Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1874-05-02
SHEPHERDSTOWN JEFFERSON COUNTY, WEoI "a lO
A Man who is Pursued by a Woman

A STRANGE CAsE-TEsTIMoNY OF
Born PARrIEs.-In Louisville Miss FL
len Goodwin, aged thirty seven is on
trial as lunatic, at the instance Of Ma
ior Thoekmorton, bachelor of FIFTY,
who for twenty years has been pursued
by the woman. 1t is said that when
she was about fifteen or seventeen Years
of age she became acquainted with
Thockmorton aud that she was deceived
by him, and that to revenge herself she
has since followed his footsteps every
where he went, at times undergoing i'll
suit and rough treatment. The testl-
mony of both parties has been brought
out in court, and nuihber OF witnesses
have testified to the lady's monomania.
Both parties are respectfully connected,
and the case, which is yet undecided,
has formed the staple for much gossip.
Miss Goodwin testified that when tif-
teen years old she first knew Throck-
morton, who was persistent in his at
tentions, and being an accomplished
man could easily lead an inexperienced
girl to believe his promises and then
lead her to her ruin that afterwards,
consulting his own safety from her fam
ily, he cruelty deserted her and estrang-
ed himself, the fact of which, she said,
she was years in realizing. Then, she
said, she was made an object of ridicule,
and determined to avenge herself for
all her wrongs by following him through
the world. She says:
Treated on all occasions with the
most brutal violence, cast adritt, every
indiynity heaped upon me, insulted 10y
prostitutes, degraded i'll every possible
way, my feelings and claims totally ig-
nored, gradually comprehended that |
had trusted brute instead OF man. L
deliberately planned and deliberately
carried out my purpose; to be a perpet-
ual shadow in his path to keep ever
before him living monument OF the
ruin he had wrought. | did not con
slider the world, but | believe the world
is generally not very much shocked
when a libertine is killed, though can
not do murder. | believe that | have
done the community no harm, and that
| know | have done this man no wrong,
but, on the contrary, have done right.
-Four times l have been dragged before
the police court through lis instrumen-
tality. No woman or child in the whole
twenty years saw in my behaviour any
thing that could be construed into dis
order, except on two different occasions,
when / was grossly insulted by lewd
women through his influence. lresent-
ed it. / conceive that | have done the
community no wrong, and Mr.. Throck-
morton no wrong, but if respectable
court thinks differently, and believes that
| ought to pursue this course no longer,
am ready to obey. In fact, under
wise counsel, have already resolved to
spare myself the task Of further punish
ing him, and will leave him in the fu-
ture to an indignant worlds and a us;
Gods vengeance"
Throckmorton testified that he had
known Ellen Goodwin since 1852. She
was then a young lady grown, and
showed such liking for him that he
was disgusted, and never made love to
her nor seduced her, nor was anything
but civil to her. On one occasion at a
fair she tore another young lady from
his arm and made scene. He says:
"I would never notice her after that,
and she commenced to follow me on the
street. Ipointed her out to my friends,
and showed them | could make hertake
any direction by going in it myself. AT
first that amused me. but when she per-
sisted in it l became annoyed and tried
to induce her to desist. Whenever l
would approach her she would retreat
l caught her one evening on the street,
when she tried to escape in an alley,
and told her was going to kill her, and
she said, "Kiss me, first" could new
er understand what she wanted, or why
she dogged my steps. She followed
me to New York and st. Louis, and
dogged my steps in all kinds of wealth
er, wherever | went. During the war
while / was down South / was rid OF
her. She struck me once over the head
with frozen rabbit. / had given her
no cause. / did sometimes push her off
from me roughly. was thirty-hve
when | first knew her. She was
grown young lady. could never un-
derstand how she would find out my
whereabouts so soon. AS soon as L
would arrive at a place she would be
there. I have seen her run after the
buggy and street cars in which | was
riding. l tried to compromise with her,
but she would never tell me what she
wanted except to see me. 1 once agreed
to visit her once week, and sit on the
porch fol her to see me, but refused to
enter the house, as | did not want scan
dial. After little time she commenced
following again"
n.lA