The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-02-11
UNLIKE ENOCH 4EDEN.
Charles K~icher's story of Fact ESceis the
Romantir Fiction OF TenDyson.

Romantir Fiction Of ~Ienpyson.
When Enoch Arden came back after his
wandering he found his wife happily
married to another man. Chiyalrously.
ne left her In ignorance of his return.
Charles Keicher. a good-looking. elderly
man OF No. 4lO west Fortieth street,
New York, proved himself in court the
other day a much different sort OF Enoch.
Keicher's story far outrivals that of the
wandering hero Of Tennyson's tale.
Keicher was summoned TO appear be-
fore Justice NOorhis on complaint OF
his wife, Phillipina, who accused him OF
annoying, threatening, and abusing ner'
She was in court. accompanied by her
lawyer and her friend, Mrs. Henry VI
rich, who also figures in the story.
81 married my wife, Philippine in
1874" said Keicher, and We lived to-
gether congenially for two years. one
day. some time in 1876, 1 was riding
on the platform Of a Third avenue car.
Some one pushed me and | fell 70 the
ground. The next thing / remember was
to find myself in a hospital, what one
II was | do not recall. The attendants
told me, but l can only say that 1t 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. Ulrich. They both smiled contemp-
tuously.
II have but the faintest recollection at
this point" continued Keicher. "Nhen
next j came to my senses l was IN an
institution in Chicago, surrounded by a
corps of doctors. II was winter time
then. A friend recognized me there, who
had known me before my marriage.
when | was well enough to travel ne
took me with him 10 Philadelphia. The
next five years are an absolute blank.
I had sufficiently regained control OF my
faculties In 1855 to remember that }
had at one time lived In New York,
and thought that l had "A wife In that
CITY. So | came over here one cay. i
had been a householder here, TOO, Dut
where the house was / could not tell. |
coon returned TO Philadelphia, and as tie
wears went by i became stronger mental
jv and physically. l made trips TO ms
city occasionally. and my remembrance
Of my past life gradually became more
distinct.
..Ore day about four months ago
saw Mrs. Ulrich on the street. her nus
band, Henry, had been my best lIlenu'
I recognized her, and she knew me-
.v,h,, 7 thotght YOU were dead years
oao sha said. l asked her where my
wife was. She told me that she was Nv
inc IN her own house, at No. 535 east
Twentv-dfth street, and was mourning
me as dead. She had not married AGAIN
Nv friend Henry, Mrs. Ulrich's husband
7 found had been dead for years. l theh
went TO my wife. She was dfesseo ~
mourning costume. | told her tnal 1
was poor and in feeble health, and that
she should support me now, as l mad
her in the old days. Her mother had
died some years ago and left her the
house in which she lived and several
thousand dollars besides. / asked her
where my house was, and what had be-
come OF It. She told me that 1t was in
Ninty-ninth street, but that she had
decided it years ago to Henry Jlrich Tor
a debt which he claimed that / had wed
him. She had also given Henry an old
watch Of mine and some jewelry as
keepsakes.
My wife told me that when I dis
appeared she thought that / had gone
away with another woman. AS time
passed by she gave up this idea and put
mourning. We never had any child
rem"
Mrs. Keicher and Mrs. Clrich admitted
he had been away eighteen years.
and that i'm that time they had never
heard from him. Mrs. Keicher wore
in court. All the love which
she ever bore her husband had apparently
vanished. She did not intend TO support
him and she did not intend to have him
continually annoying her.
Justice Noorhis asked Mrs. Jlrich II
she was willing to return .he watch and
trinkets which she had received from
her husband and which originally be-
longed to Keicher. She said that she
would do so. Keicher denied the right Of
his wife to have de edcd his N~inty-ninth
street property 70 Ulricn. and said that
the debt for which it 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 10 love your
husband as long as YOU should live. You
evidently don't love him now and after his
lcpg absence there isn't 1ny reason why
you should support him II you don't wish
to do so. IT might be a nice thing TO do,
though, Just the same. All I've got 20
say To you" he added. turning 10 Keich-
err. lis that If you don't cease annoy
ing these women I'll send you TO the Is
land"