The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-12-15
FANNY SrACY's MOTHER.
4 PIucky Virginia Girl Looking
ont for her own Fortune.

-
out for her own tune.
When the steamship City Of Chester
arrived at this city from Liverpool few
DAYS ago. it had on board, among the
cabin passengers, n good-looklng woman
Of about thirtv.fve or forty years, and an
old lady who looked fully eighty. and
who bore on her face uudoubted signs OF
trouble or of dissipation most unusual IN
women of her apparent position in life.
Attaching TO these two women Is some
what remarkable story.
Many wears ago there lived in II large
town in Virginia man of considerable
means and of good social and business re-
putc--Stacy by name and an ironmaster
by trade He had married early in lite
a handsome girl of Irish descent, by
whom he had four children. 1t was cur
/ rentlv reported that the man did not live
happily with his wire, and after the birth
of their fourth child Mr.Stacy. unable
longer 10 bear with the habitual and III
( corrigible intemperance of mis- wife, insti-
tut,d suit Tor divorce and, meanwhile
separated from her, taking the children
INTO his own care. Pending the suit for
! divorce Mrs. Stacy went to England t.
stay with relatives residing there, and
/ shortly after Mr. Stacy, reading in one OF
the English papers of her death, stopped
/ the proceedings for divorce, and, few
months after, married young lady llv-
ing in Richmond Mr.. Stacy had three
children by his second wife, with whom
he led happy and contented life, and
he was much gricvcd when, after lapse
of ten years, she died in childbirth. leav-
| ing him for the second time n wdowcr.
This grief. however, WAS, apparently. not
/ inCOnSolablc for after short space OF
mourning he moved TO New York and
married "A third time BY this last mar
riage he had four children, three boys
and a grrl. After short residence here
Mr.. Stacy returned TO Virginia.
In 1878 Fanny Stacy, the eldest child
by the first marriage, and by all reports
very estmable young person, went to
England on visit for the benefit of her
health. While staying at Torquay she
met AN old lady who had known her
father and mother in America in the ear
~ DAYS of their married life, and from
this person she learned, to her surpris"
and dismay that her mother, Mrs. Stacy
No. |, was not dead, but was living IN
/ London in very Straightcn circumstances,
which she had been reduced by her habit
of excessive drinking. Miss Stacy took
no particular steps to verify this report,
but on her return TO America told her
father what she had heard. The old gen
tleman was incredulous and particularly
angry that any one should have dared to
mention the name of his disgraccd wife
t. her daughter. lie refused To- take any
measures to find out the truth, and. from
that time displayed great coldEcss to
wards Fanny, who ut this time was the
only surviving child ofthc first marriage.
In the early part of 1874 Mr.. Stacy,
who had been in bad health long time,
died. When his will was opened 1t was
discovered that by q codicil added the
wear before he had revoked ali hcqucsl-
to Fanny Stacy, and left the whole OF his
| fortune, amounting to over $l,OOO,OOO, to
/ the children by the second and third
/ marriages and to his surviving widow.
/ BY advice of lawyer, friend of tb7
! family, Fanny determined to contest the
will. To do this successfully it was ne
/ ccssarv TO End the first wife OF Mr.. Stacy,
prove the first marriage, the consequent
llcgalIty of the other two marriages and
/ the LEGITIMACY of all their issue. Miss
| Stacy. therefore started IT. April last, IN
/ company with an old friend, L. Eng
I in search of her mother. For months
she searched and advertised and sought
i'm vain; no sign of her mother was to bc
found nor any news To bc learned. y
few months ago, though, she engaged
the service, ct some experienced English
detectives, aud by their aid succeeded.
She found her mother in Il hut IN the
very lowest part vi London inhabited by
the poorest classes of Irish laborers, llv-
ing disgracctul life of continual intox-
irution. The mother recognized her
daughter 10y her striking resemblance 1"
her lathrr, and after much pcrsurIon
and earnest entrcatv. consented to 9" to
America and reform her life, help her
daughter to get what WAS du" her and 10
Get her own share. The old lady was
taken from her squalled abode washed
and dccently clad, taken to Liverpool
and put aboard the City of Chester
bound for New York. On the voyage
she was seriously i'll. owing to her sud-
den and total deprivation OF all intoXica-
ing drinks, which Fanny Stacy had alb
solutelv aud firmly refused to allow her
However, she rallied and got through all
right. landed safely in New York, and
started with her plucky daughter for
Virginia. where the suit Is now pending
To set aside the will of the late Mr.. Stacy
lronmastcr, OF Virginia.