The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1876-11-09

| IN Wnlcn Iney nave peen treated.
The following invitation was read and
accepted: 1f eH
| -. "a AUSTIN, November Q, 1876.
To the President and Members OF the State Fire As
You are respectfully requested to Join in
the fireman's parade to-day at . 80 Z. NJ,
and your company is further solicited tC
attend a banquet rendered to the delegates
Of the various companies by the fire depart
ment of this city, at the Raymond House
at 4 p. NJ. JOHN ii. RoBINsoN,
Chairman Com. of Arrangements.
On motion, the convention adjourned to
meet at Dallas on the second Wednesday
in June, 1877. '.".
aE w. c. CoNNoR, President.
j. w. GoLLEDGE, Secretary.
A Fascinating Husband Killer and her
| . .-.. .. story. -..-
1t would be difficult for novelist or play
wright to invent queerer condition of so
cial, or rather domestic, relation than is ex-
hibited in a trial for murder concluded,
last week, in the capital of New. Jersey.
Hamlet reproaches his mother the queen
that she has been SO naughty
| As XIII king and marry with his bro her;
but here IN our modern day queen (of an
other spell) kills, not king but 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 sisters spend all their time cheer
ing the poor creature up. Never was there
moSe captivating widow, apparently, than
this Mrs. Ircne House, who dosen't propose
to go the length of King Hamlet's relict and
| kgraa n, l.
til she has been acquitted. 80 5W yJ loo
The story of the crime, or rather of the
event-for all parties regard it in quite too
jaunty manner to make so tragic word
as crime seem appropriate-is extremely
simple. Orson A. House was q sharp, un-
| principled fellow, who had made q good
deal of money in procuring divorces with
out publicity. lie, performed that service
for lovely young woman named Irene An
| derson, and about two years after, when
his wife died, he married her. 1t is mys-
teriously said that in the interim she helped
on Houses business, by furnishing wives
desirous of divorce personal evidence to the
| infidehty of the husbands. Mrs. House,
who had married at sixteen and is now only
thirty-two, brought a son to her new home
| toward whom her new husband never felt
kindly. Being 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. Ac-
cording to testimony given at the trial by
her sister and his sister, House swore he'd
whip his wife to death, used considerable
violent and profane language. knocked or
pushed her down, and kicked her. His old
blind father tainted away, her-boy come in
to demonstrate, he flung the boy down; and
the woman ran upstairs, got revolver,
and shot him through the head such was
the end of House" Immediately she was
struck with atfectionate remorse and wanted
| to die. She was bailed out instead, and
has been living at the home of her father,
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 prose-
cution, but more particularly bent on pre-
venting his wicked sister-iH-law from inh ri :
ing Orton'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..
Vansant, Mrs. Houses father; for, as Ger
rit, another brother, remarks, they "seemed
to fall right to each other."' In few days
he was crazy to marry the widow; ''they
were mighty sweet ON each other" says
Brother Gerrit who gave some interesting
family correspondence to the New York
World reporter to print. There were two
letters from Irene. THAI fascinating crea-
ture had about concluded an engagement
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 mot only the millions 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
minister if she would only write the SER
mons, She wanted Gerrit to study theolo-
gy, too, and to quit drinking. '"@
But as to Brad's matrimonial proposition
--,wcll, sheliked Brad's way of settling;
''the very impudence, of it, SO like my Or
| sons, takes my heart as L be was controll.
ing me yet." Sill, Brother Gerritt, don't
you really think It would be wicked for me
to think of marrying another Of your broth
ers under the circumstances, and SO sooR2"
A natural query, and she really was sorry
for Brad. al fear" says she, aft may be
wicked to allow Brad to see so much of me.
He came here intending, If deserved it, TO
try and get me to say something to get me
hung, and has got himself in love with me
instead-poor fellow land ready TO become
my husband now.n Celtic and TIfzah, be-
reaved sisters, were also very anxious Brad
and Irene should make q match, and she
writes to Gerrit: II thank all for their
proof of love and confidence If it really 10
as you say your heartfelt wish that you also
would marry me, and have no fear; il is
hatterF fear Kate mrs. Gerrit] won't ap-
preciate in you."f One thing was certain,
Mrs. Irene wouldn't marry Brad sat once"
because justice is justice in New Jersey,
end she warns them all that 'if the whole
family should get on their knees and pray
it wouldn't help her any. But il was sweet
to know that she ''could walk up to the
scaffold happy, knowing twas because Or
son loved me, and was hiss
"Dear Brad, hope no evil will befall
him" was Irene's heartfelt outburst. But
somehow old Mr.. Vsnsant wouldn't arrange
property matters to suit Brad, who patheti-
cally writes from hotel that 'Yausant's
people have souIed on me, and turned me
OH. :" The talk Of marriage was 'iall gam
mon,n he vows, s'she never thought serious
ly Of it except to help her case,n and
money is at the bottom Of all this busi-
ness,"-which we suspect TO be q grave
truth. Brad Is as erstwhiIe tender; but
Gerrit is still gentle, and declares that 'if
she is acquitted, Lam satisfied Brad will
marry her," She did shoot his brother, but
bless you! ssshe loved him and loved US ell,
and would have laid down her life for him.
Why, she hasn't got any harm in her; she's
got kind heart and . most bounteous soul;
and, il were at liberty, and in Brad's
place, 1 should not heatate for moment
about marrying her" These Houses have
warm hearts, boundless forgiveness and
some little confidence In themselves; but
We fancy that Mfs- Irene, whom the jury
found mot guilty." won't be likely to in
vest In the House family that moneT which
Brad aes-s staf the hnttnrn rf al fhia ha.n.