Mexico weekly ledger., 1876-11-30
The Wages of Sin.

The Toledo Blade tells the following
story of crime and its consequences:
For the past two years the passers-by
On Monroe Street, just off Summit, have
noticed a neat, unpretentious sign,
hanging overhead, which bore the le-
gend, FLAMES j. Jamison e Jones,
Collectors" The sign still hangs there,
but Messrs. j. J. J. & j. are no more.
Back of all this are q few facts which,
were they not strictly true, might be
worked mp in q first class sensation.
The denouement of the affair was reach
ed Monday afternoon, but, for
best known to the interested parties,
it was deemed advisable to keep the
matter out Of the public prints for a day
Or two.
Some eight years ago there moved to
this city from Cleveland a man named
Purinton. He was accompanied by his
wife, a sprightly and prepOssessing
young lady Of nineteen. They bought
a comfortable little house on Erie
Street, and lived, to all appearances, a
happy and contented life. Mr.. Purin-
ton was traveling at that time for the
boot and shoe firm of Adams, Rouse s
Witherspoon, of Boston, and as he eX-
pected shortly to be made the manager
of q branch house in this city, he took
up his abode here. OF course, being n
drummer, he was necessarily away from
home a great deal Of the time. He and
James Jamison, who was at this time
in the employ of a wholesale house
here, had known each other in Cleve-
1,~I D~l loSoe ola fo~IC hn +nn1-
him to the house and introduced him
to his wife. Jamison kept call
ing, and soon begun to be look
ed upon as a great friend of the
family. During Mr.. Purinton's fire.
quent, and often times long absence,
he called at the house right along.
Mrs. Purinton was young, pretty and
susceptible. Her friend j. was a thor
ough man of the world, and soon his
protestations of friendship began to as
sumo a more tangible shape. 1t took
him but a short time to discover that
the wife of his friend had one weak
point. That is, there was one avenue
through which her feelings could be
worked upon easier than by any other.
That was her love of praise. TO all
outward appearance a sensible but
somewhat inexperienced lady, the
friend saw that he must proceed with
great care and caution. There was no
outspoken praise; nothing that could
betray his purpose, but q glance OF APP
prevail, a look that might be so inter-
preted as to give the lady satisfaction
these were the arts the willy man used.
Soon the wife began TO discover herself
r,xro -, ~ GOD ~H1 r,ynr a!
ways SO glad to see him. He kept up
his little game, playing his cards with
the cOnsummate skill of a finished man
of pleasure, and finally his efforts were
rewarded. The erring wife-erring in
first needing his insidious attentions
found herself deeply loving this base
betrayer of her husband. But she was
blinded by his fascinating manners, his
smooth address, and she threw herself
away. They clandestinely left this city.
Over the husbands grief on returning
to his deserted home q veil will be
drawn.
This was eight years ago. Purinton
left this city, and has not been seen
since, until last week, when he arrived
and quietly went to the Oliver House,
where he remained under an assumed
name. The object of his return is ex-
planned in a few words. He had come
to look after his property in Erie Street,
which had remained unoccupied and
uncared for since the time Of his de-
parture in 1868. On Monday afternoon
he was passing along Monroe Street,
when his eye caught that dingy sign,
"James j. Jamison & Jones, Collect
ors." For ar instant the powerful
flood of recollections overcame him,
and, nearly falling, he staggered
against the building for support. Then
hastily going up stairs, he entered the
office. InGuiring of the man at the
desk, he asked for MI. Jamison. The
man replied that Mr.. Jamison was not
in the city, but as he was the partner,
Jones, he would attend to any business
he might want to intrust into the hands
Of the firm, at the same time
asking for his name. The
scene that followed was quite dramatic
in tits character, and Dion Boucicault
might make a thrilling play of it. But
we will only remark that Nh. Jones
handed his customer some papers, and
said that Mr.. Jamison had committed
suicide in the spring of '72, in Falks-
burg, a little hamlet in West Virginia.
The papers, on being read, showed that
the villain had lived with the woman
he betrayed for two years, and then, by
false swearing, had her placed in an
insane asylum in Pennsylvania. He
roamed around for a year, and finally
becoming a prey to remOrse, wrote the
papers giving the above information
and instructions in regard to the clear
ing up of his affairs, and then deliber-
ately blew his brains out. Mr.. Jones
Immediately wound up the affairs of the
concern (there was not much to wind
up), and the two made Immediate prep
arations to seek out the wife, who, if
living, has paid an awful penalty for
her faithlessness eight years ago.
"A Christian Convention is to be
held at the Moody and Sankey ,Taber-
nacle in Chicago, IN the Esd and oath
of NOYemher. Most of the nast0rS of