Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-12-19

A Trnant Wife's Reiurn-Many
Years of suffering and Repent
ance-ElOpement, Divorce aud
Reconciliation.


the death notices in & local paper OF q
southern county in this State, on Fri.
day last appeared the following;
TINER-On the 9Th inst. Of pneumonia'A.
/ s. Timer, aged Al years.
/ TIMER On the 5th inst, Of scarlet fever, |
kla Ne, only child Of A. :. ana Elaa u
TIMER On the On inst. Eliza 9. Timer,
wife Of the late A. 5. Timer.
Sixteen years ago AMI ). Timer
was we'll to do miller 10 village in
Southern Pennsylvania, near the State
line, Uri Gates was prosperous mer-
chant in the same village. DE was q
widower with one child, a daughter,
named Eliza. George Mills was D
clerk in Gates store. lie was hand
some young Soptherner, and claimed
/ to be member Of family who had
been ruined by the war. Miss Gates
fell in lovo vita him, aud be proiessed
to reciprocate the attachment, Mr..
Gates. however, did not approve Of
this intimacy, aud refused 10 consent
TO the marriage OF his daughter with
| his clerk. Miller Timer had been a
sutton for the girls hand for year or
more, and the father favored his suit
Miss Gates persisted in her refusal to
accept his hand although she acknowl'
edged that she was proud Of bis offer
and held him in the highest regard,
Her father at last asserted bis parental
authority, and Timer and Miss Gates
we're married in 1867. On their we'd
ding tour they stopped some days with
relatives of the bridegroom in this
city, from whom these particulars are
obtained. They returned home in
! October. A few days alterward Mrs.
Timer received letter which she said
informed her Of the dangerous illness
OF young schoolmate Of hers in
neighboriDg town who was anxious to
see her. She said she would visit the
schOolmate, aud left home ostensibly
for that purpose. The next morning
Mr.. Gates went to bis store at the usual
hour. He found it closed 1t had
always been opened by the clerk at 7
o'clock. Inquiry was made At young
Mills clearinghouse. He had not
been there since he ate supper the
night before. No trace Of him could
be found in the village. 1t was not
suspected for two days that his disap.
pearance was in any way connected
with the absence Of Mrs Timer. Then
the husband became suspicious He
went to the town where his wife said
she was going to visit her sick school
mate. She had not been there. A
; couple answering the description Of
Mills and Mrs. Timer we're traced as
far as Wheeling, w. Va, and there
/ all trace of them was lost
In 1870 old Mr.. Gates died leaving
an eEtate valued at $4,000. This he
bequeathed to his son-in law His
runaway daughter was not forgotten
E 10 his will. One provision in it d.
7 rected the deserted husband to devote
s two years to searching for his unfsith
4 full wife If she was found apart from
s George Mills, 10 needy circumstances
}. she was to be paid 500 in equal
/, weekly installments, bit must not b.
q informed OF its source. II she was il
& the company Of Mills the estate wa
e not to be used in her aid, no mattel
| how destitute her circumstances nigh
d be. Ifshe was not 10 the company o
Ie Mills, and returned voluntarily AM
5, repentant TO her native place belor
IN the end OF one year after she wa
Is found, she was to be provided with
d suitable home and paid SIG week GU
Z. Of the estate; otherwise all payment
TO her were to cease, and she was pro
hibited from making any claim upo
r the estate.
Mr.. Timer searched for his wife i
all parts of the country until 1877
\, without success. Then he procured
" divorce from her and married agaiI
His second wife died 10 1875, leavin
two children, who we're twins. Oh
Mr.. Gates had named as executors Q
bis estate his cousin, NJ A. Pool, an
be his son in law, Timer. In the summe
90 Of 1871 Mr. Pool, as one Of the exeeu
u u tors, was given letter a
he the village pOstofice, address
he ed in a womans hanC
IL and postmaTked at Litchfeld, MinI
to The letter was opened. 1t was froI
We Gates runaway daughter. Sh
a a. begged to be permitted toreturn hom
n to her father. Ii recited a touchin
=, story Of wretchedness and SUFFERING
te and declared that, while she wa
aware that she had committed a gres
Of wrong. she was not the guilty perso
y they doubtless believed her to b,
N The elOpement had been arranged th
N day before she went away. She We
" TO proceed at once TO Indiana and prC
cd cure q divorce from her husband, whe
be she aud Mills we're to marry. A
" Wheeling he besought hor to give U
10 that idea and 60 on with him to 5
- Louis. This she refused to do, an
y. she went to Lafayette, Ind. He wei
n South. She procured a divorC
TO through lawyer named Bowditcl
IN She had $3.50, of which Mills ha
nd given her 1910 She Joined him
y Central City, Col, where they wei
~ married by the Rev Mr.. Witches
~ For a year they livel happily. Mil
az made a great deal Of money by suppl
Is ing stores to miners. Then he ie
TO- into the habit Of gambling. 4
on squandered his money and bega
'cI treating his wife with neglect az
", cruelty. He Lost his business AZ
ID they moved to Utah. There Mil
lse got a position as clerk ia slor
IT After few months be left that pos
Of ton and they went to Salt Lake Git
~, In partnership with man name
az ~ 0lney, Wills started a faro bank, az
later a house OF i'll fame. The
they conducted year, but we're final
~ compelled to close them up. Tn,
Mills aud Olney opened small gar
:. bling establishment 10 another part
"s the city. Mills was nov lost to {
shame. Claiming TO have Joined Il
Mormons, he brought a woman
called his wife to their house, and i
raj stalled her in the place Of the womt
sci who had given up her all for him.
on few days later he brought home st
'ut another wife to bis house.
10 Thea the writer Of the letter a
H., IL from his house. This was 10 1g7
he She succeeded in reaching Denv,
Iry working her way 10 various placl
he In Denver she obtained a position
all dining room girl in the City Hot
ng She remained there until July, l8I
20. when she read in a San Francis
he paper Of the killing Of George Mills
raj another gambler during q quarrel
es. the summer OF 1873 she became wa
or. ing maid to on English lady, who "
one Of party Of tourists. She "
r. r. with the party until the spring Of lSI
Ibe when they returned to Denver. Fro
'ey there she made her way east, and
AZ ST. Louis fell III with fever, ghi
by kept her confined for three mont
in and consumed all her savings. III
"a. nas compelled her TO 80 into service aga
,ne and she was engaged by young Nj
III Van Alta, Of Morristown, N. j.,
accompany her TO Minnesota, whe
apt she was to join her husband. NJ