Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-07-16
THE karin CASE.
Remarkable Matrimonial ventures
of Brooklyn Young Man.

New York World.l
Mr.. Henry W. Karn for years
followed the printing business on
Prospect street. He was a men,
Der of the Royal Arch Masons,
Knights Templar and Independent
Order of Odd Fellows, and held
offices in various lodges, command
cries and encampments. He died
in June, 1877, and left widow
and five grown daughters, all but
one of them married. He and his
wife, who were of English extrac-
ton, had for years been warm
friends of Mr.. and Mrs. William
Kemble, Of No. 6S Myrtle avenue,
who were also English. Mr.. Kem-
BILE was for eighteen years a book
keeper in the office Of the Brooklyn
Gaslight Company, in Remaen
street, at good salary, and died on
November 10, 1876, of apoplexy.
Mrs. Kemble is now fifty-fve years
old, and Mrs. Karn sixty.
In the latter part of 1876 a young
man named James james, or, as
others say, Harry Bancroft James,
was received as a lodger by Mrs.
Kemble. He is about thirty years
old. She had some 81, 900 in bank
and on July 10, 1877, he married
her, in spite Of the protests of her
married daughters. According to
Mrs. James, Mrs. Karn visited her
with increasing frequency after her
marriage. "Mrs. Karn used to
say, Our lives have been so similar,
we are about the same age, we have
both raised a family of daughters,
our husbands died about the same
time, only now you have married a
young husband That seemed to
rouse her envy. But | cheered her
up and advised her to marry a young
husband too. Woll, she got more
and more jealous of me. She kept
my husband in cigars and often
made him presents. She would
contrive to have him walk home
with her in the long winter even
ings. My neighbors used to say,
Haven't you any eyes?' and when |
asked what they meant they said,
'Why, that woman's trying to steal
your husband away from you.'"
On March 20 James suddenly
disappeared, and with him Mrs.
Karn and Mr.. and Mrs. Post, her
daughter ana son-in.law. She had
some uoney which had been sub.
scribed by Mr.. Karn's Masonic
brethren, all of which she gave to
James, and the whole party started
together for the West on March 30
They settled in Kansas City where
James opened a restaurant on Main
street. The venture proved a fail,
ure, and soon the capital furnished
10y Mrs. Karn disappeared. When
the money was gone James ahan'
doned Mrs. Karn, who then tele'
graphed to an uncle in Brooklyn, &
Mr.. Hall, for money. He did not
reply, and she wrote him imploring
letters, which, it is said, he burned
About this time James thought
it was time for him to come home
His money was gone, and he haC
no means of support. Accordingly
he wrote to bis wife a letter, beg.
ging for forgiveness. Upon receiv
ing this her anger subsided. Shl
called off the detectives whom sGt
had had on the case and abandoned
a false clue they had been following
in Troy. She sent him $50 for tray
cling expenses, and assured hin
that his faithlessness should be for
given and forgotten. He got hOm,
the last day in May Mrs. Karn
with Mr.. and Mrs. Post, made thei
way to Chicago, where they wer,
assisted by the Masonic Relief AS
sociation. They started at once 70
Brooklyp, and arrived a week late
than James. The three made thei
home with S(r. Charles Nelsey,
son-in-law of MIS-. Karn, who live
on Eleventh street, South Brook
lyn.
"About three weeks ago." sal(
Mrs. James last evening, "Mri
Karn sent her daughter to me j.
the morning, before was up, witt
the message that she was dying ant
could not go to the next world with
out my forgiveness. Jimmie and
went up to see her, and / tell yol
it was the most disagreeable duty
ever undertook. l thought it woul
kill me. When we got to the doc
Jimmie wanted to go in, but
wouldn't let him. NO. says l, 'yo
stay here and let me go in Mr.
Karn met me at the door. Sh
wasn't dying-no, not by a goo
deal-umph she wasn't half so neo
dying as was. She implored fol
gIrencss Says l, Mrs. Karn,