The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-04-18
ROMANCE AND TRAGEDY.
How Nils Nelson. "A Farm Hand, Won andLost
His Bride.

providence Special.
The singular case of Nils Nelson against
DR.. Welcome Brown, Elcy NJ. Chace and
Hulda Beede was on trial for the second
time in the Supreme Court to-day. The
action is brought by the plaintiff, who claims
$4,000 damages for the enticing away of his
wife, the late Elcy Ann Chace, alternating her
affections from him and harboring her. The
case was heard to-day on the plaintiffs amended
declaration. Its history includes a romantic and
secret courtship, an elopement and marriage, a
separation of man and wife, a terrible suicide, a
sensational coroner's inquest and a series Of
lawsuits.
The romance centres about Nils Nelson, a
simple minded, Uneducated Swede. who worked
rs a farm hand, and Elcy Ann Chacc. the only
daughter of Elcy NJ. Chace and the late Collins
Chace. The Chaces are Quakers, and at the in
ceptiOn Of this affair resided on a little farm just
on the outskirts of the city. After Collins Chace
died Elcy and her mother carried on the farm
work, employing helpers who were recommended
to them as honest and Industrious. those
so engaged was Nelson, the Swede.
In 1880 Nelson became namored OF Elcy, and,
from what he says, the little Quakeress reeipro-
Gated his passion, After a brief courtship con
ducted under the very eyes Of the mother. yet with
out her knowledge. Elcy and her lover agreed to
elope and get married. On the afternoon of Octo-
Der "a, 1880, Elcy, first having senther lover to get
a carriage, invented an excuse to go down into the
city, and, passing along the tortuous road lead
ing TO the main street, met Nelson, who had Sc
49, - ACARc HAo DoSNJ' fINNN'I Ntt @tC'@
to East Providence, where they called upon Rev.
Leverett S. Woodwork, who married them.
The marriage certificate was not delivered to
them at the time, but an arrangement was made
whereby Nelson was to call for it a few days
later.
On the way home Nelson says that his wife
requested him to keep their marriage a secret
for a few weeks. She expected that her family
would be angry because of the step she had
taken. but believed that the cloud would soon be
dlspelled. Three days later Nelson started for
his work in the field, but before quitting the
house had a pleasant interview with his wife.
When he returned at night his wife was gone
from the house. He was discharged from the
farm, and for several weeks lost all
trace of his wifes whereabouts, but in the
latter part of the year learned that she
was stopping with a member of the Friends So
ciety in South Providence, whittier she had been
carried by Huldah Beede, also a Quaker. A writ
of habeas corpus was procured, and the wife was
brought into court. There, to his surprise and
grief, she declared her unwillingness to live with
him, and, asserting her preference to stay with
her then protectors, the court dismissed the writ,
and Nelson sorrowfully left the court.
Shortly afterward Elcy died suddenly, OF poi
son, and the verdict of the coroner's jury was
that she had committed suicide. At the funeral
Nelson was not permitted to attend. Elcy left
a will, in which she gave all her property to her
mother. This will the Swede contested,
but was beaten in the courts. Counsel
Brown, in his opening for the
plaintiff to-day averred that DR.. W. o. Brown,
the family adviser, was the cause of the trouble.
and it is limited that the Doctor himself desired
to marry the girl. Nelson testified TO the facts
of the secret marriage; to Mrs. Chaces anger,
when it was known; to the sending away of
Elcy, and that Huldah Beede. an influential
Quakeress. told him that he and Elcy had better
separate, as Quakers could not marry outside
the church. He said that a few days later DIR.
Brown, who had charge of Mrs. Chace's business
paid him off and told him to quit the country or
he would have him imprisoned.
He also swore to his subsequent efforts to see
his wife, and that he was driven away from the
house at the time of the funeral The minister
who married them swore that Dr.. Brown asked
him to withhold the marriage certificate, and
told him that Nelson had made an indecent as
sault on the girl. Several other witnesses testi
fed to the affectionate conduct Of Elcy Ann and
Nils, and to the fact that after Elcy had been ar
gued with by her mother and others she came to
act as if she was sorry that she had entangled
herself with Nils.
DR.. Palmer, who is a coroner, told the story Of
the sudden death and inquest, and said the stom-
ach showed evidence of the presence of an irri-
tant. There is a difference of opinion as to
whether she died of poison or not, but it is gen
orally believed that she committed suicide. The
defense will begin tomorrow.