The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1877-08-31
A CHAPTER OF HORROR.

had furnished a single paragraph to the
daily press, to the effect that her hus-
band, E. D. Towl, had absconded with
their two children and all the money
his wife possessed in the world, amount
ing to some $1,000
Meeting her thus, by what seemed the
merest accident, we found her ready to
communicate the facts in the case,
which we are especially pleased to lay
before such of our readers as have said
that our story of "Edna and John" was
badly overdrawn, that they may be bet
ter prepared to judge of it's accuracy
than formerly.
A few years ago, Mr.. Towl being in
straitened circumstances, his father-in-
law gave his wife rancho in the foot
hills, whittier they repaired, and retired
from the world till they could retrieve
their fallen fortunes. Mrs. Towl, like
any true woman, cheerfully adapted
herself to the apparent necessity of cir
cumstances, denying herself needed
wearing apparel, and in every possible
way stopping all the leaks of ordinary
expenditure. Recently they sold the
farm, the money belonging, Of course,
to the wife, as the land had been her
own property. Mr.. Towl, after the GUS
tom of the protectors. of women, kept
the gold in his own possession, and they
came back to Salem and took tempo
rary lodgings, prepared, as she sup
posed, to settle down in a comfortable
little home, where they might educate
the children and give themselves the
advantages of society.
But the head of the family decided to
plant his wife east of the Cascade
Mountains, on a stock rancho, to which
Mrs. T. objected, saying, truly, that she
had had enough of hermit life in her
past four years in the wilderness. The
husband appeared to accede to her
preference, and told her of a home in
the suburbs of Salem which they might
secure for a certain sum. The home
and the price were satisfactory, and
] Mrs. Towl came into the business part
of town with her husband on Friday
last to conclude the purchase, without
an apprehension that he meant to deal
; other than honestly by her.
+ He left her at the house of an ac.
: quaintance for little while, promising
e to return presently and finish the busi.
ness. The wife waited for his return
from eleven o'clock till four, and then
5 becoming alarmed, returned to theil
e temporary home, to find that the inhu
= man monster had absconded, taking no
S only her money, but her children, anC
II leaving her no clue by which she nigh
: even guess at their destination.
e Now, ye mothers that have all th'
o rights you want, pray hearken, while
we suppose a case"
r Suppose that woman had taken tha
e money and those children and abscondeC
:. in that way. Straightway the officer
b of the law would have been placed upol
: her track, and she would have been sub
n jected to the same treatment as tha
d meted out to Mrs. Savage, in Yanhil
IS county, few years ago, when she de
it cided, in her husbands absence, to visi
her friends in California. She woul
: have been pursued and Overtaken
20 robbed of her children, stripped of he
Is money, turned adrift penniless, and os
n tracised by humanity. How is it wit
r, the truant husband? He goes scot free
le so far as the law is concerned. A mar
es in law, cannot steal from his wife, n
a matter what he takes; whether it be he
D. good name, her money, or her children
t. Mrs. Towl tried to get out warrau
for her husbands apprehension and al
r. rest, but found that it was perfectly Law
E. ful, at least it was not unlawful, fC
ne him to rob her, so she could not ac
ed Think of it, wives and mothers! Thin
of it! Be ashamed of yourselves if yo
cy are content that such things should b
or Suppose you do have all the rights yo
cy want. Are you content with the wa
N rights are sometimes meted to 9th,
On women? a week ago Mrs. Towl wou
es have scorned the possibility that b,
ed husband could so cruelty wrong he
er Bot he did it. Suppose he had bee
er, your husband. Suppose your daught
lot should marry a man who would n
ee. scruple to use the full power of the la
i" as man has made it. Think of th
nd woman, nearing middle age, broke
lie down in her husbands service, bereft
of her property, her husband, her childre
lr- Think of her, returning to her bare al
ou lonely lodgings to find her little one
no the offspring of her peril, the result
1t, her long years of love, of her midnig
tve vigils, her unceasing toll, think of the
gone from her embrace, perhaps fc
're ever, without one parting kiss, or o
we endearing word Think of the longin
ica of the mothers heart, as she listens
rs. vain for the footballs of her darling
he Think of her empty arms, ye mothe
he who sneer at woman's rights.
IS ? ''I lost one child by drowning" sa
th. she, with a wall of despair in her volt
red ''and I thought my trouble then W
g a greater than 1 could bear, but that W
m, nothing compared to my anguish now
ist. We looked into her agonized featuI
IN nd Ruf oOuII xua a.