Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-09-27
THE MYSTERIES OF CRIME.
A Guilty wife's Remarkable Confess
siOn-Defending Her Husband
Against Unjust Charges.

notwithstanding Her Husband
Against Unjust Charges.
New York Sun, Sept. "a.
A case which has some resemblance to
| thai of Theodore Tilton and his wife, bat
| with very different accessories, has lately
occurred in LapOrte, Indiana. Mrs. Esther
B. Robinson, wife of DR.. S. A. Robinson,
on the 9Th of March last confessed to her
husband, TO whom she had been married
eleven years, that she had been guilty; and
he has brought suit against her for divorce.
But the circumstances of the case may best
be understood from the following state.
ment, which Mrs. Robinson has published
| in defence of her husband against imputa-
tiOns of cruelty which had appeared in a
Chicago newspaper. The following Ian
guage is hers:
This confession was made, not on the
| impulse of the moment, but from a sincere
repentance and an unfinching resolution
whatever it costs me, home, friends, hus-
band child, or life itself-to cut myself
loose from the unworthy ENHANCEMENT,
and live somewhere a good,pure life. Ihad
not known my husband Intimately, nor
been his trusted wife eleven I'D years
without learning that of all men ever
knew his love and sympathy were the deep
est and furtheSt to be trusted.
He felt all the indignation, grief and re-
venge that any man would feel, but he
trusted my good faith, for he saw my agony
OF sorrow. had no parents to 60 to, and
we had one child, dear to us both as life it
self. After mature thought he decided to
give me the shelter of his home, though
not as his wife, and this always, if possible,
but subject to The chance Of publicity.
Nv fl,G L., 81. 4
needed every help to give me fortitude to
bear up. He changed the whole appear
ance Of our home, that association might
not so constantly lacerate my heart, and in
every way possible encouraged me to look
forward to a useful life, and to believe my
self still valued and loved. Divorce was
ultimately forced upon us by growing and
inevitable publicity. Facts were known
by too many to remain concealed, and I
felt it better to rest under a specified truth
than to be the subject of many terrible sus-
pictiOns, affecting innocent parties and our
only child. / did not enter the path of
right doing without counting the cost.
What my husband suffers from my past
conduct breaks my heart, and further wrong
he shall not endure. | here characterize
all aspersiOns on his general and profess
sional character, and upon his conduct to-
ward me, both now and throughout our
married life, as false in general and partic-
ular, cruel and largely malicious.
l am at present in the home of nv
choice, with my dead mothers sister. Nv
husband accompanied me here that be
might personally assure this Christian fam
lily Of his confidence in me. Thanks to his
kindness, and while knowing all the cir
cumstances, my aunt and uncle give me
loving home. At my request my eldest
br9ther is IN my husbands house, that he
may assure himself and my family Of my
husbands good faith, and prove to all can |
didpeTsOns the fact that we consider DIR.
ROBinson my best friend.
4 silly assertion that | have been per- |
sistently drugged by him mention only TO |
say tlat such use Of morphia as l have ever |
made has been my own doing, and that my |
husband has aided me to abandon it. |
1t was when entirely free. from it or |
any remedy against it, that | gathered |
resolution TO make full confession, and |
courage to endure unknown retributiOn. |
So long as live so as to justify my hus-
bands confidence, nor will it be disturbed /
by TumOr or gossip, he promises me pecuni- |
AIRY support, and as soon as my health is |
sufficient the care Of our little son. Not |
that these great privileges are my right, but |
his generous trust and loving sympathy |
give them to me, and my heart Overflows |
with gratitude to God, who has given me |
the truest friend that woman ever had.
This letter / write freely, approved 10y |
nv aunt and friends here. Nv brother |
and counsel, to whom | submit it, will /
confirm it as they see fit.
Mr.. RObinsOn's publication is accompan-
hx-f ha -irarrr Lob 10
SIR: The undersigned, brothers Of Esther
B. Robinson, the writer Of the accompa-
nying communication, and residing respect
lively in the States of Michigan and Wis |
consin, being of lawful age, and Walter II. |
Butler, one Of said brothers, a lawyer by /
profession, having been called upon by our
said sister, for advice and assistance in her |
present trouble, and having had our atten-
ton called TO the articles published in your
paper in regard to the same matter, have
made thorough investigation of the merits
Of her case, both by full inquiry of her at
our home, and by personal visits 10 LapOrte, /
where we now are. We are fully satisfied |
that she has ever received from DR.. Robin
son kind and affectiOna'e treatment, and |
that his course toward her since the discov-
cry Of her offence against him has been !
honorable and magnanimOus to such an /
extent as to command from us our warm
est gratitude, and impose upon us the pain
full duty Of publicly declaring our views in
relation to this deplorable domestic calam-
ity which has fallen upon his family.
We would probably disregard this duty, |
and allow deeply wTOnged man to suffer,
and spare our own feelings, except for the
consolation il will afford our deeply peni-
tent and almost heart-brOken sister that we
should thus aid her to protect DR.. Robin
son from the great wrong an oveT-jealous
public seem determined TO inflict upon him.
We have read and carefully considered
the accompanying article. We know it to
have been composed and written by Mrs.
Robinson, in the State Of Michigan, and in
the absence of DR.. Robinson, his counsel,
and all his friends and acquaintance eX-
cept the members of his own family, and in
the light Of all our knowledge of the facts
we fully concur in every statement therein
contained. We would regard it as an act
of justice that our statement and that of
Mrs. Robinson be published by all papers
that have copied the articles of the Inter
Ocean above referred to. While We highly
appreciate whatever sympathy the people of
LapOrte entertain and have expressed for
our sister, and the confidence they seem TO
have repOsed in her character, we have |
other words for those who have been &C
tuated by malice toward DR.. Robinson, and |
hereby request that henceforth the case be /
left TO those most interested, namely, her /
brothers and her counsel,
JOHN G. BUTLER,
WALTER II. BUTLER,
ROBT. w. BUTLER.