Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-11-29

Their euoCGS COutAAucu w A0SS "
other papers by which their relatives
or friends could be ascertained. and
the name of Claridge was probably
an assumed one. A small sum OF
money found upon the man was
barely sufficient to give them de-
cent burial, and the whole affair must
ever remain enshrouded in the deepest
mystery.
In the fall of 1843 there registered at
one of the principal hotels here gen.
tleman of commanding presence and
apparently some forty-five years OF
age. He wrote the name of Daniel
Webster upon the hotel book, but
every one about the house knew that
he was not the famous statesmen. and
it was generally believed tnat the name
was an assumed one. On the second
day after his arrival he crossed the
river to the Canada side, walked into
the rapids above the Horseshoe falls.
and was instantly swept over. The in
quest which followed the finding of his
body few days later developed the
fact that his name was Vandegger and
that he was a resident of Newton Cen
ter, that most beautiful of all the
charming suburbs of Boston. Six
years previously he had fallen in love
with a very beautiful young woman
employed as cashier in fashionable
downtown restaurant of the Hub.
Completely captivated by her charm
ing face and engaging manners
he had married her, though
she was twenty years his junior.
without any investigation of her
antecedents, taking it for granted
that she was all she seemed. Estab-
lished as the mistress of palatial
home in Newton, her husbands
wealth and social position immedi-
ately secured for Mrs. Vandegger an
entrance into the best society, of which
she soon became an acknowledged
leader and belle. Five years passed
away, and then the gossips began to
couple her name unpleasantly with
that of a prominent society man. AS
usual in such cases, the husband was
the last to hear of or suspect any
thing wrong in his wife's conduct. He
might have always continued in total
ignorance of her real character and
history had he not been enlightened in
a very sensational and romantic man
ner. Mrs. Vandegger's cher ami found
that lady's attractions palling upon
him after a time, and sought fresh
fields and pastures new in the person
of a dashing young widow. He'll has
no fury like a woman scorned, and
Mrs. Vandegger determined to have
revenge. One night, when she had
been out for the ostensible purpose of
visiting a neighbor. she rushed into
her husbands house with disheveled
hair and torn and disordered clothing.
loudly declaring that the man in ques-
ton had waylaid and attempted to as
sault her. She foolishly caused his
arrest for this imaginary crime. The
preliminary hearing created an i'm
mense sensation and caused a social
upheaval at the time. Counsel for the
defense proved by unimpeachable wit
nesses. including Boston detective, a
member of the Legislature and a
clergyman, that the ex-restaurant
cashier had been a girl of VIGOROUSLY
pad character before her marriage.
The detective testified that he had ar
rested her for stealing watch and
that she had served ten months in
prison for the crime. These dis
closures were thunderbolts which
literally stunned and dazed her hus-
band. Without one word to his wife
he left the courtroom, and no one in
Newton ever saw or heard from him
again. A few days afterward he ap-
peared at Niagara Falls, though
whether he came with the fixed pur-
pose of ending his life in the way
described above or drifted here aim
lessly in half stupor no one can tell.
Another romantic suicide was that of
Elmira Willard in 1917. The story Of
her tragic death was related to me to-
day In quiet parlor OF this village by
comedy matron of nearly sixty years,
who was the dead girls bosom friend.
1T all happened through the predic-
tions of a fo:tune-teller," she said.
"Elmira never had lover. She was
sought by many but preferred none.
and would often say: i am only In
love with myself She had no secrets
from me, and q purer girl never lived.
One summer day as we were sitting on
the veranda of this very house there
came along q little, dried-up. weird
looking old German. who asked per-
mission to sit down and rest. He
seemed strangely attracted by Elmira.
keeping his large, wild gray eyes
constantly fixed upon her face
with most uncanny stare. He
finally said he was fortune teller,
and in a very grave. impressive man
uer he proposed to tell Elmira's for
tune. Taking her hand he told her. to
my intense establishment. many things
that had passed between US and which
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