The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1879-05-15
A TROUBLED CAREER.
A Sehool-Giri's Mafrimonial Correspond
ence and an Unhappy Marriage.
Prurn III yev Yowk Tfu<S

A sehoel-Giri's Mairimoaial Correspond
ence and an Unhappy Marriage.
Prom The New Yak Times
Joseph Morse, of StroudsburY, Penn,
made $4,000 in 1850, out of contract on
the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western
Railway, which was then constructing
He removed to Port Jervis and purchased
a fine residence. His family consisted OF
his wife and two daughters. HIS wife e
maiden name was Coffin. She was mem
Der of q prominent New Jersy family and
had two younger sisters. Mr.. Morse gave
both of his daughters q ine education.
Frances was graduate Of Seward Instr
-tute, a school founded by the father Of the
late Secretary Seward. and which has al
ways been conducted by members of that
family. Miss Morse was fine musician
and linguist. After returning home from
school, she became contributor to New
York periodicals.. While at school, she,
with thoughtless companions, inserted an
advertisement in New-York newspaper,
soliciting correspondence with some gen.
tleman. with a view to matrimony. The
advertisement was answered by +. L.
jerks, of Boston. A correspondence was
carried on between Miss Morse and jerks
for some time, and finally they became en-
gagged, without ever having seen each
othe..
Some time after the Morse family came
to Port Jervis Mrs. Morse died. Her hus-
band subsequently married one of her SIS
tiers. In 1854. after Frances returned
from school, her betrothed husband came
on from Boston to see her. She dlslked
him as soon as she saw him. Her step
mother, however, fancied the young man,
and through her influence Frances was IN
duced to reconsider determination she
had made to break off her engagement,
and she and jerks were married. They
went to Boston. Mrs. jerks remained in
that city only short time, as she and her
husband did not live happily together.
jerks came to Port Jervis subsequently
and lived with his wife for SIX months,
when a separation was agreed upon be-
tween them, and jerks went away. Mean
time, Morse had squandered his fortune.
During a severe illness about this time
Mrs. jerks took as medicine large quanti-
ties Of opium. When she recovered, she
accepted position as teacher In one of the
New York schools. L was there that she
discovered that she had acquired the OPT
UNI habit. She became such slave to
this habit that she was compelled to give
up her situation in New York. In 1859
her step-mother died and her father after
ward married the remaining one Of the
three Coffin sisters. Mrs. jerks gradually
obtaiEed control Of her appetite for opium.
In 1854 her father took the contract for
the Hawley Branch Of the Erie
Railway, and removed from Port Jervis
to Hawley. There Mrs. jerks married
man named Mckay. and the two removed
TO Connecticut. 1t does not appear wheth-
er divorce was ever obtained in the first
Mckay died year or two af-
terward. Morse somewhat repaired his
fortune by the Hawley Branch contract,
and removed to st. Louis in 1865, where
he amassed large fortune, and where he
.till resides. His widowed daughter join
I'd him in that city, and by her accomplish
nents and beauty, took prominent place
IN society.
The Morses in 1868, spent the summer at
Saratoga. The young widow captured
roung Southerner named George 5. Hen
y, who was also staying at the Springs,
She married him, and they took up their
on MS plantation near New Or
cans. They lived there happily for three
Years. when Henry died. After his death
/ was found that his affairs were In such
shape that his wife and child would be
eft pennies. The child died soon after
ward. and Mrs Henry fell again into her
I'D opium eating habit. She came te
New York City. Friends aided her in Sc
,uring work on the press. The habit of
grew on her, and she was
inally compelled TO cease visiting. She
hen engaged in dressmaking. From that
lime her friends In this place lost trace OF
,er A few days ago it was announced in
me Of the morning papers that Mrs.
Henry had died at No IL Clinton place
md that she had been so addicted TO the
Use Of opium that she required four to five
ounces OF laudanum day. This unfortu-
late woman proved to he the former so
,iety belle OF Port Jervis. Frank Morse.