The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1875-04-29
CAaDter in the Life Of Deacon John
Mccormick.
HIS DOMESTIC TRO UBLESA AND De
SERTION OF HIS WIFE.

The Cumberland Md Neou0 adds an
other strange story of Deacon McCor-
mick's life. 1t says: "Forty-fve years
ago young man by the name OF John
Mccormick, living at Elk Garden, on
the Virginia side, few miles above
Bloomington, in Garrett county, of this
State was married to Catharine Layman,
daughter of George Layman, then OF
Westernport, in this county, The happy
pair, for they were so in the beginning f
their married life, at once went to his
house and commenced life as people in
their condition usually do. Years came
and went, but not whisper was heard
Of any dissatisfaction or family jars
Two children were born. AT the end OF
five years the mother of the young wife
was thrown from horse and received a
terrible injury, which rendered her
helpes invalid for the rest OF her lie,
(38 years.) Just then the father was sum-
moned to Cumberland as juror to at
tend term ofcourt of four weeks dura-
ton. 1t became necessary for Mrs. Nc
Cormick to come home to nurse her al
flicted mother during the absence OF her
husband. Mr.. Mccormick, without any
explanation, or known cause, took adyan-
tage of his " ife's absence and abandon
ed her, and their two born children, with
the third, born about month or two
thereafter,
After the abandonment she went home
70 her father with the two youngest chill
dren, and the eldest remained with his
people. The abandonment was as quiet
and deliberate as it could possibly be-
She never. from that day, saw his face or
received any communication or message
from him. Year after year rolled around
without her knowing whether he was
dead or alive, or where he was, although
he was all the while only three or four
hundred miles--at Mount Vernon, but
forty years ago that was an Asiatic dis
tanCe as compared with this age.
The unfortunate woman struggled along
as hest she could, and raised up the two
children. When a husband remains "be
yond the seas" for seven continuous years,
or absents himself for that length Of time,
he is in law virtually dead. She waited
those seven years almost thrice told,
when, twenty-one years ago, she inno-
Gently married a man by the name OF
Smally, with whom she lived in good
faith and in harmony until four years ago, |
when he died an old man. leaving her, if |
not his legal widow his survivor. She
still survives at the age of sixty-seven,
and is now in fact and law widow, as |
the sequel will show.
After narrating the circumstances of
Mr.. McCormick's murder the NeocS pro-
eeeds:
The reader here may inquire, what
amount of estate did he leave2 1t is about
$50, 900, and not dollar of debts. And
where will this handsome sum 60 in the
absence of will2 land there is none)
Death came in guise that left no time
for that formality. There are no heirs
except the two living sons and the two
infant children of the deceased brother.
They have already received $4,000 since
the death of the father, and some consid-
cradle advances in his latter years of land
in Iowa, where they all reside. And
Catherine Mccormick is now the legiti-
mate widow, and is, in law and fairness,
entitled to one.third of this estates as her
dover. She has employed counsel here
who fully understand her case, and also
lawyers in Ohio who are determined to
maintain the old lady's rights There are
none to oppose them bnt her own chill
two of whom she herself raised up to man
hood. 1t is not yet known whether they
will attempt to resist her claims. Atany
rate they should not. She is extremely
poor and dependent and still resides in
Allegheny county.