Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-08-29
HE LOVED NOT WISELY
The Romantic history of a Young
Mans Incarceration.
Story of False Imprisonment Affirmed
By the Victim.
An Attempt to End His Life By Hard
Prison Work.

CHICAGO, Aug. 24.-Seve | days ago
some prominent papers in the country
published a story to the eject that
young man named George Dunning who
was serving sentence of four years in
tie Joliet penitentiary for Burglary, was
really the innocen. victim of a conspiracy;
that he had really been guilty of no
other crime than aspiring to the hand of
the daughter of Chicago millionaire,
that the millionaire tried to buy
him off and failing concocted
the conspiracy by which the young
man was arrested in December, 1886, aud
railroaded to the penitentiary for four
years. That a couple of months ago
person who was at that time editor of
great Chicago daily paper was under
a serious financial strain, and secured
hint of the story from q detective.
Instead of publishing the news be
blackmailed the millionaire and $4,000
was the price of suppressing
the story. Areporter for local paper
investigated the matter and yesterday
interviewed Dumping In prison, where
he himself told the same strange story
which exhaustive inquiry in Chicago ap-
pears to confirm in every detail. It is
asserted that when the unfortunate
young man entered Joliet the officials
were instructed to put him at the hardest
and most trying kind of work. He was
of slight build and was soon badly used
up. 4 police Official who was
an enemy of the editor in question, and
for personal reasons, was running down
the latter's part in the affair, was horri-
fed on going to the PRISON, 70 find the
pitiable pl ght of Dunning. He used his
influence to secure the auelicration of
the latter's toll. At this tins there had
been two attempts made by Dunning's
friends To get him p rdon, but for some
reason the attem PTS proved fruitles5 and
he was allowed to lauguish in prison and
has six months confinement before him.
Until today he appeared to fear TO dis
cuss his strange experience, thinking it
would cause trouble, when he rega,nsd
liberty. The milIionaire's daughter, it is
understood is about TO marry another
man in Chicago. The names of The other
parties are for obvious reasons withheld.
CHICAGO, Aug. 26.-Today developed
another installment of real life in the
romance Of poor young man." The
actual name of the young fellow, who
under the name of George Dunning is
serving four year term in the Joliet
penitentisry as the result of love for q
miliionaire's daughter, is Ernest Dunni-
want. His father, an old Chicago
printer, died about four years ago,
leaving widow, seven daughters and
two sops. Upon the earnings of Ernest
| the family were dependent after the death
of the father. until the boy went to the
penitentiary. Since then the existanoe
of the family has been maintained only
after severe struggle. The mother was
seen by a reporter today, and corrobol at
ed the story told in these despatcho IS
yesterday, about the prosecution of her
son In detail. And she said
further that the millionaire's daughter
came back to the CITY last year after a
| long absence and called on her Mes.
DuunivanD spoke Indignantly of Ernest
being in the penltentiary and vented his
mother to write him how much SIZE
thought of him and how much she would
help him when he got out. The girl said
she herself had been practically in prison
during her absence from Chicago.