The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-07-13
A NOBLE VAGRANT.

Port Jervis, N. Y, Letter,

Port Jervis, N. Y. Letter.
A romance in real life has Just come to
light in this town. A woman, apparently
about forty-three years Of age, stability
dressed ard feeble, has been seen on the
streets for several days She slept every
night in the police station, where she gave
the name OF Elizabeth Benjamin, and said
she was born IN Stafordshre, England. Yes
terday she disappeared and turned up in
Middleton, thirty-eght miles from here.
Inquiry develops the fact that she is on her
way to New York and that she has walked
nearly all the way from San Francisco
Mrs. Benjamin has had a most wonderful
and romantic career. She was born near
Merthyr Tydvil, in Wales, and was the
daughter of Sir Edward Harcourt, at one
time one of the most brilliant young English
orators. Her mother was a variety actress,
who lived in Wales to escape the prosecutions
OF Sir Edwards family, who opposed his mes
alliance. When the babe was born she was
christened Pauline Elizabeth Harcourt. She
was given all the advantages of a superior
EDUCATION, and early in life evinced great
poetical genius, some of her poems composed
when she was fourteen, having appeared in
the leading magazines of Great Britain. Her
mother was a direct descendant of Sir Philip
Francis, who is believed to have been the
author of the celebrated political essays which
startled all England from 1869 to 1777, and
which were signed Junius
When she was but seventeen years of age
Miss Pauline met at Swansea, where she was
visiting some young friends and writing
poetry descriptive of the coast of Wales, Mr..
Walter Z. Benjamin, nephew of Judah z.
Benjamin. at one time treasurer of the Con-
federate States of America The young man,
w WAS a Nv rth
handsome and clever, but, unfortunately,
poor. Pauline felt that she loved him so
deeply she could marry no one but him.
Her father died while she was at Swansea,
and she was summoned by telegraph to Mer-
thyr Tydvil. Young Benjamin, who was but
twenty-five, followed her there and con-
trived to see her occasionally. Finally the
young lady's mother learned of these stolen
interviews and a terrible scene ensued.
Pauline begged to be allowed to marry her
American sweetheart, but her mother re-
manned firm and finally sent her to st. An
drew's, in Scotland, to school.
BY means of prearranged signals the young
lady, previous to leaving home, managed to
inform her lover whittier she was going.
Young Benjamin found it convenient to
visit St. Andrews frequently, and, in 1860,
they were married on Pauline's twentieth
birthday. When Lady Harcourt heard the
news of her daughters secret marriage, and
learned that she had fled from the school at
st. Andrews she was stricken with paralysis,
and died shortly afterward Young Benja-
min came to the United States at once upon
hearing of the rebellion, and enlisted in the
Confederate navy, where he remained until
the close of the war. He then specialized in
cotton, made considerable money, and started
by water for California, accompanied by
his wife in, 1870. They had one child, who
died on the voyage to the isthmus. They
were delayed in leaving Aspinwall, aud Pau
line and her husband were both stricken
with a terrible fever, which resulted in the
death of Mr.. Benjamin and left Mrs. Benja-
min very weak.
Her husband was buried at sea. Mrs. Ben
jamins weak nerves gave way, and for days
she raved, and when the ship reached San
Francisco she was placed in the hands of the
authorities there. Her reason was partly de-
stroyed, and for six years she remained in
California. She then made her escape and
walked the entire distance to Virginia City,
New, where she remained several months.
She was lost sight OF there in 1877 and was
next heard of at Corinne, U. T., a small place
on the Union Pacific Railroad. In the fall
of 1873 she commenced tramping through
Wyoming When near the site of the Custer
massacre, along Wind river, she was cap
tured by band of Indians, of what tribe she
does not remember, although her description
of their life and habits is very accurate, and
proves that her story is true one. The In
home of her pale-face friends, gave her some
dried meat, and started her on her way re-
joicing.
From Fort Reno, Wyoming Territory, to
Fort Pierre, in Dakota she was in company
with some soldiers coming East. and in 1879
she came from Fort Pierre to Yankton. and
thence by rail to Omaha. From there she
followed the track of the Chicago, Burling-
ton & Quincy railroad in Decline across the
State of Iowa to Burlington, from where she
made her way to Peoria, III. She remained
there few months in the care of the poor
authorities, and then, having become rested,
she again began her tramp eastward, bring
ing up at the great railway center, Fort
Wayne, Ind.
From here sine was fortunate enough to
get ride to Toledo, where the city authori-
ties treated her so badly that she tramped on
to Cleveland, where she found comfortable
quarters and remained until last New Years
day, She began the new year with the reso-
luton to push on to New York without stop
ping. Following the turnpike road she
found herself at length in Clean, n.
Y, from where she rode in an empty
freight car to Hornellsville When
she tried to steal another ride
from Hornellsvelle to Painted Post she was
unfortunate; the car in which she had secret
ed herself was locked and run upon Il side
track and she remained in it, without food
or water, three days until her pounding upon
the side of the car attracted the attention OF
one of the yard men and she WAS released
almost dead. When she reached Elmira she
got a ride on the bumper of the express car,
but one of the sparks from the engine fell
upon her dress and the rapid motion OF the
train famed the spark into n blaze and she
had another narrow escape from death. Her
injuries necessitated her remaining some
weeks at Bnghamton, from where she walk
ed to Port Jervis, arriving here via tie
Delaware and Hudson canal towpath.
She had but sixty miles to tramp from
Middletown, and she hoped to reach New
York in time to catch n steamer for England
on Saturday, July I. She has the key of a
safe deposit vault in New York city, where
she says Her husband had snug sum of
money slowed away enough to take her to
homo in W. nd Icon hnr in