Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-06-23
AN UNFORTUNATE ELoPEMENr.
What Came of q Girls Infat1ation for Her
Fathers Clerk,


Fathers Clerk.
The police of Jersey City have been en-
gagged during the past week in investigations
which have revealed a singular story of TO-
mantle marriage and its results. On last
Tuesday afternoon Mr.. Henry Menken. a
wealthy liquor dealer, residing at No. $50 Pa
cifc avenue, reported at headquarters that his
house had been robbed on that day, in the abb
sence of his wife, and that about 5000 worth of
property had been stolen. He was at his
place of business, at No. 40 MONTGOMERY street
at the time the robbery was committed, and
could furnish no information about its circum-
stances. His wife, when questioned, said that
a little before noon she had come to this city
to visit her mother. She was accompanied by
young married woman named Henrietta
Godfrey, who had lived with her for several
months in the capacity of servant and COM
panion. They went to the house of Mrs. Mem
ken's mother, and after remaining there short
time Mrs. Godfrey expressed a wish to call on
her own mother, who lived in the neighbor-
hood, and departed ostensibly for that purpose.
Three hours later she returned and went back
to Jersey City with her mistress. When Mrs
Menken arrived at her home she discovered
that the drawers of the bureau in her bedroom
had been broken open, and that a quantity of
jewelry, gold watch and chain, silk dress
and suit of clothing were missing.
The p olice Immediately began an investiga-
ton. In the course of their inquiries they
learned that Mrs. Godfrey's maiden name was
Hendrickx, and that her father was rich
manufacturer of embroideries, in business at
381 Broom street, in this city. Two years ago
he employed Alfred Godfrey, handsome and
intelligent young man, in his store. Miss Hen
drickx accidentally met Godfrey one day in
I'll IL
He was very polite and attentive, and seems to
have fascinated her. Her visits to the store
became 80 kfrequent that at last her father
suspected an intimacy between her and God
frey. Mr.. Hendrickx demonstrated, but the
young couple failed to heed his objections, and
were married clandestinely eighteen months
ago.
Since then Godfrey and his wife, beautiful
girl nineteen years of age, have had very
humble and precarious existence. Mr.. Hen
drickX refused to recognize or assist them,
and formally repudiated his daughter. In the
early part of April Mrs. Menken discovered
that Mrs. Godfrey, whom she had known from
her childhood, was living in great restitution
in scantily furnished apartment at No. ia
Varick street. She prevailed on the young
woman to go with her to Jersey City, and pro-
vided a comfortable home for her. Godfrey,
who was out of employment, was often
Gently he was in the habit of sleeping there every
night, coming over to this city early in the
morning. On the day of the robbery he had
left at an unusually early hour. His wife and
Mrs. Menken both asked him to wait for them,
as they too, were coming over here but he ex-
cused himself on the plea that he had an en-
gagement with person from whom he expect
ed to obtain position.
When the police had learned these facts they
decided to take Mrs. Godfrey into custody.
She was accordingly arrested on Friday night,
but she denied all knowledge of the crime so
emphatically and ingenuously that the police
doubted her guilt, and transferred their sus-
picions to her husband. They made
an exhaustive search for him, but without
success. On Saturday, however, he
went over to Jersey City, and, slipping into a
saloon on Pacific avenue, wrote brief note to
his wife, which he sent by messenger to Mr..
Menken's residence. Mr.. Menken recognized
Godfrey's handwriting on the address, and, re-
turning with the messenger, found Godfrey
awaiting an answer. He told the young man
that his wife had been apprehended, and in
duced Godfrey to 60 with him to police head
quarters and see her. When they entered the
central Office, Inspector Long arrested Godfrey
and took him before Chief Murphy. The pris-
confessed that he had stolen the property, and
gave information upon which the greater part
of it was subsequently recovered:
The chief, convinced of Mrs. Godfrey's in.
nocence, summoned her father by telegraph to
Jersey city. The old gentleman had not ex-
changed word with his daughter since her
marriage, and when he heard of what had oc-
CURED, his emotion, the chief says, was pain
full to witness. A terrible struggle was evil
IDENTIFY going on in his breast, between pride
and affection. At last he yielded to affection.
and consented to see the girl, and
an affecting interview took place
between them. She assured her father
that she believed her husband was bad and
deceitful man, and that he had neglected her
and failed to support her since few weeks af-
ter their marriage. MIR. Hendrickx exacted
from her a promise that she would never have
anything more to do with Godfrey, and after
she had pledged her word to that effect he en-
braced her, and returned with her to his home
in this city. Godfrey, who is only 81 years of
age will be arraigned this morning