Omaha daily bee., 1889-09-29
DESERTED BY A CATTLE KING
The Story OF a Raucher's Wife
Watching Her Lord.
STRUCK WITH A GRIP BACK.
A Flying Husbands Alleged Aban-
donmcnt OF n Wife to Whom He
Had Been Mirried For a
Quarter of a Century.
Followed Ry n wife.

A strange story Of desertion was poured
into the ears of a BEE reporter at the Union
Pacific depot yesterday. The person relat-
ing 1t was a lady of about sixty years OF age,
but stall strong and vigorous. Her hair was
silvery white, her eyes were OF a grayish
blue and as bright as those of a woman of
twenty. On her right cheek was O long
scar. She wore q brown cloak, which
reached TO her feet, a black velvet hat with
ostrich feather to match, aud a dress made
of blue striped wooden material. Her face
8 moved her TO be a woman OF more than
ordinary intelligence, and her conversation
indicated a LADY of considerable education
and experience.
She claimed To be the wife of one of the
wealthiest cattle raisers near Eureka, New,
but the wealth of her husband has brought
her only a scanty share of the necessaries of
life. Only the day before yesterday her
lord brutally cast her off Mt Ogden, she
claimed, jumped on the overland train while
it was in motion, struck her with IA heavy
satchel to keep her from following him, and
left her lying stunned and bleeding among
strangers on the depot platform.
The prominence of the family in Nevada
adds still deeper interest to the scandal. 1t is
said they have been husband and wife for over
twenty-five years, but their married life has
been anything nut one of sunshine. The
woman claims her husband has been untrue
TO her, cruel to his family, and, despite his
great wealth, has refused TO properly edu-
cate or even provide for his children. Their
family is n large one, the Oldest member
being twenty-four years of age. They for
merly resided near Guthrie Center, Guthrie
county, Iowa, having made their home there
for ten years. They still own several large
farms in that vicinity. Later the family
moved to a large ranch near Horse Greek,
Wyoming, not far from Cheyenne,
where fate was kind, as usual. to
the husband. who made money rapidly.
The latter afterwards moved to San Jose,
California, osuensibly to educate his children,
but really, it is said, to increase his wealth.
He arrived there just at the beginning of the
boom. He invested heavily IN realty and
made a fortune out of it.
Two years ago the family was again trans
planted, this time to a ranch eighteen miles
from Eureka, Nevada, their present home.
For the past two weeks the husband has
ostensibly been making preparations for u
jaunt through the east with his wife. Last
week he disposed of considerable property,
getting together probably SIS, 900 or more. He
explained to his wife that he was going to buy
cattle with this money. In addition TO this,
he had about double the amount in govern
ment bonds. Last Monday he accompanied
one of his employees to Eureka, pretending
he had some business there. The next day,
the employe returned alone and told the
wife that her husband had driven the pre-
ceding night on a blackboard to Palisade, a
distance of ninety miles, whence he intended
taking the Central Pacific train for some
point 10 the east. The wife surmised some.
thing was wrong and Immediately ordered
her carriage and started in pursuit. She did
not rest until she confronted her somewhat
startled lord at Pallsade depot.
He insisted that he was merely on his way
to Cheyenne TO buy cattle, but his
actions betrayed him. His wife begged
him to allow her to accompany him, but
when he refused she bought a ticket herself
aud went without his permission.
AT Ogden, the husband claimed he was not
feeling well and left ner in the hotel to go
out, as he said, to get some medicine. AS he
did not return for several hours the wife
suspected something was wrong and hurried
to the depot. She did not find him there,
but the overland train stood outside ready to
pull out. She walked through the cars ana
found him in the smoking car enjoying a
fragrant Havana. His brow clouded at his
wifc's approach, but he got up and walked
out of the car and stood on the depot plat
form aand for a while talked with her,
assuring her he would not leave her.
The train commenced to move and
just as the last car was passing, the hus-
band sprang aboard. He held his wlfe's
heavy satchel IN his hand, and to prevent her
from following, threw it at her with all his
force with the result described above.
A crowd of persons gathered about the
doubly injured woman and was horror
stricken to hear the story she told of her
husbands cruelty.
On the next train she went to Cheyenne
and consulted with Mr.. Alexander Swan,
who, 1t is thought, is her brother.in-law al
though she did not say so. The result of the
conference was a renewal of the chase
of the fleeing husband. In an
swer to kilograms sent she learned
that her husband was twelve hours ahead
on the Union Pacific.
He arrived in Omaha last evening and con-
Linued his way across the river.
The wife has reasons to believe that he is
going to Guthrie Center to sell the valuable
lands he owns there, whence he will fly to
parts unknown. She therefore continued
her chase on the Rock Island train at 10 a. m,
Although telling the story of her wrongs
freely, she refused is reveal her husbands
name, which is probably Shaw, side remarks
made by her leading to that conclusion.
The husband, she says, is about siXty-five
years old, of powerful build, has a full gray
beard and blue eyes.