The New York herald., 1879-07-07
A STRANGE STORY.

WHAT BECAME OF MR.. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
IN THE SoUTH-wAs HE DEMENTED!
From Hendersonvile. N. c.. a story has travelled
westward and found its way into the papers about
the doings of Mr.. william r. wheatley. formerly q
wealthy resident of Brooklyn. and n man distiu-
guished alike for his generosity and geniality About
o month ago his remains brought homo and
numbers Of friends attended the intcrment in Green
wood Cemetery. but it would that the last chap
ter Of mis- career to many OF them sealed. Among
those who knew him in life and who had on several
occasions learned to appreciate his good qualities Of
mind and heart there muny to whom the tale
which came from Hendersonville seemed cnigmati-
col. but under the explanation IL receives ut tho
hands of of his friends it loses much Of its
sationalism. According to the North Carolina corre-
spondents the lived among the people Of
that State for months and adapted himself to
their ways without ever suggesting by mis- actions
that he had once been man Of immense means and
was who was driven by personal troubles and q
disordered mind to conceal his identity. He went
there about the 5th Of March aud represented him.
self as being q. II. Carter Of New York. To some
people with whom nc had intimate intercourse there
seemed to be certain pecuarities in his ways that
they could not easily reconcile with his general In
telligence. but they never caused remark. He was
we'll read and impressed his neighbors with
the extent aud variety Of his travels. His
society was courted by some, md when
he began to minge with the people Of the
place he discovered a sociability that made
him general favorite among them. Before long he
began paying attentions to Miss Josephine Bond.
whom he made his wife about three months after his
arrival short time since he fell sick and died. and
then there q surprise to the Hcndorsonville
gossips in the person of elegantly dressed lady
who arrived there with friends and claimed his
body as that of her husband. 1t Mrs. wheatley.
from Brooklyn, and investigating the matter IL
learned that IL was the former wealthy manufac-
Ss grave shere Huder the CARTER The body
WINS exhumed her desire. and she had II taken to
brooklyn. where the obseques were performed and
wood.
sEEKINa A NEW ExrsTENcE
What caused him to wander through the South
and led him to wed another woman while his wife
still lived was matter OF speculation for time.
but It appears that all through his sojourn in
North Carolina whcatley was to some extent de-
mented. Business troubles aud others of private
character preycd upon his mind. and IL is now be-
licved that prior to his sudden disappearance year
ago IL unsettled. Originally Mr.. whcatley
was sugar rcnner. and in that business he &C.
means in brooklyn to advance the interests OF
s.,. fusa,'As n, 4, hSsss sS":amS,Ixs p
for number Of patients such treatment and ac-
comm modations hospital Afforded. Hc was
mucn 1ntcrcftcu IN rtngfOuS entCTpr1rcH, 100. anu
time ago built the Rectory of 81 Pctcrs Eps-
copa Church. In State street. and made IL free gft
20 the pastor. He partially furnished the sunday
school OF the same church and otherwise endowed
II munihcently. But the tightncss of the money
market and business depression soon affected
wheatlcy and at last he failed and left Brooklyn in
i'll odor with many lie went to PHILADELPHIA and
engaged In the brick business, which no soon gave
for an interest in q rubber cloth concern. In
this unfortunate, and he turned his attention
to the manufacture OF patent shirts in tho Domestic
Building. on broadway. Ono day In August 1873,
he found by the police In high state cf excite
ment and represented that he had been robbed OF
his watch and chain and largo amount of money.
The story became current among hts friends and
some OF them engaged in jocuarity ut hts expense.
which seemed TO affect him much that he made
trip TO Baltimore. saying that he would return when
people gave up gfbng him. That was the last his
friends Of him. All trace OF him lost for
months and II was only little before his death that
some friends OF his learned that he in Hendcr-
sonvillo and had thcro apparently begun . now ex-
istence, social as we'll matrimonial.