Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-03-22
Instantaneous.
ssfhe PIend Wife.

Among other stories OF real lie winch 1
have heard told at the capital, one of the
strongest was of widow in Virginia. who
was left with several children. among
them a very beautiful daughter about 10
years of age. The widow. finding her
self embarrassed. opened boarding house
at the country seat and among her board
ers was a Mr. W., wealthy merchant
over 40 years old but very fine looking
gentleman. This gentleman was the prop
and stay of the family; gave employment
to the sons. educated the daughter at
fashionable academy, and. very natural,
ly. on her return fell desperately in love
with her, when he should have preferred
the mother. He pressed his suit with
perseverance. but the beautiful Mildred
resisted his appeals and the opportunities
of all her friends. Finally. however, after
two years of assiduity and delicate gallan-
try. on the part of Mr.. W.. and the COM
bined tears, entreaties. threats and perse-
cution of her family. the fair girl relunct-
antly stoodbefore the altar and became his
wife. The next evening a large party
was given them but in the midst of 1t MIR.
W., being attacked with vertigo and sick
headache, was compelled to withdraw.
His young wife hung over him in the si-
lent watches of night, apparently in deep
distress, and insisted on giving him pQ-
tion she poured out a wineglassful of
laudanum, and he swallowed it uncon-
scious of its nature. 1t acted as an emetic,
but left him stupid and wandering. His
senses reeled. One moment he lay mo-
tionless as if on the brink of the spirit
world, and the next he. would leap up
cOnvulsively strong man in his agony.
Mrs. w. denied all admission into his
chamber. At length he fell into deep
sleep. She then stopped for moment
over the moldering embers, approached
the bed, gazed at her sleeping husband,
and holding heated ladle in her hand at
tempted to pour stream of melted lead
in his ear She trembed and the Kissing
liquid, intended to scald the brain and thus
kill without a trace, fell upon his cheek.
He shrieked in circulating torture and
the jewellers in the adjoining saloon rushed
into the chamber.
There writhed the still stupid husband,
the lead still riveted deep into his cheek,
and there stood the tiend-wife, her bridal
fillets yet upon her brow the instrument of
death IN her hand and an empty vial, Ia
belled laudanum, lying on the floor The
iiul tCdiitiCo Va tllC CdusC AdSuCu upOu
every one, and, in the confusion of the mo-
ment, she was hurried away and taken to
distant State. On searching the apart
ments, an old magazine was found con
tanning the confession of woman who
had murdered five husbands by pouring
lead into their ears. The laudanum and
the lead. it was ascertained, she procured
from the store of Mr.. W., a few days be-
fore the marriage, and the ladle was part
of his wedding gift. The grand jury next
morning found bill against the fugitive,
and the Legislature. being in session forth
with decreed an absolute divorce. What
rendered this case more extraordinary
was, that Miss T. was proverbial for the
blandness OF her manners and uniform
sweetness of disposition. The sequel of
this romance is yet more singular. Years
rolled away and w. continued a wretched
and solitary man but the spell of the en-
chantress was still upon his soul: He
closed his store, sold his estate. collected
his ample means and traced her to her dis
tant retreat, to make new offer of his
hand. She had just married gentleman
of high standing, acquainted with all the
details of her career, shuddered at the
tragedy, but incapable of resisting her
charms. Poor W.! Then, indeed, did the
iron enter his soul. 1.-The deadly arrow
quivered in his side" His early love, his
Auctuating courtship. his marriage and
the catastrophe. the flight. the divorce, his
years of misery, the new birth of his pas
sion and now his disappointment. final
and forever, came crushing over him like
an iceberg in the tide of bitter memories,
and he prayed for death. - From, Ben
Perley PoOre's "reminiscences.