Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-25

fSdAeu. Lie 1aLUer mOlnSr tSAAs InS SbOig
of her woes.
CHICAGO, August 24.-For some days
past fragments of a romance have been
coming to light, but it was not until to-day
that the narrative took any definite shape,
or any authority was given for its publica-
tion. The actual name ofthe young fellow,
who, under that OF George Dunning, is
serving four years term in the peniten-
tiary as the result of millionaire's daugh-
ter falling in love with him, is Ernest Dun
nivant His father, G. F. Dunnivaut, an
old Chicago printer, died four years ago,
leaving wife, seven daughters and two
sons, the elder being Ernest.
Upon the earnings of Ernest the family
were dependent after the death of the father
until the former went to the penitentiary.
Since then the family's existence has been
maintained by q severe struggle. The
mother, Mrs. Belle Dunnivant, who now
lives at 232 Chestnut street. was called on
this morning by a reporter and asked to
tell her story. 1t was with great reluctance
that she consented TO do so, "because"
she said, the tears springing to her eyes and
trickling down her careworn face, BE
cause the man who sent him there is so
rich, so powerful, that am afraid he would
do more harm than he has already done"
THE MOTHERS STORY.
Mrs. Dunnivant was assured that nothing
need be feared. She then thought that pub
Hcation OF her statement might be hurtful
to the young lady in the case. Reassured
on this point she consented to tell what
she knew.
"It was in the summer of 1856, think,
some time after my husband died, that 1
bought Ernest a newspaper route for S150
He worked at it faithfully, and earned
about ten dollars a week. The route ran
for some distance along Dearborn avenue,
and it was while delivering his papers that
he met the young lady rs she went from
her home to Mrs. Grants Academy. Err
nest was handsome boy, and his looks and
manners seemed to attract her attention
and although L am not familiar with lust
how they became acquainted, l know that
they finally became very mtch interested
in each other and used to meet in Lincoln
Park. / did not know of this at the time
and in fact knew nothing of it until fall.
Finally, alter a month or so of intimate
acquaintance, the family of the young lady
heard of it, and tried to break it up. A
most close watch was kept on the young
lady, and meetings were for time stopped.
Ernest went by the house one day and asked
OF the coachman something concerning the
young lady. The coachman
INFORMED HIS MASTER,
who had a warrant sworn out for Ernest's
arrest and had the coachman serve it. NY
boy was caught in the street, and taken to
the East Chicago avenue station and kept
all night. ThereeSas nothing against him
to punish him for, but instead of letting
him go free S25 fine was imposed and sus-
pended. AonL@ l''t--
'Aiter that things went on as before un-
til one day the young lady met Ernest and
told him that the evening previous she
overheard her father in the library tell a
detective that Ernest was bothering him,
and that he wanted the detective to follow
Ernest and try to catch him in some crime
and send him to Jail and keep hi out of
the way. My poor boy, whose only sin was
to be loved by the daughter of the man who
wanted him in jail"
Mrs. Dunnivant sobbed convulsively for
few moments, and then continued:
"The detective followed Ernest every-
where for a long time, and finally he was
arrested on a charge of burglary. Ernest
was wholly innocent, but he was sentenced
to 60 days in the county Jail. When he got
out, he received note from the young lady,
who had gone with her family to Geneva
Lake, asking him to come to Geneva and see
her.
A FATAL NOTE.
Ernest got permission from me to spend
a few days in the country 1 supposed, Just
for little outing. Well, he went to Gen
eva Lake and met the young lady's little
sister. He gave her a note for the young
lady, but the little girl gave it to nurse
who gave it to the fathers son-in-law.
When that young man read the note he
took the coachman and set out TO fn6 Ern-
est. They found hm, and threatened to
throw him into the lake. l don't think they
did SO, but something happened, for Ernest
did not come back for two or three DAYS, and
then without his hat.
"Ihe young lady was sent from Geneva
Lake to a school in Ogantz, Pa, and it was
then learned of the detectives dogging nv
boy. / Immediately sold out the route and
tried to get him a situation. The young
lady wrotesd believe, to an employe of her
father in South Chicago, who had pro fessed
a solicitous friendship for her and promised
to give Ernest something to do. He saw
Ernest and told him to come out to South
Chicago. Ernest went there with Frank
Allen, of whom Ernest knew but little AL
len got Ernest slightly intoxicated and took
him to the Farnsworths, whom Allen said
he knew. There was no one there, and, aft
er waiting inside for a while, they walked
down the street. As they passed store Al
len grabbed coat from dummy and ran
away with it.
THE ARREST.
Ernest walked quietly on somewhat
dazed by the liquor Allen had given him.
He was arrested at once and taken to the
station, and Allen was caught a little later
and also brought there. When Allen was
arrested he said that he and Ernest had
robbed the Farnsworth's House, although,
mind you, nothing was taken away My
boy protested innocence, but the Farms
worths swore hard against Lim and that,
with Aliens confession, was too much, and
both were taken to Jail. That was about
Christmas. Some time before / had received
a letter from the young lady telling me all
about her acquaintance with Ernest She
said her parents objected and asked me for
my advice. L replied that if her parents
were like me they were only seeking her
good, and advised her to do as they de-
sired.
"She also wanted to know If she might
call on me when she came back to spend the
Christmas vacation, and 1 consented. She
came here one day and told me all the story
again. How much she thought of Ernest,
how she intended to set him up in business,
how she had often offered him money which
he always refused to take l then told her
that Ernest had been arrested. It was the
first she had heard of it. Sne said she was
helpless and could do nothing. She called
again, though and said she had hired a
lawyer TO defend Ernest and she wanted
me to tell him that if he were sent to Jail
not to fear, that she would think as much of
him as ever. She then asked me to write