Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-07
UNLIKE ENOCH ARDEN,
Charles Keicber's Story of Fact Ex-
GELS the Romantic Fiction of Tenny-
son.

son.
When Enoch Arden came back after his
wandering he found his wife happily MAJ
ried to another man. Chivalrously. he left
her in ignorance Of his return. Charles
keicher, a good-looking. elderly man Of No.
40 West 10th street, New York proved
himself in court the other day a much diff
ferent sort of Enoch. Keicher's story far
outrivals that of the wandering hero of
Tennysons tale.
keicher was summoned to appeal before
Justice Voorhis on complaint of his wife.
Philippine, who accused him of ANNOYING.
threatening and abusing her She was in
court, accompanied by her lawyer and her
friend, Mrs. Henry Ulrich, who also figures
in the story.
Il married my wife. Philippine. in 1874. A"
said Keicher and We lived together con-
genially for two years. One day. some time
in 1876, | was riding on the platform of a
Sd avenue car. Some one pushed me and |
fell to the ground. The next thing | re-
member was TO find myself in hospital.
what one it was | do not recall. The at
tendants told me. but / can only say that IL
was in New York city" Mr.. Keicher now
became a little excited as he warmed 10 his
tale. he glanced at his wife and Mrs u
-lch. They both smiled contemptuorslv
al
THIS point, continued keicher when
next | came to my senses / was in an in
stltutlon in Chicago, surrounded by a corps
of doctors. 1t was winter time then A
friend recognized me there. who had known
me before my ma -riage. When | was well
enough to travel he took me with him to
Philadelphia. The next five years are an
absolute blank. l had sufficiently regained
control of my faculties in 1883 to remember
that | had at one time lived in New York
and thought that / had a wife in that city
SO came over here one day. had been a
HOUSEHOLDER here. too, but where the house
was could not tell. l soon returned to
Philadelphia, and as the years went nv I
became stronger mentally and physically
l made trips to this city occasionally. and
my remembrance of my past life gradually
became more distinct
one day about four months ago / saw
Mrs. Ulrich on the street Her husband
Henry, had been my best friend l recog-
nized her. and she knew me- WHY.
thought you We're dead years ago. she said
L asked he where my wife was She
told me that she was living in her own
house. at No. 333 East 25th street, and was
mourning me as dead. She had not married
again. My friend Henry Mrs Tlrich's bus-
band, / found had been dead for yeas
then went to my wife. She was dressed in
mourning costume. / told her that | was
poor and in feeble health and that she
should support me now. as had her in the
old days. Her mother had died some wear
ago and left he the house in which she
lived and several thousand dollars besides
asked her where my house was. and what
had become of II. She told me that IL was
in 99th street. but that she had decided IL
years ago TO Henry Ulrich for debt which
he claimed that / had owed him. She had
also given Henry an old watch of mine and
some jewel-y as keepsakes.
My wife told me that when disappeared
she thought that / had gone away with an
other woman. As time passed by she gave
up this idea and put on mourning. We
never had any children"
Mrs. Keicher and Mrs. Ulrich admitted
that he had been away eighteen years and
that in that time they had never heard from
him. Mrs. Keicher wore mourning in court
All the love which she ever bore her hus-
band had apparently vanished. She did not
intend to support him and she did not in
tend to have him continually ANNOYING he-
Justice Noorhis asked Mrs. Ulrich III she
was willing TO return the watch and
trinkets which she had received from her
husband and which originally belonged TO
Keiche-. She said that she would do SO
keicher denied the right of his wife to have
decided his goth street property to Clrich
and said that the debt for which II had been
given had been wiped out before 1876
Justice Noorhis turned the evidence care
fully over in his mind and said: You, Mrs
Keicher, once promised to love your hus-
band long you should live You evil
IDENTIFY don't love him now, and after his
long absence there isn't any reason why
you should support him IL you don't wish TO
do so. 1t might be a nice thing to do
though, just the same All I've got to saw
to you. he added, turning to Keicher lis
that II you don't cease annoying these wo-
men I'll send you to the island"