The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-05-01

A ROMANCE IN REAL LIFE.
In Which the villain Played y Eucoessfu
Hole Until His DeAth.

IN Whlcn tne Nillein PIRyUd y sucCeSstui
Role Until His DeAth.
TOPEKA, April 30.-A touching incident
was Witnessed at tho Missouri Pacific sta
tion in Atchison last night. When the
evening train arrived middle-agcd Ger
man woman was ono of the first passengers
to aliRht. No sooner WAS she on the plat
form than she was clasped in tho arms OF
big. broad-shouldersd countryman. Tho
woman cried and sobbed like child AZ the
fell into his aims and oluna to him. while
no laughed and cried reaardless OF the sur
roundings. The parties were Mr.. and Mrs.
Henry Wsichman. who bad been separated
Tor twenty years, each supposing the other
dead. Mrs. Weiohman had arrived direct
from Germany for the purpose Of joining
her husband, who lives In Claiborne county.
Ibcy came to this country from Germany
In 1868. locating in Psnnsylvanin. Four
years later Mrs. Welchman was called back
to her old home In Germany to settle up
her fathers estate, shs being one OF fve
heirs inheritinR about $l30. 600 in cash aud
bonds. besides valuable landed interests in
Berlin and Hamburg. Soon after hsr do
parture her husband went to California.
whsre be remained year. and then went to
the Black Hills. where he engaged in
mining. While at Deadwood. Weichman
met young man named Carl Kollatz.
whom he had known in Germany. and who
had been an unsuccessful sultor for Mrs
Welchman's hand before her marriage. or
even before her engagement.
kollatz soon learned OF the good fortune
OF the woman he had once loved and deter
mined to make one more attempt TO secure
her hand, and at the same time her for
tune. He suddenly disappeared from
Deadwood, and six weeks later arrived at
his old homo in Hamburg. He at once
sought ont Mrs. Weichman and told her g
sorrowful story about her husbands death.
He informed her that her husband had been
suddenly killed in a disaster in mine,
where they both had been working many
months. He produced papers purportina
to 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 the personal papers
and letters which he he'd stolen from his
workmate, and paid over to her sum Of
money which he represented as being the
cash assets remaining after deduoting
funeral expenses.
Mrs. Welchman believed the story, as did
all her relatives. and she was easily per-
shaded to remain in Hamburg. A year
later Kollatz began paying attentions to
and soon after married her. He was reck-
less, indolent fellow who never before had
the handling OF much money. and in few
years he had spent more than half OF the
woman's fortune. She olunQ to him, be-
lievinR that he loved her. especially as she
believed he mad been such friend to her
husband, whose untlmely death she even
then mourned.
Six months ago Kollatz was fatally in
jured in Q railroad wreck and died a week
later. The day before he died he made a
confession, in which he told the wrop Qed
woman of the base deception he had prac-
ticed. He persisted that he had all the
Tune loved her. aud that money was not his
only object. The confession nearly drove
the unfortunate woman crazy. Placing the
matter in the hands of her relatives she
continued her attendance upon the
man who had wrouped her,
and forty-eioht hours after buried
him. Her relatives at once opened CORE.
spondence with parties in Deadwood, and
finally succeeded IN locating Woichman al
Downs, tkis state. He was dun bf ounded
to learn that his wife was still alive. as he
had received letter from Hamburg soon
after her arrival there stating that she had
died very suddenly. This letter was signed
by Mrs. Welohmsn's brother, or at least
purported to be, and had been kept by
Welchman all these years. It contained q
draft for considerable sum, REPRESENT ting
as being all that part OF the wife's share
that did not revert to her family. WEIGH
man mourued for twenty years, never hav-
ing a thought Of second marriage. When
the truth came to his knowledge be ar
ranged for his wife to come to this country
and join him in his homo here, which was
on well-tilled farm. The reunited pair
left at once for the west and their new
home,