The Morning herald., 1876-11-29
THE WOMAN N BLACK.
H1D STAY IN WILMINGTON.

4 Pole Melancholy Iace-She Il sssu esp
Piled Wtth Money, Dresses and Jesvels.
-Her Pistol Hsr only Pvotectton-Ho,
| Shs 1rsstsd Vtsssers = Her Fortune. Mar
riaSs and Deep Troubles MttntgIs
! Screams, Broken WtndOsu Glass an.
Psstol ShOts--Atdin0 and Persscssttne
| Father.
On the 9th day of last September tn
Clayton House hack drove UP to the front
door, and fashionably dressed woman
rather heavily yelled ali9hted, and requested
that she be shown apartments. The clerl
handed her the hotel register, and she in
scIibed upon its pages, in an angular hand ,tht
name of Abigail Fellows, and her place oI
residence as New York. There Was some
thing about the woman, while not prepos-
sessing, was at the same time attractive. l,
was not her dress So much, though cut ir
the latest modes, and of the fines, fabrics
Her figure WAS petite, but plump, aud heI
face. contained cast of the melancholy
that almost impaired its sad expression To
the feelings of those who beheld it. And
when the call-boy said, ~ am ready,
madame !"she started q little but followed
meekly after him to her room. The strange
lady dressed with such becoming taste as to
excite admiration, especially from the ladies,
and although not beyond thirty-6ve, there
was not gaudy Infringement upon the
conventional good taste she seemed to pre-
serve In the preparation of her toilet; all
according with that deep shade of melanchol
ly upon her face that never lifted It's dark
cloud and let in = ray of sunshine.
Those with whom she conversed state
that as a conversationalist she was almost
fascinating. Her knowledge Of general
topics was extraordinary, and her acquain :
lance with foreigD gDsubjects plainly indicated
the woman to be o fine intelligence. And
while she made friends there was still
something behind all this that caused the
observer to search closer and closer into the
woman's character and try to read her sad i,
silent thoughts. But few days elapsed
from the time of her arrival before q COM
plete change over her manners. She SEEM
ed averhe to conversation, grew morose, and
kept herself closely confined to her room.
Gradually she grew sullen, and finally came
to that state, which placed the gentlemanly
proprietor, in the position Of thinking
whether her condition was the result of
drinking, or that the mind was tainted.
Her actions were sucn that it was necessary
10 place watch over her, especially as she
had one night previously set fire to her
room, burning the bed and carpet. This
watch revealed the fact that the guest was
addicted to strong drink, and that if her
mind was tainted, this tended to greatly
increase It's unnatural state.
1t was then determined by the landlord
hos or attn Oh
1t about the room, and search for it re-
vealed several bottles of choice brandy in
her trunk. This Mr.. Pyle took, and she
slapped his face for this. what she termed,
unwarrantable conduct. In her conversa-
ton she stated to several that her husba nd
was Mr.. Richard Fellows, of New York
having an office on Broadway. Mr.. Eel
lows was at one time Assistant District At
Iorney in New York, and is lawyer OF
prominence there. A dispatch was sent to
aim that lady claiming to be his wife was
here and asking what disposal to make of
1er. He answered that he was bachelor,
and expected to remain such. Very soon
after this a letter of instruction was received |
u. h. hofecker from an Attorney in |
New York asking that the woman be placed |
Il an insane asylum. This was done, and |
she remained there under treatment for u |
ew weeks, and the physician in charge |
her cured, she was released
She then disappeared from Wilmington,
)ut on the night of the 9TH of October she \
lgain made her appearance, and going to |
he Lafayette House, corner of Ninth and |
'hipley streets, remained all night, paid her
'ill and left. Nothing more was seen OF
Ter, with the exception of another applica.
ion she made at the Clayton House for
'oard, which was refused, until the 18th |
II October. when she Went into the Lafay-
tte House one morning, about sunrise, and
brew herself upon the sofa in the parlor
nd fell asleep. Soon after she jumped to
ler feet, very exctedly, and asked for po
icemen that she might have the landlord
rrested for trying to freeze her to death,
nd Immediately left. On the 21st OF Octo
er, at halt-past ten o'clock in the night,
he came into the hotel and was shown to
er room. She remained In bed for three
ays and nights, taking her meals from a
mall table at her bedside. Dressing her
elf one night at ten O'Clock ,she came down
cairs, paid her bill and went out. 1t was
oticeable at both the Clayton House and
lafayette Hotel, she always had plenty OF
loney, and was uneasy at all times, as
hough fearful her bills wonjd not be paid
After this she disappeared from about
be hotels altogether. Nothing more was
cen of her, and it was concluded that she
I'D left town. But just at this time, the
ouse No. 713 Sbipley street, next door to
ones min:e meat establishment was rent
d to woman whose actions were very
range to the neighbors. She was meyer
,en more than once or twice, and in the
acond story front room light was kept
urning all night. But as she appeared to
ave plenty Of money, and paid her bills
romptly there could be nothing said. She
ad no companions, and paid little colored
hildren to do her errapds. Matters pro
ressed in this manner until the neighbors
ad begun to overlook her strange conduct,
hen one night at very late hour, the
lost terrific screams were heard issuing
ON her quarters, accompanied by the
reaking OF window glass, and pistol shots.