The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-03-08
A NEWSPAPER PERSONAL
Leads to the Development OF q Scrap
Of Family History.
A Cincinnati Lady Claims a North Side
Resident as Her Husband.

In Fridays issue of the Sentinel there APP
peared paragraph stating that an attorney
of this city, while visiting in Cinc:dnati on
Sunday last, received q call from lady,
who came to make inc uiries concerning her
husband, who is residing on North
Tennessee street, this city. The attor-
ney in question was Mr.. RobsTt ". Medkirk,
VINO was seen by Sentinel representative
since the publication of the paragraph al
luded to. and who related story In connec-
ton with the matter which We deem OF suf
fcient importance to warrant reproduction.
Below we give substan TALLY the story as re-
lated by him:
Some two weeks ago Mr.. Medkirk was
reading Cincinnati paper IN the personal
column Of which was an inquiry regarding
the whereabouts OF a gentleman with whom
Nr MedkiIk was we'll acc TAINTED. Thinking
10 benefit the parties he wrote postal card
in answer to the personal, and stated that
the party about whom inquiry was made
was now living on North Tennessee street,
giving the number of the residence, aud
other particulars concerning the individu-
al. letter came in reply, asking
for more definite information, and to this
Mr.. Medkirk responded that he would visit
Cincinnati on Sunday. and if the party
writir desired TO see him he could he found
st a certain hotel. Mr.. Medkirk visited Gin
cinnad and on Sunday morning gentle
mar apparently twenty-six or twenty-seven
years of age called to see him, aud after
lengthy conversation concerning the North
Tennessee street resident he left with the
promise that his mother would call upon
Mr.. Medkirk that afternoon.
The lady was true to the appointment and
Upon entering the room produced photo
graph OF a gentleman. whom Mr.. MedKirk
Immediately recognized as the man about
whom he had written in answer to
the personal in the Cincinnati paper.
/ The lady told her story briefly
/ but canddly. She said the man referred to
was her husband, they having been married
in West Virgins. before the war; Two sons
were the fruits of the union, and when the
south seeded her husband enlisted in the
Federal army. Prior 10 this time he had
Industrious, affectionate and provided well
for bis family; but when he returned from
the war and moved to Cincinnati with his
family, where two more children were born,
he became neglectful and failed utterly to
wel.to do in the world, and upon writing to
them concerning the changed habits OF her
husband they forwarded her money and in
vited her back to the home of her childhood.
Her husband attempted to dissuade her from
returning home, but she refused to live
with him longer until be gave some
substantial evidence Of reformation,
| aud, leaving Cincinnati, she returned to
Virginia The separation took place eight
years ago, and since that time she had he md
nothing of her husband except that he was
dead and this information came in such q
manner as 10 excite her suspicious that he
was still living and was himself the author oil
the report which reached her concerning bis
death. Being convinced bv Mr. Medkirk's
state that her husband was alive and
Lying in this city. she inquired about his
circumstances. as well as about the lady who
far as she knew no divorce had ever been
! granted him, or indeed applied for by either
party, though size confessed that during hel
absence in Virginia applications might have
been made TO the courts and publication
given in the newspapers without her knowl
edge. If he were still her husband aud had
accumulated any property it was her inten
ton to make him contribute of the same &c
the support of her family, but when she
learned that such was not the case she de
clared that she would enter no prosecution
against him. as this would probably cause
trouble to him and his family here without
beneftiDg herself or her children.
The gentleman who called upon Mr.. Med
kirk in the morning was her son, and is en-
gagged in business in Cincinnati. Another
son is editing newspaper in West Virginia
and the two children born since the war,
young lady and bright boy OF ten years
are now with their mother in Cincinnati
Mr.. Medsirk describes the lady as a woman
of intelligence and good breeding, though
she has Careworn expression which indi
Gates that some deep trouble is weighing
unOn her mind