The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1877-01-18
AN UNPLEASANT EXPOSURE.
THE SAD SEQUEL OF A FASHIONABLE WEI
DING IN ST. LOUIS.
I From the ST. Louis Journal. Dee. ST.


- DING IN ST. LOUIS.
v, I From the ST. Louis Journal Dec. 81.
suit for divorce was filed in the Circuit
Clerks office By Scion n Snapp, attorney al
law, in which Frank NJ. Gordon is plaintiff
ID aUd Estele +. Gordon Is defendant and con
l. nected with hch there is Il thrilling and TO.
mantle heart history. running through the
# past two years.
is The plaintiff to the suit, Mr. Frank NJ. Cor
n don, and the beautiful. though frail defend
: ant. Estalle +. Gordon. were both formerly
IS residents of New Orleans, where their re-
d spectIve families resided, and moved in the
# circles OF upper tendon. Frank and Estele
d were boy and girl together, and early i'll life
:. phghted :heir troth, each to the other. The
love OF the earlier portion OF their lives ripcn-
ed eventually into perfect affection The
families were both wealthy, bit met with re-
verses during The war, which left young Cor
4 don upon his own resources. However he
COOK for his motto, mi desperanduns, - and
: came to st. Louis to try his fortune, asslir-
ing the beautiful Estelle that anon he would
come Tor her, after lie had a,aassea suffi-
clent sum, and marry her. He came to st.
Louis, leaving her in New Orleans Will, her
: people. Being Il young gentleman OF GOOD
address and possessed Of more than ordinary
business capacity, he soon succeeded in secur
ing lucrative position in one of onr most
prominent Wholesale dry goods ouses, and
III the course OF two years, by strict econo-
my, he had saved sufficient means to Justify
MN IN attempting voyage upon the tenn
pest'ious sea OF matrimory. He had been, in
the meantime, in constant communication.
oy letter, with the idol of his heart. and final
~, a little less than a year ago, tie wrote her
to come to St. Louis at 4 given time and thew
would be married.
| On the 2lth of March. 1876. size arrived i,
| St. Louis and took rooms at the Southern
lhe mutual congratulations aud renewed .
pledges OF eternal fidelity passed between
| them, and it was resolved that very evening
70 celebrate the nuptipls, and those who were
present on the occasion Of the wedding are
agreed in the opinion that handsomer couple
never graced the parlors of the Southern
The services OF Rev. DR.. Tudor, of the Cen
eenhary NJ f. Church, Mere secured, and at
~ 0 clock that evening the ceremony was
performed in the presence OF large circle of
the friends and acquaintances Of Mr. Coz
don, and they were pronounced husband and J
wife by the man OF God, and received tie
hearty congratulation and good wishes for .
their future welfare of all present. After an
hcuf III the pariors, spent in social chat the
guests departed, and the happy bride and
groom repaired to the rooms assigned them.
and which We're adjoining each other being
separated by folding doors.
Arrivngin the front room OF the suite, thew
sat for short time in commonplace CONVEX
satlon, when, as if recalling some almost for
gotten mission, Estelle asked Frank to ac.
company Ter into the next room for mo-
ment. lie, supposing for the instant she had
some lady friend to present to his acquaint-
ance, hesitated, and told her it was too late
then after IL o'clock, and asked to be excus-
Ell until morning. But she insisted and he
submitted to being led into the next room.
There he saw an old colored woman whom
both he and his wife had known from infan-
cy as servant of her family, and lying con
tentedly upon he. lap an infans about six
month old.
Quick as lightning horrid suspicion flash
ed through his mind, and turning quickly
upon his new-ma'le bride, lie asked
''Estele. whose child is that?''
Its mine, Frank said she, peadingy
approaching him aud cndeayorng to throw
her arms about him.
MY God, he mtttered as he staggered
up against the door, utterly amazed; and
pushing her from him, he demanded to know
why he, who had never wronged her By
thought, VOID or deed, should be thus be-
rrayed, and that by the only woman he had
ever loved. She began weeping bitterly, and
confided to him whom she had just so deeply
wronged, the story Of her betrayal by veal
thy banker OF New Orleans (whose name
appears in the petition) and whom she
designated as the father of her child.
Young Gordon was at Il loss what to do
under the circumstances. He did not have
the moral courage to face frowning world
with the facts in the case, but rather chose
to ''let concealment like worm i the bud
bury his modification from the public gaze.
His wifc-for such she was--after he had set
tied in the calm produced by despair, desired
to talk with him Of their future, and pleaded
with him for forgiveness for what
she had done, and then came the motives
which prompted her to the act She stated
that her uncle, Hon. Judah P. Benjamin,
formerly Attorney General, under President
Buchanan's Administration, and subsequent
" secretary OF State of the Southern Con-
federacy, had sent her two thousand dollars,
having heard OF her intention to marry, and
nc desired that she and her husband should
visit him in London. his present home, and
where he had acquired an enyiable reputa-
ton at the bar. All she asked was that -her
husband should assume the paternity of TIE
child, and then accompany her to London,
an they may be happy yet. This he declined
to do, but rented rooms for her where she
for two months. Then Gordon in
luced her to go to New Orleans, under the
promise that he would follow her. This
promise he did not comply with. She then
wrote to his employer, and he was compelled
to explain the true state of the case to the
firm, and then rendered his resignation and
left their employ. The fair but Rrail wife then
returned to st. Louis, where she INDUCED
in all manner Of excuses, and wound up in
IN assgnat ion house. Her conduct so NOR
tilted and distressed him that he gave up to
Llispair, and became Il mere wreck Of his for
mer self. lie was unable to retain any EN-
as she followed him like sleuth-
hound. and seemed determined to drag him
down to her level, and, as last resort, he
has sued for divorce, having obtained salts
factory evidence Of her repeated adultery
A NOVEL BETA young lady in Shep- Il
lerdstG.h, bet young man kiss that Til.
len would be elected-he to pay il 'riiden
lunn she to nav IL HIVES ,uas nIan,al o..