Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1877-01-20
ROMANTIC MARRIAGE.
A BLUsuING BRIDE WITH BABY AT THE
BREAST.

A bill of divorce was filed in the Cir
cult Court yesterday in the name OF
Frank Ii. Gordon against his wife, Es-
tella S. Gordon, on the ground of adult
ry, and alleged indiguities that rendered
the plaintiffs condition as the husband
of defendent intolerahle and unendura-
bic. From Dir. S. N. Snapp, the PLAIN
tiiTs attorney, the following remarkable
and romantic facts in regard to the case
are obtained.
In March, 1875, Frank III. Gordon
and Estella S. Benjamin were united in
marriage at the Southern Hotei in St:
Louis, the ceremony being performed
by Rev. DR.. Tudor, of the Centenary
Church A few friends of the bride
groom witnessed the solemnization OF
the sacred rules, but there was no great
display or merry. making on the occasion.
Mr.. Gordon was known as young
Southern gentleman of education and
fine business capacity, employed as a
clerk in dry goods store at salary OF
$1,000 year The bride, Miss Estella
S. BENJAMIN, was a niece of Judah L.
Benjamin, member of Buchanan's Cab
met, and also of the Cabinet of Jefferson
Davis-a man Of decided ability, and at
that time residing in England.
After receiving the congratulations of
the few friends assembled. and bidding
the minister good night, the bride con
Quoted the bridegroom to her room in
the hotel, ,and amazed him beyond meas
ure by placing in his arms
CHUBBY CHILD,
five or six months old, and informing
him that she was the mother Of the lit
tie darling, and Mr.. Miltenberger of
New Orleans, was the other parent OF
the cherub. Full explanations Of how
certain things came 10 pass were made,
and the blushiDg bride concluded by
throwing her arms around the neck OF
her husband, and imploring him to
adopt the little waif as his own, aud fly
with her to England to her uncle Judah.
This was a terrible revelation to poor
Gordon. 1t almost deprived him OF rea-
son. He had loved the beautiful Estel-
la for years, and had always regarded
her as an angel of purity, And now to
be so cruelty deceived, and made the
victim of so vile cheat, was enough TO
drive him mad. lie knew that her fa;h-
er-now dead-had been a man of
wealth and influence in the Crescent
City, and that being an ardent Union
man, he was broken up financially by
the rebellion, and died two or three
years ago, leaving his widow and beau
tiful daughter in indigent circumstances;
but he had no idea that guilt was the
consequence Of her poverty, and that
she had yielded her innocence to the
arts of the seducer. They had CORES
ponded for several months, and her let
ter gave no clue to the dreadful secret
of her life. When he obtained the stu
alton in St. Louis, and felt himself able
to support wife, be wrote to bis darl-
ing to come to him, and she obeyed the
Of ber love. And now, to find
her the mother Of 81 10 70 Il
GREAT BIG BABY
with brilliant black eyes like her own,
and the dark corsplexion Of the Hebrew |
race, and be, a high-born Southern gen.
Lleman, without stain upon his name
Or lineage, asked to palm himself of as
The father of the kid-it was a little too
much for good nature, and good deal
more than ought to be asked Of the az
erage bridegroom. y7eIl ron ytreu 4
The. pleading bride, informed Em
hat she had written to, bel, wealthy un-
lie in London, informing him cf her
,traitened circumstances, aud he had
ient an affectionate response, and trans
nitted her draft for $4,000, with an
invitation to come and live with him in
England. She was anxious to accept
be kind invitation, but could not think I
II abandoning her infant, and, of course,
would not do to present herseif be-
ore her proud; relative as single .vo-
nan with such an incumbrance. Why |
,ould not her darling Frank overlook
Ter little indiscretion and 90 with her 1
0 England, antedate The marriage GER ?