The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1891-09-03
STRANGER THANFI(7ION
A Drunken DR.. Drives his Wife
from Their Home
And then Steals her two Children
and FIeeS to Tennessee,
AFTER SIX YEARS OF SEPARATION
The Mother Finds one Of her Child
rem in Johnson City,
Through the fundamentally of John
Sanders, of this City.
After the Reunion Of Mother and Chill
dren they Leave for Home,
While the Brute of Il Husband Gets a
Divorce and Commits Suicide.
Through the Instrumentality of John
Sanders, of this City.
After the Reunion Of Mother and Chill
dren they Leave for Home,
While the Brute of Il Husband Gets a
Divorce and Commits Suicide.

About fourteen years ago, Il DR..
Cope, Il man of handsome and dash
ing appearance, of fine culture and
splendid medical attainments, mar
ried charming and beautiful girl of
sixteen years Of age, near Concord,
Cabarrus county, N. G. 1t seemed to
be n joyful union, and the future
spread out before them like a dream
from the sinless Paradise of the first
mated pair. Not the Aeck of Il cloud
upon the heavens bending above
them, not jar or discord
in the music that fingered in heaven
ly cadences around the altar of their
welded bliss; not an augury save 0
sweet peace and love and hope that
would hover like evangels around the
home-nest they were about to build.
The castles that cleaned along the
vistas of the coming years were Wis
ions caught in glimpses of the Beulah
land. 1t may be that the eye Of the
God who instituted and sanctified the
marital relation never rested upon a
more thoroughly consecratod home,
or one with brighter hopes for hap
Ply future. 1t may be that the incense
OF morning and evening prisons rose
from its altar-the fragrance of earnest,
soul-felt, burning devotion.
After awhile to seal this union and
strengthen its golden bond, to unite in
deathless compact the converging af-
fections of dual lives moulded into one
under the solemn sanction OF the law,
a tender, innocent life came, bringing
a new revelation Of sunshine and Joy,
to nestle, prattle, grow and develop
under this roof-tree, By and by other
blessings Of the same kind came to
brighten and sanctify their home, un-
til its "holy and holies" was Unframed
in a mosaic of the bright and beauti-
full faces of childhood. At this time it
was discovered that vicious habit
was fastening it's deadly coils
upon the husband and father that
was destined to throw the darkest
shadow across the life-dial of that
household, to destroy his usefulness
and drag him down into the vilest
ceespool of degradation and crime
from his high position in society anC
the medical brotherhood. All the
finel feelings and sensibilities of hi'
soul were blunted, the edge of his ap
probation of the grander things o
existence were dulled, all the fairel
and sweeter hopes and nobler aspira
tons OF exalted manhood persisted il
the flame OF his hellish passion for thu
imbruting civilizations of strong
drink.
He forgot the persuasive pathos anC
eloquence with which he pressed
his suit upon the tender
impossible heart of the young ant
tender girl whom he led to the mar
riage altar. The remembrance O.
the rose upon her cheek and sparkl
in her eye and fresh beauty ON he
brow when she gave him her heart ant
hand called forth no effort to saw
himself from impending ruin, TIL
prattle of his innocent children, tn
peals of their merriment and glee, ant
all the charms OF their purity coul'
: not bring back the manhood that h
had sacrificed for the Qualifications G
his perverted appetite.
In a word DR. Cope had become
devil incarnate In drunken fit h
drove his wife from her home, an
whilst she was keeping herself sal
from his violence, he takes he
two children, both boys, on
five years old and another eightee
months and fees to Tennessee. He
other child was sleeping in the grave
whose death was caused by the fathc
! ia ill.,. careless administration Of
: dose II nlurpha mistaken for quinn,
1 " hen Dr. Cope came to Tennessee
4 with the boys, he settled at Eden
Ridge, in Sullivan county, and pra,