The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1891-04-18
ROMANCE OF A ROBBERY.
Strange Meeting OF the Robbed Man and
Thief in America.
From the St. Louis Globc-Democrat.

THIEF in America.
From the st. Louis Globe Democrat.
The truth of the old saying that fortune
lavors those who wait, has again been illus
trated in the case of Lal Wickland. an old
man 63 years of age, and an employee of
the Illinois Central Railroad at Mcconnell.
some fifty miles north of Milan, Tenn.
The story reads like romance, and as
given to a reporter, runs in this wise:
There resided in the city of Aberdeen.
Scotland, seventeen years ago, rich and
prosperous jeweler, Mr.. Lalland Wickland,
man Of family, which consisted of him
self, his wife, three sons and three daugh-
ters The name of the eldest son was Jean,
and he was engaged to young lady of his
native city by the name of Craig, one of
the foremost of the beautiful Scotch maidens
of Aberdeen. Their marriage was only
deferred on account Of some business tran
sactions. One day Wickland burst into
his wifes ROOM greatly agitated, and ex-
claimed:
Mary, We are ruined, utterly ruined
The shop has been broken into and at least
9l2,0OO worth of plate and jewelry carried
off | have been with the detectives
through all the holes in the city, but we
found no traces Of the thief nor of the
goods. The detectives think the goods
will never be recovered, and we are ruined
if it is so.
When the robbery occurred Jean Wick
land was in London, and he read the news
in a London newspaper He hurried
home and found the family in the greatest
distress. For many days the Wicklands
INDUCED themselves in the hopes that some
clew would be found to the robbers, and
their precious wealth be restored to them.
These hopes We're never realized. The rob
berry, as the police said, had been cleverly
and clearly done. No trace of the perpe-
traitors or any part of the property was
ever discovered
In the meantime Wickland had paid all
his outstanding debts and found himself
pauper and without sixpence. He might
have urged the robbery as plea for bank
ruptcy, but he was too honest and conscien-
tious 4 man to ever think of such a course,
so he paid his debts to the last penny. The
utter ruin which had overtaken the Wick
lands postponed the proposed union between
Jean and Miss Craig, and Mr.. Wickland
struggled on for a few years in a small way
of business, his son Jean assisting him all
the while, but they could not even make
living out of it. 1t seemed that fate was
against them.
About this time thousands of people were
leaving the old countries of Europe and
heading for America. Mr.. Wickland
caught the emigration fever, and longed to
come to this country. He sold all his per-
sonal effects, and after securing steerage
passage for his family landed in New York
lie had some money, and it went fast He
began to realize that he must find some
thing to do He left New York and went
to st. Louis When they arrived in that
city, some fifteen years ago, they had very
little left. The boys found employment
as hands on the railroad. In 1863 they
came to Cairo, ILL.,, and the boys staid
there, while the old gentleman secured a
position further South at Mcconnell Is
track-walker and keeper of the tanks in
that vicinity.
For years they have battled with difficult
ties since coming to America, and, while
never in real need, fortune still was I'M
kind and they have never been able to lay
by enough to go back to Aberdeen. Dur
ing all this time Jean and Miss Craig kept
up correspondence, until, in November
last, Miss Craig was agreeably surprised
by the sudden and unexpected appearance
of Jean Wickland in his native city, who
bore the joyful intelligence that his fathers
family, their fortune restored, would soon
be in their old home. How was it,
This happy termination came out in this
wise: A man named johnson located him
self at Mcconnell as a merchant, running
plantation and supply store His unlim
tied amount of money was the talk of the
town. He sold lots of goods and made
money hand over fist He took great
interest in the Wicklands, and seemed to
evince especial interest in the facts relating
to their robbery and utter ruin. 1t finally
came out that johnson had been prison
bird, and the cold shoulder was turned to
him by Lucy Wickland, to whom he was
paying attention. This event seemed to
nettle him, and he sent for the old gentle
man to come to him. Their interview lasted
| two hours.
AT length johnson confessed that it was
he who had robbed Wickland of his wealth,
and, coming to this country, had trebled
his possessions He gave the old man his
check for 100000 As soon as this hap
pened the Wicklands decided to return to
their native land When johnson heard
of their determination he insisted on paying
their passage back to Scotland.
The strangest feature of the affair was
that johnson Immediately sold out all his
belongings and went back to Scotland a
month after the family of Wickland had
returned, and letter from him to friend
announced his marriage 10 Miss Lucy
Wickland, eldest daughter cf the man
whom he had robbed.