again,
and an impenetrable veil seemed to sur
round her fate. Jouvinet, after mourning
for her loss for eighteen months, applied
to the courts for an annullation of his mar
riage with Miss Bigelow, and he was wait
ing for rendition of the decree when, on
the third of November last, an event OF
the most startling character occurred. He
was seated in his counting-room in the
Rue Grande, pouring over his ledger, when
the door was suddenly opened, and veiled
lady stepped in. She drew back her vail
and displayed bronzed face, the features
Of which he knew only too well. In tht
next moment he rushed into her arms, ex
claiming, &c Bertha Bertha ~ II was hi
long lost wife. The explanations she gave
him while they sat locked in each other
arms about her sudden and long absence
were so strange that even the croniquer o
the Marseilles " Novelist confessed HI
had rarely met with anything more roman
tic in his long journalistic career. Nine
Jouvinet stated that on the evening whel
she had been parted from her husband sh
had gone into the garden to breathe it'll
fresh air. All of sudden she had ,beel
seized by several men, who rushed from
behind shrub. In an instant they ha'
blindfolded and gagged her, and carrie'
her to carriage, which rapidly drove of
with her. Then she had become uncon