Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-04-17
ELopEMENr AND DIVORCE.
Ex-Governor Hubbard's Daughter Freed
from Her Husband
Hartford Comm Snlnio

Ex-Governor Hubbard's Daughter Freed
from Her Husband.
Hartford Gonna Special.
The sequel to the elopement of Miss Nell
lie Hubbard, the youngest daughter of ex-
Governor Hubbard, and her marriage to
her fathers coachman, Frederick Shep.
ard, four years ago, has just been made
known to her friends here, who learned
ior the nrst time to-day that Mrs. Shepard
nad secured divorce from her husband.
Inc story of Miss Hubbard's hastv action.
IN decelving her father and marrying a
man so far beneath her, not only in the
social but in the intellectual scale, has
| had the ending which such stories gene
| rally do haVe-repentance at leisure
for what was done in haste. Miss
Hubbard, who was at the time a young
girl scarcely Is years of age, was secretly
married to Shepard at Westfield, Mass,
on March II, 1879, while her fathers fami-
ly were absent from Hartford. Shepard.
who was about 30 years old, had acted as
coachman for eX-GOv. Hubbard for about
year and half. So far as his character
went, very little could be urged against
him, except that he had formerly been a
hackman, a fact from which it was argued
that he must have been accustomed to as
s0clate with characters of doubtful NOR
allty. He was a young fellow of good
address, and did not drink or swear, but
he was very illiterate. Miss Nellie under
took to teach him to read and write, and
while engaged in this laudable effort to
benefit his condition she lost,
or imagined that she lost
her heart. The fact of the marriage
was not made known to eX-Gov. Hubbard
until March %, eleven days after the cere-
mony, when the marriage certificate was
sent to him by the grOom's parents. His
daughter was preparing to leave the house
to join her husband when this document
was placed in his hands. The heart-brO-
ken father confronted her with the GER
tificate, and she then candidly acknowl-
edged that she was married to Shepard,
declared, with the enthusiasm OF q WO-
man in love, that her husband was fully
worthy of her, and left the house to join
him despite the attempts of the grief
stricken father to restrain her. From
that time to this Nellie's name, it is said.
has been a forbidden word in the house
hold of eX-GoY. Hubbard. The old
gentleman disOwned the girl who had
hitherto been his favOrite child. and posi-
lively refused to receive any communica-
ton from either her or her husband.
After the sensation created by her mar
riage had died away, Mrs. Shepard fell
quietly out of sight of her former aristO-
cratic friends, and she would have been
almost forgotten but for her proceedings
to secure divorce, which have once
more revived the memory of her romantic
marriage. After the wedding the couple
remained in this city for about two years.
For few days they kept themselves per-
fectly secluded, and Shepard feared to
show himself in public lest he should be
assaulted by his former master and father
in-law, but finally finding that the eX-'
Governor took no more notice of
him than if he were dead he secured
a clerkship in n Hartford shoe store
where he worked faithfully. His young
wife had plenty of money at the time, some
that was hers in her own right, and more
1t is said, from the ready purse of her
heartbrOken mother, who, while bowling
meekly to the wilIO her husband, could
not suppress all love for her darling child.
The couple lived very happily for time.
and child was born to them, girl, to
cement their union. About two years ago
they removed to New Haven, where Shep-
ard started large livery stable in State
street with money furnished by his wife
and her friends. The stable is connected
with large hotel, and yields. quite a reve-
nue. to Shepard, who is still running it.
They engaged coy cottage in pleas
ant street, and here for time all went
well. But the domestic peace was
to be shattered in New Haven. Mrs.
Shepard became tired of her unlettered
husband, and they began to find that their
tastes in almost everything ran in counter
directions. Shepard attended strictly to
his business, and Mrs. Shepard, who was
not received with open arms by New
Haven society, showed her contempt of
the fashionable world, of which she had
formerly been a belle, by purchasing a
dOg-cart and handsome pony, with which
she appeared in the streets, elegantly at
tired, on every pleasant day. The beauti-
full woman naturally attracted admirers
and among them one is said to be an aged
and wealthy manufacturer of New Haven,
and another a millionaire of New York,
who trequents the Turf Club i'll that city.
Shepard became jealous of his wife, with
or without cause, and the result was that
the two separated several months ago and
have not lived together since.
When the breach occurred Shepard
went to live at hotel, and his WHERE
manned in the cottage with her child. The
husband called frequently to see his
child, and on such occasions Mrs. Shep-
ard left the two together. Some four
months ago she gave up her cottage and
went to live III the Selden House at
New Haven. The breach between her and
her husband was constantly widening, al
though it was very apparent that Shepard
still idOlized his wife. Some three months
since when the rumor that she was about
to seek for divorce was first spread, q
friend of Shepard's spoke to him on the
said that he had always been true to her,
and should always love her devOtedly. He
acted like a child that was being pun
ished, refused to believe that his wife
would ask for Il divorce, and seemed to be
confident that she would ultimately re-
turn to live with him.
Mrs. Shepard's lawyer in moving for the
divorce was l.. n. BlYdenburg, who fig
ured as the counsel for the Malley BOYS in
their trial for the murder of Jennie era
mer. The cause for which the divorce
was granted is said to be abandon
ment, Shepard making no counter
charges. Great efforts have been
made to keep the fact that di-
vOrce has been granted secret in Con-
necticut, the lawyers and the Judge
doing all in their power to conceal the
record from the public. 1t is thought by
some that Mrs. Shepard, having disem-
barrassed herself of her plebeian husband,
will be welcomed back to her fathers
house, but the general opinion is that eX-
Gov. Hubbard will never recall the denun-
citation which he pronounced against his
daughter four years ago.