St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1889-04-13
Reunited by Science.

HOW A wIFE's INNOCENCE WAS PROVED
MOST REMARKABLE MANNER IN
WHICH A BLOT WAS REMOVED
FROM FOUR LIVES.
A Reading, Pa, special to the Philadel-
phia North american says: John Ecken-
roth, a sturdy coal miner living near
Staustown, Berks county, who for three
years hated his wife, and who last week
went to a prominent attorney of this city
to solicit his aid in securing divorce, now
loves her more than on the marriage day,
and if offered ten thousand divorces from
her would not accept one if dollars piled
as high as his head would be his reward
for so doing: This change of feeling has
been brought about by modern science,
which has been the means of lifting dark
cloud from four lives, those of Johns wife,
Johns baby, John himself, and Dan Davis,
a colored wood chopper.
Four years ago Eckenroth married Miss
Annie Solofelt, who at that time bore the
reputation of being one of the prettiest
and brightest young ladies of the city, she
having just graduated from the high school
thoF iater before her marriage, and they
WE WE 60 housekeeping at once on the little
S an in the Upper Tulpehocken township
that had been bequeathed to him by his
father, and where they still reside. Dan
Davis, a colored man, who made his living
by chopping cord wood on the Blue noun
tains, was their nearest neighbor, and was
frequently employed by Eckenroth to do
odd chores on the farm. Tie first year of
The young couples married life, while un-
eventful, was happy one, but when the
event to which they had both been looking
forward with bright anticipations occurred,
the child, although headed like it's
mother, was dark enough to suggest to
Eckenroth the horrible thought that Dan
Davis, the colored wood chopper, was the
father, and although the young wife
stoutly maintained her innocence, he re-
fused to believe that the child was his
own, and always referred to it as the slit
tie niger"
He neglected the farm, commenced to
drink, and although not guilty of actually
abusing his wife and child, shamefully
neglected them and went back to his old
of mining in Schuylkill county,
leaving his wife and child alone Worst
Of all, the young mothers relatives be-
lieved her guilty, and her former friends
and companions sneered at and despised her.
John was convinced by his friends that
be was foolish to provide for his wife any
longer, and last week he came to this city
for the purpose of securing a divorce.
Luckily for the wife, he consulted an at
,orney who had known her from childhood,
and who, after Eckenroth had told his
story, refused to believe it. "Your wife
was noble girl, and believe her to be
noble woman" said the attorney, "and my
advice to you is to 60 homesto her and
reat her right. Don't ask for divorce
Until you are right. If you say so, will
assist you in hunting the matter up. If
The is innocent, you make reparation for
he past as much as you can; if she is
guilty, you will get your divorce"
Eckenroth agreed to this. Accompanied
" two physicians, they together visited
he wife and questioned her on the subject.
She gave an indignant denial to her hus-
,ands charges, and called the little boy to
Ter, at the same time agreeing to any ex-
animation that the medical gentlemen
night desire to make. A look at the little
elbow convinced them that no African
,lood flowed in his veins. The features
we're too finely chiseled, the fiat nose was
wanting, the lips were not thick enough,
nd the finger nails, instead of chalky
vhiteness being indicative of belonging to
ethiopian fingers, BY their pink tint
plainly showed their Caucasian origin.
But why that greenish black color? A
hort distance above the house is an aban-
Loned iron ore mine, and the spring from
which the family get their supply of drink
ng water always contains iron and sui
'hur in solution. The boughs of great
ak tree overhang the spring, and during
he autumn there are always nut gals to
70 seen in the water. The physicians ex-
,lained that the tannic acid uniting with
he iron and sulphur held in solution in
he spring water and drank by the mother
Lnited with the gastric juices, producing
he inky coloring matter that is such dis
inguishing characteristic of the colored
ace. The child having drank of this water
II its life since, has, as matter of course,
etained its color, and will retain it as long
s it continues imbibing the water from
hat spring. No more of that water will |
70 used by the. Eckenroths, however, as
he delighted father has already made ar
to sell the property and re-
1ove with his reunited family to more
quarters.
More Grass Needed. 49,.
Southern farmers are slow to discover