The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-10-24
OYER TnERIYIR.
Avery Peculiar slandsr suItln Harrison
2 isH1 81 -tll Cot,nfr. af

avery Peculiar SANDER suitin Harrison
i 4ssa -. -' County.
4 From the cadl4 Republican.
4 A SANDER suit has been in progress in
court thisweek, commencing on Monday,
that haBattracted unusual public attention.
The suit is brought by Mrs. Samuel RAM
sey, Of the neighborhood OF Deersvllle,
against Mrs. W. H. HoweS, OF the same
neighborhood. MRS. owes is charged with
circulating the report that Mrs Ramsey
was guilty Of criminal intimacy with Mr..
Daniel Adams, OF Deersville. Mrs. Howes
does mot deny the charge, but testifes I'M
der oath that 1t was true, giving the partic-
ulars. Mrs. Ramsey testifes, under oath,
that the reports untrue, and furthermore,
that It was Mrs. Howes who was guilty of
intimacy with Mr.. Adams at the time and
place referred to. 1t is q very mysterious
case. They are both women OF stainless
character, with the exception of the seam
dali. Mrs. Ramsey is forty-tive years OF
ave, and the mother Of eight children. She
has with her in court beautiful little,
girl. probablyrs six years OF age, who
stands by her or sits on her knee MS
shei testifes, and it Is said that all her chill
drcr, are devoted and atfectionate toward
their mother as any children could be. Her
husband Is fifty years OF age, is well known
and highly respected by all, and there has
never ANYTHING occurred In the history OF
| the family to mar their domestic happi.
ress. II seems altogether unreasonable
and unnatural that she should be guilty OF
the crime alleged. Mrs, Howes Is much
younger woman, being only twenty years
Of age at the present time, and has been
married some three years. She is blonde,
has very light colored hair, blue eyes,
regular features, clear complexion, red
cheeks, and Is decidedly good looking,
and Is very naturally, the center OF admi-
ration to all the men In the crowded court
room. Her husband Is Mr.. w. H. Howes,
gentleman Of the highest responsibility, o
school teacher, and son OF Mr.. Robert
Howes, OF this county. Hehas been alb
sent from home q good deal since his mar
rage and, in fact, has never yet settled
down regularly to housekeeping. They
have no children. ll t.a
According TO tho. testimony 1t seems
that on certain evening in November OF
Laot {Gn tfs' HgHSS AHu 1HI.S AGtMScs
were visiting at the house OF Mr.. Robert
Howes, the father-in-law OF the younger
lady. On the same evening Mr.. Daniel
Adams came 10 the same house on visit
OF courtship TO Miss Mamie Howes, o
daughter Of the old gentleman: The four
Mira, Ramsey, Mrs. Howes, Mr.. Adams
and Miss Sannie-remained In the sitting
room in social converse until ordinary
bedtime, when Mrs. Ramsey and Mrs.
Howes went upstairs to retire for the
night, Upstairs there were two rooms
and two beds, and one OF these beds was
to be reserved for Mr.. Adams and the other
to be occupied by the two married ladies.
Thus far the story is straight, but after
this there arc two stories, and we don't
know which Is true, Mr.. Adams came UP
stairs to retire for the night at two o'clock.
After this time, at least, the two ladies
occupied different beds. In this their tes-
timony, agrees. AS 10 what occurred up
stairs between two O'Clock and morning
there are just the three witnesses. Each
OF the ladies' swears to her own innocence
and 10 tho guilt Of the other. I.l.,
Mr.. Adams was put on the stand, and
possibly told the truth. But his appear
anee and manner, and his readiness to re-
cite his own guilt, were disgusting in the
extreme. He seemed to regard it rs n
joke that he had betrayed the hospitality
Of Robert Howes and had brought dis
grace and misery upon two fanilies--for
Mrs. Ramsey Is q near relative OF the
Howes family, and in any event, and
whatever the truth may be, the disgrace is
shared by all. In his testimony he agreed
with Mrs Ramsey us to the main fact.
Mr.. Adams Is an unmarried man, and
probably thirty years OF age.
Beside those three principal witnesses,
there were many others-sixty in all, at
least q dozen Of them being ladies' They
testified rs to minor circumstances and
facts, and the character and credibility OF
the two parties to the suit.
The case is one OF the most inexplicable
that ever came up in Harrison County
Court, and probably, like such cases in
general, will forever remain undecided, at
least so far as public opinion Is concerned.
Mrs. Robert Howes had the right idea OF
tho case when she gave the timely and
wise advice that the whole matter should
be quietly buried and never be permitted
to reach the public ear. But scandal Is as
swift as the wind, and when there Is a
cIihc, dShIilsbsoClstl uiiu uoiucStlc me- ~ II
next to impossible TO keep ithid.
There was time in the history Of this
case when the whole matter could have
been settled, On that November night ut
two o'clock the innocent ,roman ought to
have raised the alarm, and Dan Adams
ought to have been kicked out OF the
house. That would haye disturbed
peaceful household for the night, and
promptness then would have saved all
trouble afterward. t"
The-jury were sent out on Tuesday eve
ming, and were out about three hours,
when they brought in verdict assessing
damages against the defendant to the
amount OF 81.
.AM&rrER OF LIFE AND DrArn.-It is to