Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1880-03-27

Her 7ruant Husband
One of the st. Louis journals re-
lates strange story of woman from
Muscatine, which affects the good
name of Henry Williams, the leader
of Mr.. D. L. Moody's st. Louis choir.
This Muscatine woman's alleged
troubles are thus stated
Mr.. Williams voice has been heard
in the sanctuary, and its volume has
been talked about almost as much as
Mr.. Sankey's. He has prayed in the
temple with as much fervor as could
lie desired, ard his walk has been
with God 80 far as appearances go.
He has exhorted; in fact he has been
kind of pillar in lions cause-his
wife, most accomplished lady, pre-
siding at the organ.
The woman who has startled st.
Louis religious circles with her claim
of being Williams abandoned wife,
and who has put her case in the hands
of lawyers, was visited by reporter
at her cottage home, lover the front
of which was thatch covered with
tendrills, whitened and leahess. ="
They were as lifsless, says the report
er, as the pale-faced woman who an
swered the knock seemed to be, from
the bloodless expression of her face,
the lines of care about her eyes, and
the sprinkles of gray that made her
hair look as if it had been swept by
snow-drift. She received the visi-
tor with an ease that betokened bet
ter days, and familiarity that indica-
ted a certain degree of culture. She
is woman of past fifty years of age,
her face pitted from small pox in a
severe manner, but with something
left to remind the beholder that she
had seen the day when she had no
occasion to blush before the mirror.
The reporter listened to tbs follow
ing story:
II was married to Henry Williams
in Lexington, Illinois, in 1851. l had
about $500 in cash and personal prop
erty when I became his wife. / was
a widow when he married me. We
lived there for some months. He was
spsculating for livelihood. We
moved from there and went to Peo-
ria, and remained there a short time.
We moved to st. Louis in 1852. Mr..
Williams was clerk in an oyster sa-
loon, on the corner Of Seventh and
Morgan streets, for awhile. We
boarded awhile at the Broadway Ho-
tel, and then went to keeping house.
l was taken sick and had the small
pox. You can see the result"
She alluded to this as a woman
would in referring to her vanished
beauty, pitifully; but 1t was only a
moment, and she proceeded:
"My face was spoiled, but my heart
remained true to him. am sorry to
say it, even after all these years, that
his affection for me seemed to die out
with the attractions of my face, and
he went to drinking and gambling.
We became very poor, and | proposed
to him that we go to my mothers
house in Keokuk, Iowa. He said if l
would not tell my mother of his treat
ment of me he would. | said, Henry,
Twill never exp :se you if you don't
expose YOURSELF After we stayed
in Keokuk awhile we went to Rock
Island and started q hotel; we did
we'll, and for six months he was per-
fectly straight. Then he left me and
for five months I was alone. | took
my property and went back to my
mothers house. After I had stayed
there awhile I shipped them to Mus
catine, in the care of Mr.. Phelps.
When the boat arrived there, who
should claim the goods but Henry. I
went there and he begged me to let
him come back. | said | would. l
told him, Henry, it shall never be
said l drove you away. If we seper-
ate it shall be you who will leave first.
He went into the produce business
and | opened a boarding house. We
succeeded well. He went to drink
ing after six months, and finally went
away. He was gone for nine months
before | ever had any tidings of him;
then a Mr.. Rothschil1 met him in
Monmouth, ILL.,, and spoke to him.
Williams made out that he didn't
know him, but Rothschild told him
he knew better, and then Williams
admitted who he was, and said he
,pao ro;nc, South I uas iaLan o;oL