Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-10-05


"All the worlds stage and all the men
and women merely players" 1t goes with
the saying that fiction is but the faint re-
fex of the real, the natural The great
dramas of life are silent, just as the noise
less and u1seer, but fear
full under current OF some streams.
They are like the puppets of the Snowman
-mute-only In life. Fate pulls the
strings, and the devil too often acts as
prompter.
There came to light in this city yester-
day one of those strange romances in real
life which beat the time Of novel writers,
and which, somehow, never find their way
into books.s
About week ago there called at the
residence OF Rev. b. R. Riddell, pastor of
the First Baptist church, lady whose for
mer home was in one of the pretty cities
Of the Dominion, just across from the
American line. She was graceful and re-
fined in manners, highly educated, and
with lines, in once handsome face, of
care and sorrow. She gave the name of
Mrs. D. L. Smith, and brought with her
letters of introduction from prominent
gentlemen in Canada and the east. She
related strange story, which may be Civ
en- briefly as follows: About seven years
ago her hand was sought in marriage by
man whoH- she learned to love, and who
seemed passionately fond of her; they
were married, and the first year of
welded life was happy; then he
became dissipated and from kind and
indulgent husband he became mosster
of cruelty; finally his conduct became IN
bearsble and she was forced to leave him.
Soon afterwards child was born and in
the infant became conferred all the afrec-
tions of the mothers heart. She was &C.
complished and by her art she won
good livelihood for the support of
herself and her baby boy.
When she separated from her husband and
nodivorce had been obtainedsand when the
child had been born, the father tried to
obtain possession of it. The matter came
up IN the courts and she was awarded the
custody of the child forever.Two years roll
ed by and ore day the child was abducted.
About the sams time the father disappear
ed and the mother became almost frantic.
The search was taken up by
herself and friends who secured the coun-
try, and for years the search was continued
but to no purpose. Finally all gave I'D
the task as hopeless but the mother. who
continued to work rs usual, broken
hearted woman.
One day, four years afterwards, she re-
ceived letter from Ann Arhor, Mich, say
ing that her husband had died,
leaving a widow at that place to
mourn his demise. Not until
after his death did it become known
by wife No. 2 and her friends that she had
been deceived into marrying a man who
had so greatly wronged g wife still living
and from whom he had obtained no di-
vorce. Wife No. 2 was overwhelmed with
grief at the discovery of his guilt End she
became broaen-h hearted over me revelation.
But w4rge than all be made no revelation
Oh dying OF ths whereabouts of the child.
This was q little over year ago, and the
mother learned, from wife No. that be-
fore he took up his residen, 80 in Ann Arbor
he had taught school in the vicinity of st.
Paul. This was the single CLEAN of hope
that had irrad1ated her life in years, and
she went to wo.k with added zeal to save
money sufficient to defray her expenses to
this city.
She arrived here about week age and
called on DR.. Riddell, as before stated.
The latter became interested in her strange
story, and he promised to aid her in the
search. He first called on Mayor O'Brssen,
and the latter also became interested in
the case. He called his detective force
into service, and they went to work on the
case. It was ascertained that such a man
had resided in st. Paul, and that he had
with him a child. With this clue to work
on he was traced from here to st. Peter,
where it was learned that one Smith had
lived in the town q short time a
few years ago, and that the child
he brought with him had been legally
adopted by former citizen of the place
named Felix Cardinal, telling the latter
that it was the orphan child of his sister
and brother. Shortly afterwards Smith
disappeared, no one knew whittier.
About year ago the Cardinal family
moved to Chippewa Falls, and thither the
detectives went in search OF the child
which was found alive and well, and which
was loved by the Cardinals as one of their
own children. Word was sent to DR..
Riddell and the mother, and last
Monday they started for Chippewa Falls,
the Joy that filled the mothers heart being
such as to beggar description. Imagine
then the meeting Of mother and
child; the latter of course did not realize
the situation nor recognize its mother, but
the eye witnesses to the affair say that it
was one of the most touching scenes ever
witnessed.
But the trouble was not over yet; the
Cardinal family did not want to part
with the Guild whom they had regarded
and loved as their own. On the other
hand there was the mothers love and
longing which had hoped, prayed and
worked for this supreme moment for
years.
At first Mr.. Cardinal refused to give
him up; then it was shown that
he could be taken by g
writ of habeas corpus and that the papers
of adoption were based on fraud. Finally
they agreed to give it up on payment of
800, which was sent by DR.. Riddell, and
the happy transfer was made yesterday.
The mother, child and lady friend are
expected in st. Paul to-day. DR.. Riddell
has started subscription to pay the 500
he so generously paid out and the oontri-
button should be Spontaneous.