The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1884-02-21
JlMES MATTHEW'S IIE.tRD
FROtN.

Il Elacknailing Scheme Of q Desperate
Woman-BecouSe he ,coul,i not send
her Tickets to Dtnrer.
The Rock County Herald last week
published the following letter from
Jas. Matthews, of the n. Y. Chil;!ren's
Aid Society, in his own defence. AS
anticipated in the ADVANCE Il few
weeks ago, lie seems to he the victim of
desperate scheme ut black mailing:
NEW York, Jan. 3lst, 1851.
DEAR SIR:-I find in your issue of
the 25th inst, All article which calls for
notice since You say that 80 far as we
know he (Mr. MAJ tliews, has offered no
reply to the accusations made against
him" How could 1, us the ACQUISITION
was only made six days before?
thank you for yonr manly sugges-
tions THAT the public should withhold
judgment in the matter until Mr.. Mat.
theWs can he heard in his own defense. "
My defense is brief. The whole affair
bearing, rs it does, on its face its own
indictment,i is the attempt Of y desperate
woman to meet and overcome tie
charges of her husband. lido not know,
or care to know, sDr. Wood, but he
seems to have the confidence of the
community, as the court granted his re-
quest in short order.
have only to say that the woman in
question came to our society well re-
commended. Her father WAS = former
patron, and being now in reduced Cir
cumstnces, q request had been made
that we should find homes for her three
children. She then volunteered to ac-
company company to assist in feeding
and caring for them, Ell route. and then
to seek a position for herself. It is
not unusual to grant persons this privi-
lege, and she seemed in all respects 4
proper. modest woman. The work was
done openly. She travelled on her own
| name, and when Il position was obtain
ed for her in Chicago, she was left at
the hotel where OEr agents always put
up. registered in his own name, as Rev
5. z. Marsh, of Rock Rapid. can testi-
fy, for the only night spent i'm Chicago
on my return from Luverne he slept in
the same room with me. left the next
day for New York and have never seen
the woman since. Some time ago, how
ever, a letter came from Mrs. Shrau-
mann asking ii WE could send her tickets
for herself and three children from
Sioux City to New York. This was
! the first intimation had received that
she was there. l referred the letter to
our treasuser l.. w. Halste, who knew
OF her going west with the company,
and asked it he had sent the children.
He said "no.:' A post office order
accompanied the request. At our treas
| urer's suggestion took the letter to
the railroad office where we do our
business, and obtained tickets for her ut
reduced rates and sent them. A few
days ago her father came to the office
and said that he was at Sioux City
when the tickets came aud had used
them TO bring the children. home. lie
then told me that his daughter was
married, that her husband had ILL., treat.
ed her, and that he had gone to see
about it. He, (the husband) had tried
to get money-6rst. $4,000, then re.
duced it to $4,000, and that finally lie
and his wife had agreed to separate.
He had the bill of separation signed by
both, in which both promise to bring
no charges against the other. In all
this my name was not mentioned. The
charge was .'cruel and inhulnan treat.
ment.'' But two days afterward came
a letter asking for tickets to Denver
and Threatening me unless I sent them
I answered sharply that the society
would do nothing, and / certainly would