West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1884-12-12

deal. Something moro than year aco
he visited Meridian and stopped At the
principal hotel of the place. which is
owned and operated by Mr.. l.. A. Rags
dale, who is also n wealthy and leading
citizen of that place. MIR. Hewlett be-
came acquainted with Mr.. Ragsdalc's
family, which consisted of his wife. son
and very pretty daughter. who. al
though but 6ttscG years old. was devel-
Orci far beyond her age 4 friendship
Sprang up between the young people,
which soon ripened into love, but Mir
RagSdale objected TO the match on the
score of his daughters youth, and after
frank discussion il was agreed that
they should at least wal, until the young
lady had completed her education.
Mr.. Hewlett was called away from
Meridian on business, but returned be-
fore the father had completed the ar
rangemcntS TO send his daughter TO a
boarding at Stauuton, Va. Be
fore Miss Ragsdale was ready to start
Mr.. Hewlett was again called TO New
Orleans on business, and Mrs. Ragsdaie
went to Hot Springs, Ark, to be treat
ed for rheumatism Mr.. Hewlett wrote
To his sweetheart after his arrival i'm
New Orleans, and received n reply stat
ing that her father would take her to
the school at Stauuton i'm few DAYS.
MIR Hewlett replied, but waited i'm vain
for an answer, and finally. becoming
alarmed. he wrote to friend i'm Merid-
ian inquiring what had become of Miss
Ragsdalc. The reply was that father
and daughter had left Meridian for
Staunton. ~
Acting on that information Mr. Hew,
lett wrote TO Miss Ragsdale at Staun-
ton, but failing to get reply ascer-
tanned by inquiry from the faculty that
she was not there. lie again wrote TO
his friend, and after some delay the lat
ter informed him that he had seen let
ter from Oxford, o., addressed To Mr.,
kagsdale, and bearing the business card
of DR. Moss, the Superintendent of
private insane asylum in that place.
The distracted lover did not know
what course to pursue at first, and con
| sumcd valuable time i'm asccrtaining
positively the whereabouts of his miss
ing sweetheart, and also in discovering
where her mother had gone He final
ly verified his suspicious by means of
an intercepted letter from the insane
asylum. and about the same time heard
| that Mrs Ragsdalc was i'm Hot Springs.
lie at once tclegraphed TO the mother,
who hurried To Oxford and managed to
abduct her daughter from the asylum,
and got her 10 Cincinnati. where Mr.
Hewlett had arranged 10 meet them
But unfortunately DR.. Moss ascertained
the whereabouts of the mother and
daughter, and getting possession OF
Miss RagSdolc, carried her back TO the
asylum despite her protests. even threat
ening to have Mrs Ragsdale incarcerat-
ed also.
As soon as Mr.. Hewlett arrived in
Cincinnati able lawyers were employed,
and Miss Hewlett was released on
writ of habeaS corpus. Mr.. Ragsdalc
and several acquaintanccs of the family
were summoned as witnesses, and be-
fore court of lunatico de inquircndo, il
was clearly proved that the young lady's
mind was perfectly sane.
The affair created II great local sensa-
ton at Oxford. and resulted i'm an order
being issued that the Insane Commis-
sioners should visit all private asy-
lums four times year for the
purpose Of investigation, without
warning tive Supcrintcndcnts Of their
intentions. Mr. Ragsdalc admitted
that he did not believe his daughter in
sane, but would give no reason for in
generating her in the asylum. The
same Court of Inquiry gave the custody
Of Miss Ragsdalc to her mother, declar-
ing that Mr.. Ragsdale was not "a fit
person to have charge of her The
| father finally consented TO the marriage
of Mr.. Hewlett and his daughter, but
declined to be present at the ceremony.
and after the trial went TO New York 10
attend to some business, while the moth
er, daughter and Mr. Hewlett came to
this city, where they determined to have
the marriage occur
1t is said that the joint property
Of Mr.. and Mrs. Ragsdale amounts 10
100000 Mrs. Ragsdalc told report
er last evening that she thought her
husband had behaved as he did i'm or
der TO force her to accede 10 propo-
sition Of his concerning the disposal OF
some property She said, moreover,
that her husband had been an excellent
business manager but that he had
stroke Of paralysis about six years ago,
and that at times he had acted very
strangely. y.- LOUt8UiHe Courier-JournaL