The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1882-11-08
"a Celebrated Case.N

More than twenty years ago VIM.
Wackerle was a Minnesota farmer.
served in the army during the wa:
and was disabled, for which he drew a
pension. He and his family would !
seem to have been of wandering hab-
its, having lived in New Orleans, Gin
cinnati, Milwaukee, Chicago and De
troit, at which latter place, in 1869, ne
left his wife and went to California, :
whittier she soon followed him. Their
married daughter having died there
they returned to Quincy, I'LL, where
they lived until 1872, when the hus-
band went again to California. The
next tidings she had from him that
wear were those of his death in Louisi-
ana, where he was run over by a train
neal 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 a verdict in her
favor, which was reversed IN q
supreme court of that State.
In the meanwhile an alleged William
WackerIe 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 her
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 h
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
clothes she wore, and the documents
she carried, she still continued to enlist
the support and assistance OF those
who knew her. Even when she
learned that a mar 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 a suit against
the Mutual company in st. Louis
A Minnesota attorney agreed to 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 Wackprle, 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 was
able to establish a startling imitation
of the identity he asserted. She, on the
contrary, protested that he wasnot her
husband, but one of his brothers, proba-
bly, ayounger one, "Chris.' Wackerle.
She then entered upon a clear, exact
and circumstantial account of her life
with her husband, their various resi-
dences, their varying fortunes and adj
ventures, and the births, deaths and
sex of their children. In regard to the
children the claimant had shown HIM
self extremely defective in memory and
wanting in accuracy. He also contra
dictrd other evidence of the defensei in
regard to Wackerle's residence in Gin
c%innati. 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 Wackerlc,
some of these points being exactly OPP
poSite to those of the claimant.
The case was then Submitted to the
jury, wht speedily brought in a YER
dict for Mrs. Warkerle and against the
company in the sum Of $6,50b, a YER
dict from which the company intends
appealing to the supreme court of the
United States. AS they have millions
and Mrs. Wackerle nothing, the adj
vantage is altogether on their side;
and the combative widow or de-
frauder. as the case may be, will again
have to call upon all her pluck and pa
thence for another ight.-Detrot Free
Press.
The ourang-outang, which escaped