The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-02-13
FROM DEATH TO LIFE.
How an Old Soldier was Killed and Burned
at AshtnbuIa who II now Alive and Well.

at Ashtnbula who II now Alive and Well.
The Rochester IN. ~ Erpress says:
The terrible disaster at Ashtabula, on
the Lake Shore railroad, on the 29th OF
December, 1876, will long be remem-
bered as one OF the most awful IN It's
results that ever occurred in the United
States. Shortly after this accident. Mrs.
Webber, who is poor woman with two
children, appeared in the Office of law
yer in this city, and stating that she had
every reason to believe that her husband
had been killed in that disaster, re-
quested him to commence suit against
the railroad company in her behalf. The
evidence which she offered to introduce
in proof of her husbands sad fate was
only of a circumstantial nature, as moth
ing was ever found of the body, which
was supposed to have been consumed in
the flames. She had been to Ashtabula,
and in the debris of the wrecked train
had found a bunch of keys which she
positively recognized as those having
been in the possession of her husband.
One of these keys, in further proof, she
had ascertained exactly fitted the clock
in her house, and an Auburn man was
ready to swear that he had made such
keyfor the deceased. Another key fitted
a chest which she had in her possession,
while another OF the keys fitted the lock
on the door. But the strongest proof OF
all which she had discovered was piece
of cloth which she had recognized as
having been part Of her dead husbands
coat. The proof by no means stopped
here, however, A physician OF this city
testified that be rode to Buffalo on the
same train with the deceased on the
fatal Goth of December while another
gentleman testified to seeing deceased
take the train at Buffalo which went to
ruin at Ashtabula. With this all but
positive proof that the husband was
among the victims Of the disaster, the
suit was commenced, the funds enabling
her to carry it on being supplied by q
kind-hearted gentleman of this city.
When the railroad company's attorneys
were confronted with the proofs OF the
plaintiffs case, they advised settlement
with her for $4,000. But she wanted
GO,UUO VI uOGlulSS duo uAC aHdAy
lawyers concluded to let the matter 60
before the courts. The Investigations
concerning the fate of the husband were
continued, and it was ascertained that he
had been sent by Gen. Martindale, his
former superior, officer in the army, to
the Pension Home in Wisconsin several
days previous to the Ashtabula disaster,
and this fact soon brought to light the
very important disclosure that a man Of
his name, answering his description e1-
actly, and who stated that he had q wife
and two children in Rochester, was still
alive and safe in that institution, and
that he was not near Ashtabula at the
time OF the disaster. OF course this
knocked the suit against the railroad
company in the head; the poor woman
is out 81, 600, and the kind-hearted citi-
zen who advanced the funds is out his
disbursements, as the woman is too poor
to repay him. The case is most re-
markable one, however, from the fact
that no person doubts the truthfulness
of the witnesses whose evidence formed
the basis on which the suit was com.
menced. OF course the plaintiff l!w-
yer's feel much chagrined over the
ridiculous result Of their efforts.