Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-04-30
a ROMANCE IN REAL LIFE.
In which the Villain Played Successful
Role Until HIS Death.

A touching incident was witnessed az
the Missouri Pacific station IN Atchison on
Monday night last, SAYS Topeka dispatch
TO the New York Times When the evening
train arrived middle-aged German woman
was one Of the first passengers TO alight.
No sooner was she on the platform tuan
she was clasped in the arms of big. broad
shouldered countryman. The woman
cried and sobbed like child "a she fell
into his arms and chung 10 him. while be
laughed and cried regardless Of the sur
rOundings The parties were Mr.. ana
Mrs. Henry Weichman, who had been
separated for twenty years, each sup
posing the other dead. Mrs. Welchman
had arrived direct from Germany for the
purpose OF joining her husband, VINO lives
in Osborne county.
They came TO this country from Ger
many in 1863. locating IN Pennsylyanla.
-Four years later Mrs Weichman was
called back to her old home III Germany
TO settle up her fathers estate. she being
one of five hers iuhcrtlng abOut.@l3O OOJ
in cash and bonds, besides valuable land
ed interests in Berlin and Hamburg. Soon
after her departure her husband went 10
California, where he remained year, ana
and then went to the Black Hills. where
he engaged In mining. While at Dead
wood Welchman met young man named
Carl KollatZ, whom he had known IN Ger
many, and who had been an unsuccessful!
sutton for Mrs. Neichman's hand before
her marriage, or even before her engage
ment.
DISAPPEARED.
Kollatz soon learned of the good fortune
of the woman he had once loved and de-
termined TO make one more attempt TO Sc
cure her hand and at the same time. her
fortune. lie suddenly disappeared from
No. 4 ,.1 al afW later landed
ms old home IN Hamburg. He at once
sought out Mrs. Welchman and told
her "A sorrowful story about her
husbands death. He Informed her
that her husband had been suddenly
killed III a disaster in mine. where they
both had been working many months. lie
produced papers purpOrtlng 70 have been
signed by several miners who had been
working with them and who had witnessed
the accident He even delivered to the
stricken woman some OF the personal
uapers and letters which he had stolen
from bus wOrkmate. and paid over TO ner a
sum of money which he represented as be-
ing the cash assets remaining after deduct
ing funeral expenses.
Mrs Weichman believed tho story, as
did all her relatives. and she was easily
persuaded to remain IN Hamburg. A year
later Kollatz began paying attentions 10
the woman. WHO supposed DtIScll NlhON'
and soon after married her. lie was a
reckless, indOlent fellow. who had never
before bad the handling OF much money,
aud in "A few hears be had spent more than
half Of the woman's fortune. She chung
10 him. believing that be loved her, espe-
cialv as she believed he had been such
friend 10 her husband. whose untlmely
death she even then mOurned.
CONFESSION.
SIX months ago KOlatz was fatally in
iured in a railroad wreck and died week
later. The day before be died he made o
confession IN which he told the wronged
woman of the base deception he had
practiced. lie persisted that he had all
the time loved her, aud that money was
not his only object. The confession near
ly drove the unfortunate woman crazy.
Placing the matter In the hands OF her
relatives, she continued her ATTENDANCE
upon the man who had wrOnged her, and
forty-elght hours after buried him.
Her relatives at once opened cOrrespon-
dence with parties in DeadwoOd. and
finally succeeded in locating Weichman at
Downs. this State. He was dumbtounded TO
learn that his wife was still alive, as he
had received a letter from Hamburg soon
after her arrival there stating that she had
died very ud1enly. This letter was
signed by Mrs. Weichman's brother,
or at least purported to be, and
had been kept by Weichmau all
these years. It contained draft for q
considerable SUN, represented as being all
that part OF the wIfes share that did not
revert to her family. Mr.. Welchman
mourned for twenty years, never having q
thought of second marriage. When the
truth came TO his knowledge he arranged
for his wife to come 70 this country and
ioin him IN his home here. which was on a
well titled farm The reunited pair left at
nnca for the West and thor new home.