The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-08-23
PRICE TWO CENTS.
KATH ERNIE REFS FATE.
WAITING FOR YEARS FOR THR RHe
TURN or HER SUITOR.
Her Sweetheart Returning with Wealth 10
Find Her Deserted AND Dyina-The Has.
bands suicide aud the Lovers Denth.

Her Sweetheart Retaining with Wealth to
Find Her Deserted and Dyina-Thc Has.
bands suicide aud the Lovers DEATH.
HoNEsDALE, Pa, Aug. 22.-In 1S4s, John
Seitz, young German clerk In store In New
York city, was engaged to be married to Ger.
man girl named Katherine Rlef. The California
gold fever breaking out, Seits Joined party
bound for that rocion. The first letter that he
received from home contained the intelligence
that Miss Ref was soon to become the mother
Of his child lie wrote back that but for the
distance and lack OF means he would return ~
once and marry her. He pledged himself TO
come back soon az possible and make her bis
wife. Soon after the birth Of the child.
the young woman came to Honesdale with
the family of a brother. They heard 90
casionally from Setz. He always renewed hia
pledges, and said he was seeking fortune alone
to enable to come east and get his wife aud
child. Then nothing further was heard from
him, and alter two or three years he was iooked
Miss Refs brother was carriage maker. In
his employ was young blacksmith, named
Wendt. This man had professed great love ior
Katherine from her first appearance in this
place. She refused all his Offers OF marriage for
lover was dead, and wishing to relieve her
brother Of the burden OF herself and child, she
; ,sns so New Ss tss i've. .'r; %s"Ss
neglected his wife so sbamefuly, that she soon
broke down In health.
A few months after the marriage letter came
to Honesdsls from seitz. He had been for .
long time In out-of-tbe-way diRRfnas, and had
at last made his fortune. He was about TO start
East after his wife and child. This news created
Honssdale In due time. and was stunned at the
news he was told. He determined to see once
more the woman he had loved, and proceeded
to New York for that purpose. He found ner In
q miserable tenement, dying Of consumption,
With no one near her but her infant child; IL She
died a few days afterward, charging Wendt
with having caused her death. Seitz had her
remains Inferred In Greenwood Cemetery. A
week afteIward Wendt, no doubt nlled with re-
morse visited the spot where she was buried.
Scitz returned to California, placing his child
In charge OF Its Mothers relatives In Honesdale
| The boy grew up under the name OF John Ref.
| learned his history and right name. He be-
came q jeweler. Six weeks ago he was pros
| trated with hemorrhage of the lungs, and on
| Tuesday lqt he died. Tire night before his
| death letter was received from San Francisco
| saying that John Seitz OF that city w0s lying at
| the point OF death. News has since been re-
| ceived that he died there an hour or so before
| his sons death here. Seitz married In Caiifor-
| mia, and at the time Of his death was very
| wealthy. He owned a handsome residence In
| San Francisco. In which there Is room, fur
| nished elegantly, which Seitz called "Johnnv's
| ROOM" II was lifted up for his son In THIS place
| who was too much attached to his childhood'
| friends to 90 there and occupy II, a. his fatheI
| frequently requested him to do In all his let
| ters Seitz declared that his son should share
| equally with his other children In hts wealth. II
| Is supposed that the young man, dying as ne q 10
| subsequent to his father, was heir to hand
some property. As he bequeathed all bis prop,
erty to the aunt who reared him, this will fall
|