The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1877-08-30
A Strange Story.

The wise man who first originated the
remark that truth was stranger than fic-
ton must surely have been enabled by
faith to cast his prophetic eye over the
columns of the newspaper Of the present
day. Whether such was his privilege or
not, certain it is that scarcely day passes
but we read some ones life story be airing
ample verification of tie truth OF the
adage. We read hastily-blame or pity
in lazy, Indifferent sort of way, and
rush off to the theater, perhaps, to shed
showers of tears and have our hearts
wrung with anguish over the imaginary
woes of some unfortunate creature who
never existed except in the brain of fancy.
Off the stage we hear of q strange, pitt.
full story, the scene of which is laid in
Elmira, N. Y, of woman spending ten
years Of utter wretchedness in expiration
OF sin committed when but girl of
seventeen. The story is related by cor
respondent OF the New York Times, and
is worth repeating.
Uri Gates, the father of the girl, was
ten years ago well-to-do country mer-
chant in one of the Pennsylvania counties
bordering on Maryland. The daughter,
Eliza, was handsome and accomplished
young lady, while AMI Turner, a miller
by occupation, was, though only twenty
five years old, the leading man of the
place, who had loved the merchants
pretty daughter before he entered his teens,
Old Mr.. Gates was pleased with the
prospect of his daughter becoming the
wife of the prosperous young miller, but
she was not. George Mills, handsome,
swarthy young Virgini3n, clerk in Gates
store, was the sutton whom Miss Gates IA
vored, and he pressed his suit with no little
warmth and audacity. The father put a
stop TO the attentions OF the clerk, how
ever, and brought such influences to bear
on the young and motherless girl that she
consented to marry the miller. They were
married in September, 1867, and were gone
three weeks on their bridal tour.
After having been home but shor
time The bride announced her intention of
visiting sick friend, to be absent two
or three days, and the day sitter her form
er lover, George Mills, also leftthe village.
The affair-for it was at once ascertained
that they had been seen together-caused
the most intense excitement, and the hus-
band, being respected by the entire CON-
munity, had the sympathy of every one.
No tidings could be obtained of the couple,
however, all search proving fruitless.
The erring woman S father died in about
three years, leaving fortune to his son.
in-law, with directions that every possible
effort should be made to find the lost girl.
The deserted hus band sea- ched faithful
ly for his wife until 1872, but he could
find trace neither of her nor of Mills. He
believed that if she was living she had
left the country. In 1872 he was granted
a divorce from her, on the ground of de-
sertion, and soon afterward married again.
His second wife died in 1875, leaving two
children.
Last July letter was received by the
executor of the estate, dated at Litchfield,
Mimi, which proved to be from the alb.
sent Eliza, and in which she claimed that
she was not the abandoned creature they
had thought her, but that after ten years
of suffering she pleaded to return to her
fathers house. if only as a servant.
MIR. Turner at once proceeded to the
home of his former wife, and learned the
sad story of her elopement. 1t appeared
from this that she went to Lafayette, Ind,
where she found lawyer, named Bow
ditch, who procured her divorce in
short time, and shortly after she was mar
ried TO Mills, and went to Central City,
Col, to reside. From that time her trou-
bles came thick and fast. Mills began to
treat his wife with cruelty, and habitually
tainted her with her elopement with
him. From Central City they removed
to Corinne, Utah, and from there to
Salt Lake City. To this latter place she
at first refused to go, but Mills threatened
to kill her unless she went along. At
Salt Lake Mills and Bill" Olney opened
a gambling house. For two years they
lived in Salt Lake, the wife being sub
jected to habitual beatings and other
cruelty at last Mills Joined the Nor
mons and gave up his gambling place for
a time. But he brought two other wives
in the house within three days. This was
the indignity of all others that the woman
who had given up all for him could not
brook, and she fled from his house one
night in the fall of 1871.
She had since supported herself by the
most mental services, and was through IL
health driven to write to her father.
All this Mr.. Turner heard, and, PLYING
and still loving her, claimed her once
again as his wife. They were remarked,
and are again living in the home SO ruth
lessly invaded ten years ago, apparently
as happy as if nothing had occurred to
disturb the even tenor of their lives
Inter Ocean,