Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1877-08-13
A BIT OF ROMANCE.
After EiShtees Years Separation = Hu,
band Retnrns to fiia Wife.
Omaha Bee. Aug. 10.

OAh0 h0toeAS TO H1A Wife. II
Omaha Bee. Aug. 10.
Afer an absence of eighteen years a has-
band, who has all this time been supposed
BY his wife to be lying quietly in some dis
tant graveyard, has returned TO his family in
this city. A brief history Of their lives
possesses some incidents of more than ordi-
nary interest.
The lady was-the daughter Of one Of the
most prominent and wealthy physicians in
the old aristocratic city Of Richmond, Va,
and was married at a very early age, nls22,
to the man who now returns to her atefhis
prolonged absence.
His name is Cooke, and he was a well.to-
do New Yorker, some ten years her senior.
They lived for 4 while With her parents, and
during this period two daughters we're born
to them. From her parents the lady secured
quite . respectable fortune, and with her
husband went to San Francisco by water.
They spent four years in California, where
the husband ran three large stock ranches
and figured heavily in mining interests.
Her health failed her. and her husband re-
turned with her and the children to the
states W water, going up the Mississippi
unnl they reached Burlington, Iowa,
where abe joined some relatives. The
husband returned to his business in
California, he having prevailed upon her to
remain with her relatives at Salem, Henry
county, Iowa. He purchased a large herd Of
horses and took them ACROSS the plains with
him to California, this being in the fall Of
1859. On his arrival on the Pacific coast,
ne At once devoted his time and attention to
his business. One day in San Francisco, he
met an old friend, who soon after LEFT for the
mountains. This friend, a short time after.
wards learned that q man having the same
name as Cooke, had died, and he supposed il
70 be the same person he had mel in San
Francisco. This friend returned to Iowa in
. few months and reported to Mrs. Cooke
that her husband was dead and she and her
relatives believed il. Dilligent inquiry by
letter and other means was made concerning
his death and the disposition OF his property.
but nothing could be learned concerning the
affair, owing to the irregularity Of the mails.
Mrs, Cooke moved TO Fl. Madison in the
course Of events, and went into business for
herself, and sent her daughters to school.
She continued to mourn her husband for
several years, but he was alive and doing
we'll all the time. He learned through =
friend, that his family had moved away from
Salem, but to what place he could not secer-
a ne "'o'e several letters and never got
any repiy ~, 49, ~.
Ca n.et ven ssaIs aao PASSED away, Mrs.
~ - m Ma[rea s T supposing herself to
o,o~n "'u .so,o s sas uaugn.eIs, VINO hsd
ana JI nv, u ssc" nte S Srus 70 convent, ana she
and Ient = So,el ~ %ns1a;a a.le 70 omana
In h,,ila;ra ~ ,ha Tn;an aoass, uulihg
and were very s,c.essf aioi - , ao,lc .a..lGao'
Next thew wsn, ~ Iniss,'.a :. ia SnusIpiise
tel there for = sh",, ,;ms snG , Huu ran . no,
TO the east. Next We ind ,hem ~ S ueu
lake. where her husband d;ed la.v;n, T "a.
a widow sure enough this time. She nae,
located in Denyer and there in rho o msas
of time married her third husband . Tn.a
pean by birth. They finally vent ~ 1ov.
Is the lady was anxious to visit her dsnor.
tiers, both of whom had been well marr;sd
one of them beinv ihe wife IF . nn.ssn,
prominent United Statea oficisl in iT,sh
The lady's third husband died in Iowa anon,
. year ago. She vas now compelled tn fsii
back on her own resources for her sunnort
aud about eight months ago she came ~
Omaha, and now keeps a boarding house nm
one of the prominent streets. She, n
course, goes BY the name of her last hus.