The Columbus journal., 1886-08-04
BUCHANANs
Lev Tvo Llvos Were Wrecked b. Chance

md Greatly.
The extract from a Washington letter
20 the Chicago Mesos headed ''Buchan-
ans Tragic Love Story" copied into
the Tribune recently. is called by people
here who claim TO know . mass Of
errors. His love story as told by them
and they assert they have often heard
the particulars from his own lips, and
further that il can be verified by many
still living in Lancaster-is to this
effect: The young lady to whom Mr.
Buchanan vas engaged to be married
was Miss. Anne Coleman of Lancaster.
not of Philadelphia. MI. Buchanan at
this time wa not ''practicing law in .
remote part of Pennsylvania" but was
q member of the Legislature, residing
In Lancaster, next door to the COlemans
in East King street He was . lawyer
by profession. and went to Lancaster
from Franklin county. to study for the
bar when a boy. His engagement to
Miss Coleman was long before he pur.
chased his country-seat Of ''Wheatland."
The Colemans were q quiet, early-go-
ing-to-bed family. and Mr.. Buchanan
was never allowed to see his fiancee
after 9 p. m. The young couple were
accustomed to take regular evening
walks, but it was always required that
the lady be at home by 9. They were
noted throughout the city as the hand
soonest and most affectionate pair the
place could boast
One night. coming from Harrisburg.
the stage was delayed (nO railroads
then), and Mr.. Buchanan did not reach
Lancaster until after 9. Knowing that
he would not ut that hour be permitted
to see Miss Coleman, he called upon q
friend, Mrs jenkins, and accompanied
her sister, Miss Harriet Odds. to Q ball
at the house of Mrs Rosanna Hubley.
The COlemans ofcourse heard of this,
and. being very proud. they felt that an
indignity had been placed upon their
daughter, and insisted that the match
be broken of. The young lady herself
wished to keep faith with her lover,
and was SO much distressed and so un-
willing to accede to the commands of
her parents that she was sent to Phila-
delphia- Mr.. Buchanan never saw her
alive again, nor could he attempt to
communicate with her. for he did not
know where she was. He called ut her
house the morning after the ball, but
was denied admission. and all he could
learn was that she had left the town.
She came to Philadelphia by the stage.
which took nearly two days for the
journey, stopping ove night at Down
fngton Mt what was called the Hallway
House. The same stage in q few days
brought her dead body back. Nj. b.
chanan never doubted that she took
poison and often expressed that belief.
1t was also the general opinion. The
COlemans never spoke to MI. Buchanan
after the ball. even declined further 10
quaintance with those who remained
his friends, and would have prevented
him looking upon the corpse The
woman. however. who prepared the un-
fortunate young lady for her coffin let
him into the house disguised in female
attire at l o'clock in the morning, and
he had the melancholy satisfaction of
seeing once more the features of the girl
beloved so fondly. He is said to have
had the sympathy of everybody in his
deep sorrow. He was greatly affected,
and for two years. in his own words,
Twas scarcely himself" There Is q
probability that this sad experience in
fuenced all his after life. and it is Ger
tain that he eve again thought of
marriage. There were no intercepted
or delayed letters. and the story Of the
broken leg is all imagination.
1t may be worth while adding that
Miss Olds. the innocent cause of all the
trouble. remained single. and that only
about ten years ago she was burned to
death ut her home in Lancaster, her
clothes taking fire at a CRATE -Fhila-
delphia Letter TO NeW York Tribune.