St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-01-12
.NETTIE WAS WICKED.
The Life Of the Wife Of Scott
Witherbee STEPPED in
Shame.
A Brother in Chicago First
Informs the Husband of
His Wife's Treachery.
The Wide SWath Cut by Mrs.
Witherbee and a South
ern Judge.
Their Life at Bismarck, Where
They Went in the Best
Society.

NOC1CCys
CHICAGO, Jan. 11.-SOciety in Wash
ingtOn will soon be startled with a di
vOrce suit that promises rich revela-
tiOns. The injured husband who will
file bill is A. Scott Witherbee. well
known in business and social circles,
and the history of the case shows re-
nlarkable career of deception on the
part OF a woman.
MIR. Witherbee was married to Miss
Nettie Dunlap in February. 1856, having
become acquainted with her while she
was visiting the capital. Miss Dunlap,
Just previous to going to Washington,
was the guest of the cashier of promi
nent New York bank, and while there
meta widow of Washington. with whom
ton Miss Dunlap'S beauty and musical
accomplishment were the talk of So
ciety, and she was invited every where.
When the engagement of MIR. Wither-
bee and Miss Dunlap was an
nounced the happy man was
congratulated, for it was universally
conceded that he had won d prize.
The wedding was brilliant one and
all the more nGtanle because the court
ship had been brief 1he husband had
. been all artient and persistent wooer
and carried off the prize. though she
was not without other admirers anxious
to become her husband. 1t was said
she was the adopted daughter of an
Illinois millionaire and So much at
tached was he to the girl that he had
hnr 81. 81 Il,
many 90 not believe it, $1,000 year.
Her own wealth was her voice. 1t was
a beauti. III soprano. The Western
millionaire attended the wedding ana
gave the young couple
++ SEVERAL COSTLY GIFTS
In handsomely furnished house the
bride and groom settled down to enjoy
life. The summer drew on and she in
duced her husband to let her pay Il visit
to her "A eStern friends. lie consented.
Two CT three weeks later he got dis
patch from his brother i'll Chicago,
which read: -
what is Nettie doing here? An
swer."
The husband telegrarhed back that
there must be some mistake, as his wife
was net in Chicago. To this the brother
replied:
There is no mistake. / have seen
her at the theater with man. You had
better come on"
He took the next train for Chicago.
His brother conducted him to the Rich
elicu hotel, and there, on the register,
he saw the name of wealthy New
Yorker. and the following were
the fatal words, land wife" The lus-
band and the brother went to the dining
room, and there, sitting at a table, were
formers wife and the New Yorker.
The husband called a waiter, gave him
his card. and instructed him to take it
to the woman. She read, gave q
her husband at another table quietly ell
joying his dinner. Without Il word of
explanation she got up and left the
room. When, Il few moments later. the
husband tried to see his wife he found
that she had left the hotel. He returned
ito Washington. The next day woman
entered his store, who introduced her
self as Mrs. Bntterfeld,
~ HIS MOTIIER-INLAW.
i He denied tie relationship. as his
wife had always spoken OF her parents
as dead. But the woman persisted that
she was telling the truth. She tou her
story, and her recital was so convinc-
ing that at its conclusion tie man could
victim of Il diabOlical conspiracy. When
he Went to his home that evening he
found his wife there. lie told her of
her mothers visit, and at the mention
OF her name his wife denounced her
most fearfully. She sWOre that if her
mother were to crawl on her hands and
knees and beg for a crust of bread to
save her life, she would give the crust
of bread to a cur in the street rather
than to her mother, whom she accused
Oh having made her what she was. The
husband told her that after what had
happened they could never live
To- ether as man and vile. She re-
piiet: that she had tried to be respect
ili,ie and la;l found that that was impos-
sIbic, and that she had married him
more for an experiment than anything
else. The next day she Ii fit Washing
ton. Just here retrospective chapter
OF the story is in order. About the time
of the outbreak OF the war young
woman named Hade lived near Elgin,
FL, not far from here. She was ruined
by neighbOr's son, Peter Mccarthy.
who refused to marry her. He went to
the war and was killed. A child was
torn and the mothers parents drove
htr from their door. 1t was winter,
and the poor woman with her infant
came 10 a poor cObbler's cottage and
X ocked. When the door was opened
she ieil fainting across the threshold.
the cObbler was George Dunlap, and
he adopted the child. the mother going
;fsyay. She is now the Mrs. Butterfield
Who introduced herself to Mr.. Wither-
bee as his mother-in-law. CObbler Dun
lap gave the girl his name and she
WAS CALLED NETrIE.
She had beauty. and it was discovered
that she had fine voice, but she was
Wilful and lazy and would not work.
fhus it was that she attracted the at
tention of All Elgin millionaire, banker
and manufactures. He offered to edu-
cate her, gave her money and fine
clothes, and sent her to New York. She
took lessons from noted instructress.
She developed rapidly, and became the
leading soprano in the Rev. Henry
Ward Beecher's church. Meanwhile
there was trouble brewing in the mill
ionaire's home. His wife, it was
said, was jealous of the beautiful
song bird. She sued for divorce and
obtained it, the husband settling hand
some sum upon her. He left Elgin and
has only visited the place occasionally
since to attend to some business affairs.
Hewent to Europe. and it was said