The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1878-05-10
STRANGE DIVORCE.
n TRAGIC STORY AND It's SINGULAR
TERMINATION.

IA reporter yestcTuay Wels "a SenCieuian
from Joplin who gave him the particulars
of one of the most remarkable divorce ca
ses of which we have ever heard. The fol-
lowing is the story: tH@
A lady sued for divorce in Joplin re-
Gently, and when it came up the startling
developments of which we write were
brought to light, and upon their strength
they were granted.
In 1868 the lady, then young and
handsome maiden, Il resident Of Slope
County, southwest Missouri, married q
worthy young man to whom she had long
been engaged. Their union was happy
one, and as both had been reared in the vi
cinity and were beloved and respected by
all, they received the kindest benisons of all
who knew them. i
But the war was raging around them,
and their locality was alternately occupied
by each of the contending armies. A draft
was about to be made, and the young hus.
band, month after his marriage, concluded
to take advantage of the governments lib
eral offers and enlist, rather than run the
risk of being forced into its ranks without
any emolument save the meagre pay of
private. So he voluntarily enlisted and be-
cane'n private in the ranks of the Union
army.
His courage and intelligence soon gained
the respect of his officers and fellow.men,
and in several hard, fought battles he 'distin-
guished himsolf to such an extent that his
name was forwarded to the department
headquarters in st. Louis, and in short
time returned emblazoncd in second lieu
tenants commission. ~
The regiment was then stationed in north
ern Arkansas, ant at this opportune mo-
ment, when he was so near to all he held
dear for q son was born to him in his alb
sence), he could not resist the temptation
to obtain short leave of absence and visit
his wife aud child.
This boon was easily obtained, and with
his commission in his pocket he mounted
his horse and started for home. At length
the well.remembered landmarks came to
view.
He was close to home.
A few hundred yards of the leafy forest,
and he would be in the opening where he
could see smoke from the cot that contained
his treasures.
How he would surprise them
How his wife would cry for joy!
How his bright-eyed babe would
"Halt J" came fierce order, in stentorian
tones from the brush that surrounded the
road. Ere he could rein in his horse in
obedience to the dread summons he was, as
If by magic, surrounded by twenty to thirty
heavily-armed men, whom his practiccd eye
told him were the most unrecnting foes
that the uniform he wore ever had. His
heart sank within him, brave as he was, for
he knew there was no mercy in the breast
of bushwhackcr, for such they were.
A few questions were put to him by the
leader Of the band, but they were more @r
forms sake than anything else. His uni
form was mute answer for al! they wished
to know, while from his pockets. which
were rapidly turncd inside out, was the
commission drawn forth, which made them
more eager for his blood
The leader Of the band was man near
his own age, ard to him he appealed and
demanded that he be treated as prisoner
of war. His request was treated with de-
rision, and in moment more his legs were
pinioned and an ominous rope with moose
at its end dangled from the limb of an ad.
jacent tree. Again he appealed to his in.
human captors, and implorcd them to let
him see his wife and child but for moment
before he died. But even as he supplicatcd
the leader put the fatal loop around his
neck, gave signal with his hand, and the
unfortunate man was swung off into etern-
ty with prayer for his widowed wife and
orphaned child upon his lips.
The next day the corpse was dicovcrcd
swaying in the wind by passing soldier,
who, stopping at the next house, (Which
happened to be the home of the etficer,)
told the woman that there was man hang.
ing deal short distance down the road,
and it was better, perhaps, he should receive
a Christian burial. This was not unfrc-
quent news in that locality, and nearly all
the men being in the army the sad work of
interring the dead aud caring for the woun-
dcd devolvcd upon the lone women. And
faithfully and tenderly was il done, too, for
they knew not but their own loved ones
were being cared for in similar manner
far off in some distant State
So the woman procured help of others of
her sex who lived in the neighborhood, and
together they proceeded on their sad mis-
sion. As they approached the corpse a
strange foreboding passed through the mind
Of the woman who led them, for there was
something familiar in the suspended form,