Mexico weekly ledger., 1876-11-02

ton of social, or rather domestic, rela-
lions than is exhibited in a trial for
murder concluded, yesterday, in the
capital of New Jersey. Hamlet re-
proaches his mother the queen that she
has been SO naughty
AS kill a king and marry with his brother;
but here in our modern day a queen (of
another spelD kills, not a king, but a
divorce-lawyer, and straightway one
brother wants to marry her, another
says he would in a minute if he were
not married already, and both his sis
ters spend all their time cheering the
poor creature up. Never was there a
more captivating widow, apparently,
than this Mrs. Irene House, who
doesn't propose to 60 the length OF
King Hamlet's relict and "marry with
his brother''-at least not until she has
been acquitted.
The story of the crime, or rather of
the event-for all parties regard it in
quite too jaunty a manner to make so
tragic a word as crime seem appropri-
ate-is extremely simple. Orson A.
House was a sharp, unprincipled fell
low, who had made a good deal of
money in procuring divorces with
out publicity. He performed that
service for a lovely young wom-
an named Irene Anderson, and
about two years after, when his
wife died, he married her. It is mystic
riously said that in the interim she help
ed on Houses business, by furnishing
wives DESTROYS of divorce personal evil
dence to the infdelity of the husbands.
Mrs. House, who had married at 16 and
is now only 80, brought a son to her
new home toward whom her new hus-
band never felt kindly. Being a bad
tempered brute, he used to beat and
kick his wife when they quarreled,
which they did frequently. One of these
occasions occurred last June. Accord
ing to the testimony given at the trial
by her sister and his sister, House swore
he'd whip his wife to death, used con-
siderable violent and p~rofane language,
knocked or pushed her down, and kick
ed her. His old blind father tainted
away, her boy came in to demonstrate,
he flung the boy down, and the woman
ran upstairs, got a revolver, and shot
him through the head; such was the
end of House. Immediately she was
struck with affectionate remorse, and
wanted to die. She was bailed out in
stead, and has been living at the home
of her father, a rich farmer of Trenton,
ever since.
Bradford w. House, the departed's
brother, left his quiet railroad station
in Kansas and fastened East, breathing
out threatenings and slaughter, bent on
prosecution, but more particularly bent
on preventing his wicked sister-in-law
from inheriting Orson's money. Most
persons under such circumstances
would have avoided the enemy; but
Brad House-they all call him Brad
faced her. He put up with Mr.. Van
SAINT, Mrs. Houses father; for, as Ger
rit, another brother, remarks, they
"seemed to fall right to each other"
In a few days he was crazy to marry
the widow; "they were mighty sweet
on each other" says Brother Gerrit,
who gave some interesting family cor
respondence to the New York World
reporter to print. There were two let
tiers from Irene. That fascinating
creature had about concluded an en-
gagement with Brad to travel together
and lecture. She proposed to write
her own history and Orson's and draw
moral lessons, for she had "made a
covenant with God" she said, "to
undo more than Orson done against
him. for she had "not only the mill
ions to save from their blindness, but
my husbands peace hereafter as well
as my own soul to redeem" A woman
who had taken all this on her hands
was all but irresistible to Brother Brad,
and he was ready to become a minister
if she would only write the sermons.
She wanted Gerrit to study theology,
too, and to quit drinking.
But as to Brad's matrimonial propo-
sition-well, she liked Brad's way OF
settling; ''the very im%pudence of it, SC
like my Orson's, takes my heart as il
he was controlling me yet" Still.
Brother Gerrit, s'don't you really think
it would be wicked for me to think OF
marrying another of your brothers I'm.
der the circumstances, and so soonP'
A natural query; and she really was sor.
ry for Brad. ''Ifear,' says she, sit may
be wicked to allow Brad to see SO much
ofme. He came here intending if Ide-
served it, to try and get me to say some
thing to get me hung, and has got him.
self in love with me instead-poor fell
low!-and ready to become my hus-
band now." Celtic and Tirzah, be-
reaved sisters, were also very anxious
Brad and Irene should make a match,
and she writes to Gerrit: 81 thank all
for their proof of love and confidence if
it really is as you say your heartfelt
wish that you also would marry me,and
have no fear; it is a flattery l fear Kate
(Mrs. Gerrit) won'tappreciate in YOU
One thing was certain, Mrs. Irene
wouldn't marry Brad sat once" be-
cause justice is justice in New Jersey,
and she warns them all that ''if the
whole family should get on their knees
and pray" it wouldn't help her any.
But it was sweet to know that she
sscould walk up to the scaffold happy,
knowing twas because Orson loved me,
and | was his"
J "Dear Brad, I hope no evil will be.
foil him - was TraOa,S heartfalt ont.