Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-04-19
scANDALlzEo BRETHREN.
EoPement Of sexton william b. Hart and
Mrs. Buckle.

Elopement OF SEXTON william b. Hart and
Mrs. Buckle.
NEE YoRK, April ls.-An Elizabeth Is
agog over the sensational story Of the re-
ported slopement of William B. Hart the
respected and circumspect sexton Of Christ
Episcopal Church, and Mrs. Walker Ruckle,
the dashipg brunette wife of an industrious
carpenter, the former leaving venerable
wife penniless, and taking with him his last
months salary of $50.
As the gossip5 have the story the pair
came to this city on the 7th inst and regis
tered st the Grand Central Hotel as man
and wife, stopping over night and leaving
next morning on railway train for the far
West. Hart Is fine looking man, forty
eight years old, above medium stature, with
heavy black beard, and very dark, piercing
eyes. He was looked up to BY the church
people as most excellent good
man, in whom there was no
guile, and it was thought he would
be the last person in town who would elope
with gay woman. Mrs Hart, 9 lady with
white hair and evidently on the shady side
of fifty years, can scarcely believe that her
husband has gone of with Mrs. Ruckls, and
to-day told q reporter that she had no eyi-
deRce Of it, but said he had left home un-
expeetedly taking vslise full OF clean
clothes, and the next day she received let
ter postmsrked from this city, and spprais-
ing her that he had gone to Dakota to enter
the employment of a Mr.. Haryele at S85
month, but he did not say what part Of that
vast territory he was going to. He prom
ised to return in six months and said he
would send his wife some money. For four
years Hart had been the faithful sexton of
cosey little Episcopal church on East Scott
place, and for twenty-five years he had lived
with his wife, with scarcely family jar in
all that time He was military man, and
wore the badge Of Eizabeths crack COM
pany, c.
Had No Suspicious.
He was the last man thought would
run off with another mans wife, said an
old citizen of Elizabeth this afternoon; but
Ruckle says ne has gone with Mrs. T., and
1t looks that way
TIE home of Hart is on Washington
street, in a modest frame house, where his
only daughter and her husband lived with
Mrs. Hart.
Ruckle missed his wife the day Hart left
Elizabeth, and openly reported that he be-
heved the two had left together. Mrs.
Ruckle, who had been a Miss Davis, of
Newark, is a tall brunette of lively disposl-
ton, and is yoluble tslker. Her father
married sister of Hart, and the Harts
called her their niece She visited the
Hart house frequently during the past year
and accompanied Hart to Christ Church,
but nothing OF suspicious character De-
tween them was observed.
The House Rausacked.
When Mrs. Ruckle left the house on
Union place she took such portion ofthe house
hold Effects as she could pack in two large
trunks. Her husband returned in the even
ing to find the house in condition that re-
minded him of q ransack. Ruckle said
that he was not sorry that she had gone,
and will appeal to the courts for q divorce,
but he proposes to settle" with Hart, what
ever that means. The Ruckles have no
children. Friends of the husband say he is
an in ustrious man, and declare that he Is
well lid Of his wife, whose reputation is not
of the best.