Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1879-12-12
Proving An Old Soldier Killed and
Burned Who Is Now Alive
and Well,

The terrible disaster at Ashtabula,
on the Lake Shore railroad, on the goth
of December, 1876, will long be remem-
bered as one of the most awful in its re-
suits that ever occurred in the United
States. Shortly after this accident Mrs.
Webber, who is poor woman with two
children, appeared in the Office of a
lawyer in Rochester, n. Y. D., and, stating
that she had every reason TO believe
that her husband had been killed in
that disaster, requested him to COM
mence suit against the railroad COM
pany on her behalf. The evidence which
she offered to introduce in proof of her
husbands sad fate was only of a cir
cumstantial nature, as nothing was
ever found of the body, which was sup
posed to have been consumed in the
flames. She had been to Ashtabula,
and in the debris of the wrecked train
she had found bunch of keys which
she positively recognized as those hav-
ing been in the possession of her hus-
band. One of these keys, in further
proof, she ascertained exactly fitted the
clock in her house, and an Auburn man
was ready to swear that he had made
such key for the deceased. Another
key fitted chest which she had in her
possession, while still another of the
keys fitted the lock on the door. But
the very strongest proof of all which
she had discovered was piece of cloth
which she had recognized as having
been part of her dead husbands coat
The proof by no means stopped here,
however. A physician of Rochester
testified that he rode to Buffalo on the
same train with the deceased on the
fatal goth of December. while another
gentleman testified to seeing the de-
ceased 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,
the suit was commenced, funds enabling
her to carry it ON being supplied by a
kind. hearted citizen of Rochester. When
the railroad company's attorneys were
confronted with the proofs of the plain
tiff's case, they advised q settlement
with her for $4,000. But she wanted
So, 900 or nothing, and the company's
lawyers concluded to let the matter go
before the courts. The investigations
concerning the fate of the husband
were continued, and it was ascertained
that he had been sent by General Mar
tindale, his former superior officer in
the army, to the Soldiers Home in Wis
consin several days previous to the
Ashtabula disaster, and this fact soon
brought to light the very important dis
closure that man of his name, answer
ing his description exactly, who stated
that he had wife and two children in
Rochester, was still alive and safe in
that institution, and that he was not
near Ashtabula at the time of the disas-
ter. OF course this knocked the suit
against the railroad company in the
head; the poor woman is out $4,000,
and the kind-hearted citizen who ad-
vanced the funds is out in his disburse-
ments, as the woman is too poor to re-
pay him. The case is most remarka-
BILE one, however, from the fact that nc
person doubts the truthfulness of the
witnesses whose evidence formed the
basis on which the suit was commenced.