Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-01-24
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THURSDAY EVENING, JANUARY pa
CirculnstantfaI Evidence.

The terrible disaster at Asntabula, 90 the
Lake Shore, on the 29sh OF December, 1876, a
little more than ayear ago, will long be remelh'
bered as one of the most awful 10 its results
that ever occurred in the u aited States. Snort
Iy after this accident, Mrs. Webbcr, wtlo Is
a poor woman with two children, appeared Ill
the Office Of lawyer in Rochester, and stating
that she had every reason to believe tina! 'i"r
husband had been killed in that disaster, le
quested him to commence suit agalnst tbs
railroad company on her behalf.
The evidenc, which she offered to lntroduc,
in proof of her husbands sad fate was only OF
a circumstantial nature, as nothing Was ever
found of the body, which was supposed to have
been consumed in the flames. She had been
to Ashtabua and in the debris of the wrecked
train she had found buoch of keys which she
positively recognized as those having been Ia
the possession Of her husband. Oae of these
keys. in further proof, she had ascertaued ex'
actly fitted the clock in her house. aud an Au'
burn man was ready to swear that ne had made
such key for the deceased. Another key fit.
tod chest which she had 10 her possession,
while still another Of Che keys fitted the lock
on the door. But the strongest proof OF all
which she had discovered was piece Of Cloth
which she had rscog1N I'D as having been part
of her dead husbands coat.
The proof by no means stopped hero, how
ever. A physician of Rochester 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, tho suit was commenced, the funds
enabling her to carry it on being supplied by
kind d.hearted gentleman. When the railroad
company's attorneys were confronted with the
proofs of the plaintiff 8 case they advised set.
element With her tor 81, 900.
But she wanted $4,000 or nothing, and the
company's 8 lawyers concluded to lot the matter
20 before the courts. The Investigations con
cerping the fate Of the husband were continued,
and it was ascertained that he had been
sent by General Martindale, bis former su.
perior officer in the army, to the Pen
sion House, 10 Wisconsin,, several days
previous to the Ashtabula disaster, and
this fact soon brought TO light the very im.
portant disclosure that man OF bis name, an
swering bis description exactly, and who stated
that he had wife and two children 10 Roches
ter, was still alive and safe in that institution,
and that he was not near Ashtabuta at the time
of the disaster.
VI o0urSo tnls kuOcheu tue suit aBauSt Ino
railroad company in the head the poor woman
is out 81, 900, and the kind hearted citizen who
advanced the funds is out bis disbursements,
as the woman is too poor to repay him. The
case is most remarkable one, however, from
the fact that no person doubts tho truthful
ness of the witness whose evidence formed
the basis on which the suit was commenced.
OF course, the plaintiffs lawyers feel much
cbagriued over the ridiculous result OF their
efforts.