The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-08-10
Gle 8atland daily Globe.
MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 1874.
A CALIFORNIA ROMANCE.

|
Attire.
On Friday last the San Jose (Cal. Patriot
was furnished with the following facts of
one of the most romantic stories ever
chlonicled in that state A year or more
ago there resided in the town Of Benning-
ton, VT, widower named James Ward
and bis daughter, Josephne,aged seventeen
years. Ward was somewhat noted for his
bravery during the rebellion, and having
lost an arm during the first battle in the
| Wilderness, was considered a hero of more
than ordinary merit Josephine was then
| a lovely creature, innocent and gueless,
and was considered The belle of the town.
In June, 1878, there appeared in Benning-
ton a book agent, who called himself
Oscar Penn. He was about twenty five
years of age, well educated, good looking
and assuming, lie remained in town
several weel land during his peregrinations
became acquainted with the fair Josephine.
An intimacy followed which soon ripened
into an offer of marriage. The young lady
consented conditionally, referring her sutton
for final answer to her father. Penn
went to Ward, and in few words stated
the case to him. Ward took the matter
very coolly, and told the young man that
if his references were all right he had no
| objection to intrustng his daughters
| happiness in his hands He would, how
ever, give Il definite answer within one
week. The next morning Ward announced
to his daughter that he intended to depart
in the afternoon for Boston, to be absent
| four or five days. Not until Waid's de-
parturc did Penn speak to Josephine upon
the subject of their marriage and his inter
view with her father. He informed her
that Ward had absolutely refused to give
his consent to the nuptials, without as
signing single reason therefor. An
elopement was consequently agreed upon,
and the pair were united in the holy bonds
of wedlock.
In the meantime Ward visited the chief
of police at New York, and learned that
tllli W iS ublIc OlItl ludl a lDtOllbuS tOil7
| fidence operator, who had served out one
term in Sing Sing, and who was now wanted
on several charges. Ward, in company
with an officer at once retraced his steps
| toward Bennington, to learn that his
| daughter had eloped with a convict. Ward
hastily settled his business and alone started
in hot pursuit. He traced the fugitives to
Chicago, but there lost track of them. He
continued his search, however, with indie
fatigable zeal, but heard nothing of his
lost daughter until February, 1874, when
he was informed by an old friend living
near jacksonville, Cal. that the daughter
| had been seen some weeks before on the
Southern Pacific railroad cars, gong to
HOLSTER
Two weeks after the receipt of the letter
| Ward arrived in San Francisco. He lost
no time in hunting up his jacksonville
| TREND and the two started out after tidings
of the missing one. Below Hollister, on
the Tres Pinos, they learned that man
and woman answering the description of
Penn and Josephine had passed through
that county some weeks before Where
they were going was mystery. Ward
continued his search in vain, travelling by
night and by lay, until, suffering from
misery and exhaustion, he two weeks since
returned to his friends home. While there
he accidentally learned that a woman had
been discovered four miles north of Salinas
City dressed in mems clothes, and had been
taken in by Spanish ranchero until such
time as would enable her to depart arrayed
in the proper habiliments of her SEX
Ward instantly set out for the ranch where
the girl was temporarily sojourning. He
found the place, entered the house, and
there stretched out upon the bed, in high
fever, was his own daughter. He sprang
forward with wild cry, and casped her
in his arms. She recognized the author of
tears. The fair Josephine had changed
greatly. Her form had lost its former
perfect symmetry, and the hollow cheeks
ana dark rims about her eyes told too
plainly of want and suffering.
Josephine soon related to her father the
following remarkable account of her mar
ried experience
After leaving home she and Penn de-
parted for the great west They stopped
two days in Chicago, and then left for
Kansas. There her husband got into some
difficulty, the nature of which she never
learned, and they were induced to leave at
Il moments warning. In January, 1874,
they arrived in California, and for short
time settled in San Francisco. Penn grew
restless, and, in company with his wife, set
out for the lower country. At Ilollisterhe
obtained two horses, and on horseback she
| 10
at Nisalia. Here Penn pitched his tent,
and here her real sufferings commenced.
He seemed to have no visible means of
support, tyet always had money Almost
nightly he came home under the influence
of liquor, and without the slightest provo
cation would shamefully maltreat her In
March she gave birth to a child, which,
fortunately, lived but three days. For
several weeks she was near death, and all
this time there was no kindly hand to
minister to her wants, or to cheer her in
the hour of darkness and peril. Her hus-
bands manner did not change during this
time, and when she became well enough to
walk, he lnaugurated n reign of terror by
assauting her with boot jack, which cul-
minated in laying her senseless upon the
floor. The sight of several persons coming
toward the house, one of whom had been
a witness to his cowardice and brutality,
induced Penn to leave in n summary man
ner. He never returned. She slowly recov-
ered and being without money or friends,
donned an extra tuit of her husbands
clothes, cut her hair short, and left on foot,
in TIE night for Kings river. Here she
hired out as n shepherd, She was green in
the business, unused to outdoor work. and
at the end of two months was compelled
to give up the job. She then left, still in
male attire, for the coast counties, and,
after many vicisstudes, reached Salinas
City, without cent in her possession.
Here she gave vent to her despair. Alone,
friendlcss and unprotected, she concluded
| that death. Oh that shameful life which