Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-10-24
ACAaEEs or ROMANCE.
xvsvsful Life or . Ksntuckian Who
..,.n ,ne same woman Twice.


The death Of t,abe Tate last night brings
10 mind the romantic career Oh hls llie, Iys
= Henderson (Ky.) telegram 70 the ulooe.
Democrat. Tate was born ana Iassu IN
this county. His father was one Oh Tue
prosperous planters OF dnfe-oeHon" days.
The large tract OF land he owned was IN
Walnut bottom, In the most productive par.
~ this section. He had large number oil
sI,ves. and, better still, large bank ac-
count. Gabe bad grown In an atmos-
,bere Of luxury until Injuries were
common. He had been accustomed
N having his own way and TO
have every want supplied. When his
father died the estate was divided between
him and his sister. Mrs. DR.. J. A. Harding,
vho had gone 10 the home OF her husband,
m Jefferson county, now part OF Louis
vile. Nv. There he met Miss Annie Shot.
veil the daughter OF Colonel A. l.. Shot
we'll A man who was rich in dozen dif-
forcnt WAYS. His steam interest was only
second TO his landed estate, and his COM
mission. business but barely out
stripped bis mining rights. The vast coal
fields Of Union county, now owned Dy
Brown & Jones, the Pittsburgh coal kings,
were his individually. At that time, In
1869, there were only two coal-mlnes ope-
rated on the Ohio river below Pltts-
burgh-tbe one Mt Cannellton, Ind, and
the shotwell mines, in Union county.
So exha,lstless is the supply OF the
coal. aud so superior the quality, tnal
railroad has Just been completed 10 tue
mines from this city. Fabulous fortunes
have been made from the fleets OF coal sent
South from these mines. 1t Is seen by this
what oriental grandeur was in the reach OF
Gabe Tate and Miss Shotwell with their
fortunes when united by marriage at tue
residence Of Colonel ShOtwell, in Louisville.
After marriage Mr.. and Mrs. Tate went to
the Shoiwell mines, where the products OF
thousand miners supplied their wants.
For some wears they lived at the mines, aud
all went well. Two or more children
blessed their union. Mr.. Tate left his
home, and to this date the public do not
know the cause. Surmises were plentiful,
but no knowledge OF the cause was ever
had. II was known that his estate was
gone, but that was Of small importance, Tor
his wife was rich.
Some time after Mr.. Tate left home Mrs.
Tate procured n divorce, and shortly alter
ward married Sam. Churchill, q prosperous
planter, who had lived near the mines, and
with whom che was acquainted during her
married life ut the mines. In the mean time
Andrew Tate, an old. bachelor uncle, bad
died and left his vast estate to Glbe Tate
and his sister. Hugh Tate, another bachelor
uncle, soon died. and added his fortune to
that OF his brother Andrew, for the benefit
OF his nephew and niece Not long after
that Miss Nancy Tate died, and left her IN
creased fortune from her own right and
undivided interests In the estates OF her two
brothers, Andrew aud Hugh, TO Gabe Tate
and his si--t,tr. .nese changes covered
neriod of nearly ten years. Notwithstand-
ING the fact that considerable advertising
had boen done, nothing could be heard OF
Gabe Tate, and he was supposed to be
dead. At last he was heard from at Cairo,
H., and found. Arriving home he FOUND
himself a rich man again. He wrote to his
wife TO send the children to him at Evans
Vile. Ind, as he wanted to see them. she
met him there with the children. shortly
afterward divorce was procured from
Sam Churchill, the second husband, ana
speedily following that divorce was the
marriage OF Gabe Tate to the same woman
who had procured a divorce from hin
| years before. ,
Since then they have lived here most OF
| the time, a handsome suburban home being
| theirs. Mr.. Tate has led a disSipated NE
since first knew him, but was an enemy
only to himself. lie has been the golden
goose for more than one sharp. In his ar
| fluence be was generous to extravaganza,
and hundreds Of poor devils owe night OF
comfort aud good meal to the plentiful
purse Of Gabe Tate. For two or more
wears he has been failing rapidly, and on
last night he died at the residence OF his
sister, Mrs. DR.. Harding, who lives now in
Union county, aud within five miles OF
Shotwell's mines. where his early married
life was passed. His body is now lying at
his residence in this city, and will be in
TERED in Fornwood cemetery tomorrow Of
9 O'Clock \. NJ. Mrs. Tate and her children
| are here. one, TO see the lady IN her qule'
dcmoanor, would never suppose that heI
life was 50 cyentful. She does not appear
10 be over thirty years OF age. until you see
her grown daughter by her side. She Is q
small woman Of the pearl style, being
neither blonde nor brunette.