The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1882-10-26

ga Celebrated Case"
More than twenty years ago VIM.
Wackerle was Minnesota farmer.
lie served in the army during the war
and was disabled, for which he drew q
pension. He and his family would
seem to have been of wandering hab-
its, having lived in New Orleans, Cin-
cinnati; Milwaukee, Chicago and De
troit, at which latter place, in 1869, he
left his wife and went to California,
whittier she soon followed him. Their
married daughter having died there
they returned to Quincy, ILL.,, where
they lived until 1872, when the bus
band went again to California. The
next tidings she had from him that
year were those of his death In Louisi.
ana, where he was run over by train
near Shreveport.
He had two insurance policies on his
life, one of them in the Etna company
and the other in the New York Mutual
Life. She had worked hard during
his absences, and by her own labor had
succeeded in keeping the premiums
paid. On hearing of his death she
went to Louisiana, had the remains
exhumed and identified them. The
Etna company refused to acknowledge
this identity and she sued them in
Louisiana, getting verdict in her
favor, which was reversed in the
supreme court of that State.
In the meanwhile an alleged William
Wackerle made himself known on the
Pacific coast and continued drawing a
pension from the United States govern
ment. Mrs. Wackerle set out upon a
tour of the United States collect
ing proofs of her claim upon her
insurance companies and of he1
husbands death. She was known
in New England as well as in
Minnesota, in Missouri as well as in
Louisiana. She was without money,
but not without friends, whose sympa-
thies she excited, and whose aid she
invoked, and who listened to her,
trusted her and helped her on her
way. She refused all offers Of COM
promise, but insisted on her full claim.
To get it became the object OF her life,
and although having nothing but the
/
she carried, she still continued to enlist
the support and assistance of those
who knew her. Even when she
learned that a man claiming to be her
husband had appeared to thwart her
she did not despair, but kept up
the fight, beginning it at last and
when fully prepared by suit against
! the Mutual company in st. Louis.
A Minnesota attorney agreed pro
duce William Wackerle, her husband,
TO testify in behalf of the insurance
company. So when the trial COM
menced the alleged Californian went
upon the stand, swore that he was
William Wackerle, the husband of the
plaintiff, and that he still drew his
pension from the government. He be-
trayed great Familiarity with the life
and wandering career of William
Wackerle, and in several points wa,
able to establish startling imitation
Of the identity he asserted. She, on the
contrary, protested that he was not hel
husband, but one of his brothers, proba
bly, younger one, "Chris." Wackerle
She then entered upon clear, exact
and circumstantial account of her life
with her husband, their various resi-
dences, their varying fortunes and ad
ventures, and the births, deaths anC
sex of their children. In regard to th
children the claimant had shown him
self extremely defective in memory anC
wanting in accuracy. He also contra
> dicted other evidence of the defense il
regard to Wackerle's residence in Gin
cinnati. Several reputable and intelli
gent witnesses repudiated him, de
claring that in his looks, features
complexion, color Of hair and beard
he did not resemble William Wackerlt
some Of these points being exactly OF
posite to those of the claimant.
The case was then submitted to tn
, jury, who speedily brought in vel
diet for Mrs. Wackerle and against tn
company in the sum Of $1,000, a vel
dict from which the company intend
appealing to the supreme court of til
United States. AS they have million
and Mrs. Wackerle nothing, the az
vantage is altogether on their sidt
} and the combative widow or dt
frauder, as the case may be, will agai
have to call upon all her pluck and pf
tience for another fght.-Detroit Frt
2 Press