Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-06-05
SHOCKING DEPRAyITY.
A husband Abandons His wife In q
Delicate Condition on the Roads
to.Dte-A Rope wanted that Will
Reach from k1eve to Nebraska.
Creston Gazette

1t is said that we ought not to be
now, at anything we see or
hear, but once in a while q case OF to-
tai depravity comes to our notice that
startles, as we'll as shakes up all the.|
bad feelings in the human breast,and
makes one long for an opportunity to
avenge the wrongs one sees done to
others in q summary manner, espe-
cially when the wrong done is to
defenceless woman.
On Monday last, as Mr. J.C.Wood-
ruff, of this township, was working
in the field, he noticed q woman
walking along the road who seemed
to be suffering. as she would walk
but few steps and then sit down,
rise up and try to walk q little far
Their, but as often fall to the ground.
Noticing this repeated conduct on the
part of the woman he LETT his work
and went out to the road to see what
the matter was. Reaching the place
where she lay, he found her in COM
pletely exhausted condition, her eyes
swollen almost to bursting from con-
slant weeping, her face pale, haggard
and wan, told the story of mental and
physical suffering that would have
softened a heart Of stone. After re-
peated efforts to call the fast sinking
woman to conscious condition,
Woodruff became alarmed, and went
to the house to call his wife to his aid.
Mrs. w. Immediately went to the
sufferer, and together Mr.. and Mrs.
Woodruff carried her to the house
and placed her in bed when her &C
tual condition was made known. Ar
soon as she could be restored to COM
plete conscio usness she told her new
made friends the story of her wrongs
which we here relate.
She says her name is Mrs. Clars
Bell. About two weeks ago she and
her husband left their farm Of 16(
acres, two miles from Fl. Madison
Lee county, in this State, which they
had sold for $35 per acre, and will
their stock started for Osceola, Poll
county, Neb., where they had pur
chased farm and expected to live
All went well until they reached
Alton, when Bell ordered his wifi,
to get out of the wagon and driv,
the cattle. She replied that sh'
couldn't, whereupon Bell told her t,
60 to HI, and getting into the wag
on drove of, leaving her alone in TIL
streets. Surprising, Of course, tina
the team would stop for her at shor
distance from town, she walked ol
/. after it, but could not Overtake it,
Night came on, and drenching rail
set in and this poor woman, alone, Of
q strange road, tired and heart-bro
ken, laid down in . fence corner t,
pass the night. But before the nigh
had closed in, wagon drove by an
: the owner seeing her in the conditio
. she was, got out and helping her int
his vehicle, took her home and KEEP
her over night.
2 On Sunday she resumed her wall
!, hoping to find her husband on tn
road somewhere, and besitating to te
the farmer, who had kept her owe
' night, the actual condition of affairs
: She walked on as best che could, sui
. fering intensely all the time, till 9
: last overcome with grief and prostrs
ton she dropped on the ground, a
she says, to die. In this conditio
g she was found by Mr.. Woodruff an
D cared for. Tuesday she came to tow
with Mr.. w. and last night she We
sent to Council Bluffs, where she ha
worked in the Briggs House previot
!, to her marriage to this inhuma
. wretch who had so mistreated he
and where she hopes to head of th
villain and compel him to disgore
u part of the property and none
which belongs to her.