The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-14
4 MOTHERS SEARCH
FOR Her Child.
UNHAPPY ENDING OF MRS. CLARA
HARPER'S MATRIMONIAL
VENTURE.
DESERTED BY HER HUSBAND.
He Took HER MONEY AND De
CAMPED WITH HER Four
YEAR-OLD Boy.

81 am in this city in search of my hus-
band and son." said Mrs. Clara Harper of
Sterling, Nebr., to Secretary McComb of
the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty
to Children yesterday.
Mrs. Harper is about 40 years of age and,
according to her story, has been in San
Francisco for week looking for the man
whom she married five years ago and who
recently deserted her. She was convinced
that he had fed to this city and that he
was in hiding here with her boy, bright
child of years.
The story told by Mrs. Harper proved to
be one of unusual interest. She married
her husband five years ago in little coun-
try town in Missouri, where he was en-
ployed as clerk in a store.
II was on visit to my sister when met
him." said she, land he appeared to take a
liking to me at once. He paid me some at
tention, and exactly four weeks after our
meeting he proposed marriage. l had
found him to be. gentleman in every re-
spect and he was held in high esteem by
all who knew him.
"Before my visit ended we became man
and wife, and | was congratulated on all
sides upon what appeared to be such
,
before l discovered that it was not myself
that my husband loved, but that $4,000
which / had in bank attracted him far
more. In fact he married me in order to
become possessed of the money, as subse-
quent developments proved.
~ returned to Sterling, Nebr., near
which my farm is located. Ny husband,
who was a practical farmer, readily took
charge of the place and manifested great
interest in all that pertained to me. He
treated me with marked kindness, and
showed me such attentions in public that |
was soon envied by other women who
were less happily mated.
~ was yet TO learn the real character of
the man to whom | was bound for life.
One day he received a letter which matle
him very sad. He said it was a peremptory
demand for $500 from a man in New York,
who threatened to sue him if the money
was not paid within two weeks. That
sum, he stated, was due the claimant on
an old account which had been running
for years. There were circumstances in
connection with the case, he affirmed,
which, if made public in court proceed
ings, would inevitably ruin him in the
estimation of his and my friends.
'Well, to make the story brief as possible,
I paid him the money, and he placed a
Judas kiss upon my lips in payment. He
swore had saved not only his reputation
but his life as well. 1 was happy to think
that had done my husband such SER
vice, and thought no more of the affair
until year later, when another demand
for $500 was made upon him. We had a
stormy scene, and my husband confessed
that he had used the money I had given
him for another purpose, but what he alb.
solutely refused to tell. began to suspect
that something was wrong, and fatty re-
fused to pay any more money on his be-
half.
my husband then began to abuse me
shamefully. One night he took up shot
gun and threatened to kill me unless
gave him the money he demanded Or
another occasion he knocked me down anc
kicked me SO brutally that / was unable te
leave my bed for four days"
Mrs. Harper states that this brutality on
her husbands part was manifested con