The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1880-12-09
A FEARFUL AToNEMENT.

Unheard-Of PunlShment OF an Errlng WlIe-lne
Poor Sinner, Crazed by Remorse, is Expiating
Her Crime, and only Waits for DEATH" the San
Francisco Chronicle tells a terrible tale of a wOm-
ans crime and its fearful atonement We regret
that her groveIing tempter's name is not given,
that the wretch could be held up to execration.
AS it is not, we erase the names of the woman
and her husband and publish the recital to illus
trate the difference in penalty for men and women
who commit mutual crime:
''Iary A. B, ,insane-Laurie-4:3O, was one
of the entries recorded on November lst upon the
register at the city prison. 1t testified that Officer
Laurie arrested Mary a. b Alta street and
charged her with insanity, and that she was in
carcerated at 4:3O o'clock of that morning. There
was much significance attached to the entry. 1t
was the index to ruined home, mOtherless chill
dren, a hali-cTaZed husband and an erring woman,
who, succumbing to the awful punishment to
which she was sentenced, is now a raving maniac.
About one year ago Mr.. and Mrs. B. were resi-
dents of Plumas county, and while there the hus-
band was offered employment in the State of
Nevada He accepted, and before leaving made
ample provision for the support of his wife and
their two children and furthermore told her that,
if remttanees should fail to reach her by any
means, she had but to go to a certain friend and
he would provide for all. The husband was alb
sent one year lacking eighteen days. In the
mean time, the wife had disregarded her marriage
vows and had received the attentions of man
who was well known TO her husband, and who is
now engaged in business in Lassen county.
On the very day that the husband returned, and
after supper, Mrs. B" told him that she had
something to communicate to him. and, being
somewhat 10th to tell him, was encouraged by the
unsuspecting man, who asked her not to keeT
him longer in suspense She then made the aw-
/ full revelation that she egcieRte. Mr.. b
appalled, by this cOnfessOn strove hard to subdue
/ his emotions, and answered:
'Mary, would rather you had killed me than
told me that"
They arose from the table. and he informed hi.
! penitent wife that he would for divorce OF
| the following day, and admOnished her to keeI
/ her own apartment and he would his as all the
/ ties between them had been severed. Mr.. b
succeeded i'm obtaining the divorce but, unwilling
/ TO see the woman who was once his wife, and Il
/ the mother of his two children, one aged one anC
half and the other two and half years, go tC
| ruin for want Of employment or beneficial influ
ences, offered her the position of hOusekeeper anC
nurse TO their children. The woman was resigned
to her fate, and accepted the proposition as
| grateful boon. Their relations were simply thOs'
| of master and servant.
About three months ago, Mr.. b and hi
shattered household moved to this city, and tool
up their residence on Alta street, on Telegraph
| Hill. The same relations continued. The woman
was reaching the time for her confinement, anC
Mr. b again proposed that after she had giveI
birth to the child and il she could not Obtain
more lucrative employment, she should return
and resume her position housekeeper an,
nurse where, long she lived, she could al
ways find home She left the house and gav
birth to the child, after which she returned. Mr.
/ b never saw the child, does not know whethe
il is alive or dead, nor has he ever made any i'm
quiries whatsoever about it. The subject wa
never reverted TO by them. The woman lived il
the house with her former husband for some fOu
weeks again, but she was sadly changed. Sh
submitted without murmur to her strange lot
and seemed TO do all she could for her two chill
dren, but her mind was deTanged. She attempte,
to take her life with knife, but Mr. b frus
trated her plans and resolved to set a strict watc
on her actions Frantic with remOrse, and driver
to desperation at her hopeless lot, she pulled tn
afr arn1e ear,lr in SIN
which she never rallied completely.
One Friday night Immediately preceding he
arrest Mr.. b heard the front door close, an
looking from his window out upon the open street
he saw his former wife and asked her where sh
was going. She answered calmly that she wa
going To end her life in the bay. Mr.. B. too
the poor woman into the house again. Her con
ditiOn grew worse, and as last resort he calle
upon Officer Laurie, who lived in the vicinity
and the arrest of the suffering woman was mad,
the husband going to the prison. On the way
the Home of the Inebrates, where insane person
are confined pending their examination by til
| Commissioners, the poor woman turned to he
husband and resignedly said:
! "NIy dear, you go back will go with this of
Ger anywhere"
On the day following the arrest she was brougl
before the Commissioners, and by them ordered
be sent to Napa She seemed daZed and from til
time of her arrest until her commitment uttere
not one word of complaint. Her late husban
e visited her the other day at the asylum, but ST
was hopelessly insane and did not recognize hi
e or her children. She had fallen away, and SCENE
' to have lost all strength. She was dying.
The man who was the cause of the wifes lap
r from virtue meyer interested himself so much ;
r to make the least inquiry regarding the woman
nor has he ever helped her in the least pecun
arily. Such assistance the poor woman new
t needed, however for it has come to light that Il
D remittances from her husband were more tha
sufficient, and she had never addressed herself
the friend to whom her husband had recommend,
y her.
New Hampshire woman has a husband wi
h is addicted to joining secret societies. One of h
t exasperated Outbursts is reported by the Mancha
e ter Mirror: "JineI He'd jine anything The
d can't nothing come along THAT'S dark and sly al