The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-12-25


born and reared in ailiuence, for ,sho
was tho grandcllild OF tho late E. n.
WEIGH, OF Bristol, who died about four
years ago, leaving M estate valued st
only tritie less than two million dol
larsa
l.. MISS ATKINS WAS 4 BELLE.
Pretty, splendid!y educated and viva!
cious, It is not surprising that she was,
sought after with great persistency by;
eligible young men, But to Arthur i.
Rood, tn 10 handsome son OF Col. David
L. Rood, Tor many years the owner OF
tho Unitgd States hotel, OF Hartford,
fell tho matrimonial prize. About eight
or nine years ago they were married
with much ceremony, and not only did
Grandfather Welch, but tho brides
father, who is wealthy himself, do what
is termed tho handsome thing by the
young pair.
They came TO Hartford, where they
: lived in fine style, taking house in
High street, antl entertained lavishly.
But after awhile rumor had it that
Mr.. and Mrs. Rood were not happily
mated, and runlor was right. About
three years ago they separated Mr..
Rood, who has been q hotel manager
and is well known all over tho country
to travelling men and theatrical people,
lett the city. lie. returned, however.
soon, and assisted his father in the
management OF tho old United States
Hotel. Two years ago he lett here to
become manager ola hotel at Sulphur
Springs, n. G.
1t 5Was here that Detective Fielding
entered tho story. Mrs. Rood llonged
Tor her freedom. II Mr.. Rood is to be
believed his mother-in-law was ct the
bottom of it all, and Rood already has
suit against her for alternating his
wife's atfections-but that is another
story.
F1ELDISG's sERvICEs ENLISTED.
When Rood went to North Carolina
Mrs. Rood and her mother came TO
Hartford to visit Mr.. Fielding, who wac
the head OF Fielding's Connecticut De-
1ective Agency at No. 3G5 Main street.
The agency consisted OF Fielding and
an assistant, and as crimes that the
local constabulary cannot iathom are
not numerous, he devoted more time
to extending his burglar telegraph
alarm system than he did 10 ierreting
out crime. ~
Tho result OF the visit to Fielding was
that he was employed to shadow Young
Rood, and he accepted the retainers and
libcrel allowances ior expenses and
began lis duties. For two years he
kept on the track OF Rood. lie would
goto North Carolina, remain 4 week or
so, then return to Connecticut and re-
port at the Atkins homo in Forestville
(BristoD.
He kept this up for some time, the
Atliinses being willing to spend any
sum to catch Rood in an offence max
ing him amcndable to divorce law. He
followed him to Boston, where he was
employed at the Bostern Tavern, and
also Swallowed him for several weeks at
/. the Morton House. New York. Then
the family concluded that they had evil
dencc enough, and the county was all
excitement last May to learn that Mrs
Rood had instituted q suit for divorce,
alleging against her handsome husband
habitual intcmperance, cruelty and the
statutory offence.
The public anticipated sensational dc.
vclopments, Tor Mrs. Rood had engaged
rs her chief counsel one OF the most ia
nous Connecticut criminal lawyers, the
late Samuel +. Jones, who so success.
fully defended the Rev. Mr.. Hayden in
the Mary Stannard murder case. Mr..
Rood announced that he would fight
the case, and then came another sensa-
ton when he instituted the suit against
IL, how, In, NJ, 1,n. I,
Z having alienated the affections OF mis-
wife and claiming $4,000 damages.
DISAPPOINTED TIE PUBLIC.
In this the public was disappointed,
however, Tor there was no public trial
OF the divorce case, the counsel agreeing
to submit tho facts to a committee OF
the superior court. Ex-Supreme Court
Justice Dwight LOOMS was chosen to
act in this capacity. Last Juno he re-
ported to the superior court, and on his
findings OF facts Judge John N. Hall, OF
the superior court, gave Mrs. Rood the
decree and changed her name to that of
her girlhood, Fannie L. Atkins.
The most strenuous efforts were made
2 to keep the testimony and inside his
tory OF the case secret. but I am moro
(, or less familiar with them. Detective
4 Fielding gave q complete history Of his
Swallowing expeditions. Mrs. Rood
testified to numerous acts OF alleged
cruelty, and Rood's counsel decided not
& to contest the divorce seriously, pre-
& ferring, they said, to save their powder
Z Tor tho damage suit against the mother
in-law.
when Mrs. Rood became Fannie AT
kins again she returned to her hand.
some home in Forestville, and soon gos-
sip began to link her namc with that OF
tho sturdy and athletic detective, Field.
= ing. The explanation was vouchsaied
that Fielding was not q snitor, but
merely acted as escort to the young di-
y vorced woman to protect her from VIC
Y lence from her eX-husband. This OK
cuse was generally accepted and the
gossip almost ceased. 1t was no uncom-
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