The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-07
UNHAPPY MRS. STElNRIEDE.
She Gives Herself Up to the Police, and Tells
Her Version Of the Story.
Chicago Inter Ocean

ABOUT o clock yesterday afternoon a woman
stepped up to Detective Smith, who was stand
ing in the Washington-street entrance of the
City Hall, and asked him his name. On being
satisfied on that point, the woman inquired
whether he was detective. Being answered in
the Affirmative, she said 81 am Mrs Steinriede,
wife of DIR. Steinriede, of Memphis, and you
have been looking for me-" True enough, De-
tective Smith and good many other people be-
sides, had been inquiring quite anxiously for
Mrs. Annie Josephine Steinriede, who was said
to have eloped with her husbands valet just
at that time Mr.. William A. Pinkerton crossed
the street, and seeing the lady speaking
| with Detective Smith, had word to say. In his
pockets were several letters from DR.. Steinrede,
| one of which had been received about
noon, asking him to employ every means to dis
cover the whereabouts of his wife, and beg her
| to come home. The lady thought she had better
| put herself under the charge of the regular
| police here especially when she had given her.
| self up to one Of the officers. She was taken in
| to see Chief Doyle and a telegram was sent her
| husband stating she was ready to go home.
| Last night Mrs. Steinriede was seen in the
| witness cell at the Armory police station She
appears to be about thirty years of age but care
| and her unhappy married life have added the
| marks of five years she has never seen. Her
hair is black and long, falling over an intel
| lectual brow in negligent waves. The thin, wan
face is still handscme but the glory of her
beauty is in her eyes, which are large and dark,
| and kindly, ever ready to show the owners Joy
at a friends happiness fill with tears
| should the same friend meet with misfortune.
| Her speech was low, and the voice was unusu-
| ally sweet particularly when she spoke of her
two little children. The woman told her story
| as follows:
| II left my husband because of his crueltes to
me; he has often beaten me, and threatened to
kill me, and the day before | left he hit me on
the head with his revolver He had been guilty
| of worse crime than that, and he made no
| secret of it to me- Such were the indignities
he subjected me to that my little son, only ten
papa, don't whip mamma So. My father was
! killed at Atlanta, and shortly after my mother
| died of broken heart. 1 went to live with
| my grandmother near YaZoo City Miss, and at
| had son as old as I was. He worked upon
| my grandmothers plantations, and when
! his wife died [ was forced to marry
him. I was then only fifteen, and had no
idea.of the ways of the world. We were only
week married when he began to abuse
me, and he had been doing SO until the
| very day I left him. Oftertimes at night when
he beat me so l could not stand 1t any longer,
| would run away, and GO to my grandmother,
| but always went back to him. His treatment
| to Memphis, but before going there he promised
| faithfully to give up drinking and to act like a
| kind husband to me. He had become wealthy
| with the money he had received from my grand
mother, and had quite good practice in Yazoo
| City. Three months before I left him he moved
| to Memphis. but even there he abused me.
| don't know why: he must have been jealous of
me. On one occasion ne attempted to cut my
throat, and caught his hsnds. Here are still
| the marks where he cut me on the arms" and
Mrs. Steinriede barred her arms to the elbows,
disclosing some terrible scars
what about the colored man with whom you
were said to have elopedl" asked the reporter.
| II did not run away with him. WHY he was
| but boy. He was born my erandmothers
plantation, and we took him with us to Memphis.
| He was not our coachman, because we didn't
have any coach or horses, although my husband
was well off, owning sc. 900 acres of wild land in
| Mississippi. | could not stand my husbands
treatment any longer, and so left had on q
| gold watch and chain, worth 1920; those l sold
! to a grocer for $40 and with that money
l bought ticket for st. Louis, but ] got
on the wrong train and arrived in Spring
| field l had started out to make an
honest living-an honorable living. I stayed
at Springfield but short time and went to ST.
| Louis where pawned my velvet dress and bon
| net. buying a secondhand suit of coarser mate
rial. had been at st. Louis two days when
met the colored boy, who said he had to leave
| Memphis because he was afraid his master would
| kill him, thinking he was intimate with me. But
| wasn't and God knows l had been a true and
| faithful wife to my husband, / asked John
| Irwin about my poor little children, and he told
me of their sorrow at their mothers disappear
ance / didn't know where to 60 when at ST.
| Louis and couldn't get any employment. Irwin
said he had some friends at Chicago, and we
| came here. I went with him to his mothers
| house on Third avenue. and all that night sat
and cried. I have been trying to get work in
Chicago, but things are dreadful hard here. I've
been rebuffed again and again, and have had to
wash dishes and scour floors to get enough to
eat. 1t was the memory OF my little children
that made me give myself up, and will go back
South, and for their sake will go upon my knees
and beg my husbands pardon for my fault"
Late last night dispatch was received from
Dr. Steinriede saying he would send money
Immediately to pay for her transportation home.
The funds will arrive to-day, and before night
the woman will have left the town.
Detective Smith is the track of John Irwin,
and there is q probability of his being brought
in before long. 1t was said the woman had lived
with him for some time, but this she emphatic
ally denies.