Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1874-03-07
zone Mere Unfortunate. !"

tFron the seaford Cilizen.of Saturday
Un Saturday last an old gentleman
named Henry Williams, Virginia
farmer, passed through seaford en- route
for his home, accompanied BY the wreck
of once handsome and loving daughter,
for whom be has been diligently searching
ing for the pact three or four months.
The young girl, whose name Is Clara, is
II years of age, and has been indeed
beautiful being, but her bright blue eye
has now lost Its lustre, her thin, cadaver-
Gus looking face, o'ershadowed by a sad,
sorrowful expression, giving unmistska-
BILE evidence Of the excessive debauchery
and vice, 10 which she has. .been.reyeliug.
From the gentleman who accompanied
Mr.. Williams In his search, we obtained
the following details Of the affair
Some five months ago sewing machine
agent, named Hopkins, stopped at the
residence of Mr.. Williams, and while
there became enamored Of Clara, and al
once set to work 10 accomplish his end
He soon found, to his qualification, that
the innocent, unsuspecting girl, recipro-
Gated his love, and the conquest, he
thought, was complete. The old gentle
man, however, interposed his authority,
and learning how matters stood, ordered
Hopkins away from his house, and for
bsde his daughter having any eommuni-
cation with him whatever. They kept up
q clsndestine correspondence, and finally
agreed on an elopement. One night,
about three weeks after Hopkins elect
ment from her fathers house, she packed
her trunk, and quietly left her home,
meeting Hopkins at some distance from
the house whore he had carriage in
waiting, into which they both got and
were driven rapidly away to the depot,
They took the train north, and on arriving
in Philadelphia, he induced her, by means
of fnlsehood, TO accompany him to a
house of i'll fame, telling her that the oe.
cupRnts were near relatives OF his, and
that as soon as she had sufficiently re-
covered from the excitement consequent
upon their elopement aud the fatigue of
their long ride, that be would get min
later and they would be married. The
connding girl implicitly obeyed his direc..
tions went with him aud was introduced
to the mistress Of the house, who repre-
sented herself rs Hopkins aunt, and here
Is where the scoundrel succeeded In ELECT
ing her ruin.
When she discovered the character of
the inmates and the perllous situation in
WnANn but wac fAANNAf eAAsAf RAN -
morse overcame her. She dare not ad-
wise her parents of her situation, and, as
a last resort, was induced by the tDwery
language OF her depraved associates to
abandon herself to life Of shame, and
In a short time she was Installed as queen
of this gilded palace Of SIN, and soon be-
came as degrading, repulsive and vulgar
as those surrounding her. Hopkins, In
the meantime, had stolen some $50, 900
from her, besides her iewelry, &c, aud
absconded.
BY some means her father obtained in
formation as to her Whereabouts, and
Immediately started north TO iind her.
Our informant told us that IL was I'M
possible To imagine his feelings when he
saw the white haired Old man brought
face to face with his only child in this
den of vlce-a faded, crushed and droOp
ing flower, torn from the parent stemi
and surrounded by the shriveled and faded
leaves of VlTtue-all that was left of in-
nocent laughing children.
His tears soft6ned her heart and che
plead for mercy, and their interview cul-
minated In her expressing a desire to re-
nounce her evil ways aud return to hei
home ia the "sunny South :" and The
next train out of Philadelphia bounC
south brought them.