Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-07-27
1T WAS a Boe US TELEGRAM.

Were rendering Condolences Her Iius-
band Turned Up. fe
John X. Callahan lives at No. 707
Church street, where his wife conducts
small store while the husband huck
sters about the streets and in this way
the couple manage to exc out an exist
ence.
Wednesday of last week, so the story
goes, Callahan and his wife had some
words, and IL is intimated that Callahan
had been drinking. The trouble ended
in the disappearance of the husband for
the day. He did not return home to.
supper, but Mrs. Callahan was not Mt
all alarmed over his absence, as it was
not the first time he had thus remained
away.
Mrs. Callahan was seated in her home
about o'clock, that night, apparently
worrying little about her absent spouse,
when a messenger boy appeared at the
door with telegram in his hand. A
chill crept over the wife as she eagerly
took the message from the carrier and
quickly tore open the envelope. She
hastily scanned the contents, which were
as follows:
PHILADELPHIA, July 19.--Johnny fell Of
a car at Manayunk. He Is dead. Have
him at my house. CHARLES CALLAHAN.
Mrs. Callahan was struck dumb when
she read the lines telling Of the death of
her husband. She could not control her
feelings and reproached herself for
having spoken harshly to- him in the
morning. She entertained no doubt of
the truth of the bad news, and was be-
side herself with grief. Finally, she
became collected enough to tell her
neighbors of her husbands death, and
then concluded to telegraph for further
particulars. The Charles Callahan whose
name was signed to the dispatch is an
uncle Of John X. Callahan, and con-
ducts grocery store at No. 612 Chest
nut street, while his home is at. No, AZ
North Second street. Mrs. Callahan did
not know the address of the uncle who
had presumably sent the message, and
so at II o'clock Wednesday night she
telegraphed the Philadelphia office of
the Western Union Telegraph Company
for the address. This is the reply she
received
PHILADELPHIA, July l9-Yours Of the
10th, signed LENA" undelivered. Parties
address No. 6l2 Chestnut street. but not
there.
The message was sent out by the
I Philadelphia office to the local Office in
this city, and copy of the dispatch
was handed to Mrs. Callahan Thursday.
| The latter, as soon as she received the
message, went to Philadelphia, where
she learned that her uncle knew nothing
of John or the mysterious dispatch,
| Charles Callahan was very indignant
that his name should be forged to dis.
patch chronicling his ncphew's death
and he promised Mrs. Callahan TO make
an investigation and have the guilty
parties prosecuted if they could be
found.
Satisfied with her husbands uncle's
denial of having sent tho message, Mrs.
Callahan returned to this city Thursday
afternoon. She was overcome with
grief. The neighbors gathered about hel
on her return and whispered words Of
consolation over her bereavement, fol
she still believed her husband had met &
violent death. She was not quits sure
whether to don widows weeds or not
She was seated in a room of the dwell
ing yesterday afternoon, surrounded by
sorrowing friends, when the adooi
opened and in walked the departed
Callahan.
The astonished woman and her com
panions could hardly believe the evi
dence of their eyes. Mrs. Callahan still
held in her hand the fateful telegram
yet there was John as well and a
hearty as ever. After she had RECOVERED
herself and stared at the motionles
Callahan for few moments, she ex
claimed:
Why, JOHNNY Where have yor
been2 Didn't you fall off of a car Ii
Manayunk, a-n-d-" added the thor
oughly frightened woman, recovering
her power of speech again, "ain't yol
dead ?"
Callahan replied to all these ques
tons in due time, stating that he hai
, never been out of town during tn
whole of the previous day, and addin
that if he was dead he had never beef
, officially appraised of that fact. As 10
sending the bogus telegram, he declare
he knew nothing about it and had neve
, been in Msnayunk. Mrs. Callahan
establishment turned to anger when sh
discovered that nothing had happene
to her husband, and she intimated tina
the latter had sent tine telegram himself
! thinking he would frighten her.
! If this was Callahan's intention h
/ succeeded very effectually, for Mr.
. Callahan declared to reporter that sh
t had not been more frightened for year
> She said her belief was that John ser
the telegram, however, and added tbs
y if he ever tried the trick again she wonl
leave town and leave her husband ais
|