The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-11-24
WINNING A WIDOW.
ABIsAMIsT's BRIEF BUT BRILLIANT
CAREER


ABIaALuST'S BRIEF BUT BRILLIANT
CAREER.
LOST THROUGH LovE-THH LUCK OF A BLUE
GRASS wIDow-A STORY OF TWO PICTURES,
WHICH ENDED IN A BLAsrxD LIFE.
The Cincinnati Enquirer of Saturday
says: His name this time 10 John A. Cross
man. He has been blessed beyond the
measure Of ordinary mortals. Old England
was the land of his birth, Canada was the
country of his adoption, and our free repub-
lie opened its arms to receive him as he
crossed the border. Even the sheriff of But
Ter county threw wide the doors of his hos
pitable mansion and made him welcome as
. distinguished guest. In his thirst for
knowledge be longed to taste the rsptures
of a second nup;ial couch-forbidden fruit
to all of male mankind save widowers. He
forgot that he was In Ohio, and not in Utah,
and, therefore, the law is kindly
sffording him the opportunity OF improv-
ing his acquaintance with geography within
the walls OF the Batter county jail. Late
in the spring or early In the summer of the
present year. Colonel g.. O.. Kay, we'll
known citizen of the Kentucky bluegrass
region, and the agent Of Cincinnati firm,
was called to Richmond, Indiana, on bust
ness. AS he passed through the streets one
day bis attention was attracted by soDe
remarkably fine specimens OF art, hung at
y
teriDg through curiosity he met John A.
Crossmsn, the artist, who politely exhibited
many other pictures as evidences of his
skill in his profession. Colonel Kay had in
his pocket card picture OF
fwo BEAUTIFUL LITTLE GIRLS,
the children of his widowed niece, Mrs.
Rich. This picture was shown to Cross
man, who expressed great admiration, and
said that if Colonel Kay was not unwilling
he should like to take an enlarged copy and
place it among his other specimens. If this
were consented to he should also be pleased
to { Ike picture OF the colonel himself To
these proposals there were no objections, and
| tho pictures We're accordingly taken. They
were executed in the best style of the art,
and so pleased was Colonel Kay that he pro.
posed to Crossman that he come down into
The Blue Grass region fora little trip and see
what he could do in the way OF business
"Come down at our fair tIme." said the
colonel. ENTER these two pictures
| for premium, and very likely
you may get some orders which
will pay you for your trouble, and which
| may build you up q custom from our Sec
ton. At any rate, 1t wont cost you any
thing it you cone;" by that meaning that
| Crossman should be his guest during the
visit. To this Crossman agreed, and In ac-
cordsnce with the arrangement made his
/
| Col. Kay was as good as bis word, and took
Crossmsn to his own house. In addition TO
the members of the colonel's own family, he
there met Mrs. Rich, the mother of the little
girls above spoken OF. She naturally took
some interest in the good-looking artist,
who by his skill had
| FIXED THE FEATURES OF HER PETS
in enduring shapes. For three years
she had been q widow, and daring the en-
tire time bad refused to mingle in society.
This had been source OF great regret to
her friends and relatives, who feared that
she was so INDUCING her grief for her lost
husband that the effects might be prejudicisl
to her health. They were, therefore, rather
gratifed when, under the influence of Cross.
mans winning ways, they saw her reserve
melting, and that she showed a returning
i interest in her former associations and social
ties. On one occasion, during the fair, Col
onel Kay asked Crossman, In joking
way, whether hs was unmarried, say
ing. that IL he was perhaps he might
find some Blue Grass heiress to suit
his mind. Crossman replied that
be was not merusd, and was introduced
freely among the bellies of that famous
region as bachelor. During his entire
visit Crossmsn wss treated with that Ken
lucky hospitality which has become
proverbial. The fair came to an end; Col
onel Kay went from home on a business
trip; Crossmsn remained for a time, partly
securing orders for work, add partly
deepening the good impression he had
made upon Mrs. Rich. During the summer
or early in the fall he removed his business
from Richmond, to Dayton, Ohio, where he
had brother, Il. A. CrossmaD, one wear
older than himself While Colonel Kay
| was absent on one of his trips, in Green
castle, Indiana, we believe, he heard a
rumor that John A.
cRossMAN HAD A WIFE LIVING IN CANADA.
This aroused his suspicious, and led him to
make inquiries wherever he went on his
travels. He learned of Crossman in many
places, and always to the effect that he was
a msrrIed man. Taxing the alarm ne wrote
to his niece, telling her what he had fs,er-
tanned through the rumors, and also wrote
to Crossmsn a dismissal from his house.
Mrs. Rich showed her uncle's letter to
Crossman, who declared that the reports
by this time so bound in the tolls
OF love that she was willing
to believe the word Of her lover against a
mountain OF rumors. Col. Kay was now
thoroughly aroused to the danger of bis
relative, and having sscertsined that Cross
man married his first wife at Hamilton
Canada West, he wrote to the chief of po-
lice OF that city In order that he might
have evidence SO convincing as to open
Mrs. Rich's eyes to the true character of
the one to whom she had given her second
love. An answer reached him at Indian
apolis follows:
/ THE CORRESPONDENTS.
| "CHIEF OF POLICE OFFICE,
| CHAMELEON, ONT, October %, 1875.
''To Col. u. @. Kay:
"DEAR SIR: received your letter this
morning, and in reply would state that John
| A. Crossmsn is married, and his wife and
little daughter of seven years old are living
in this city. He has had five children by bis
wife; four are dead. His wife is very re-