The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-06-26
SOLD HIS WIFE.
y German In Need OF Money Parts
With His Helpmeet
New York Herald.

With His Helpmeet.
(New York Herald.)
Here is story of real life, with more
tragedy and romance in it than can be
found in II half dozen novels. So impress
Sive is it that ii has stirred all Germany,
where the scene is laid. Thousands who
have never read novel with II purpose
have heard of this lamentable story. and
have learned here from IL salut;try lesson
which no novel could teach them with
such etfect-the lesson, namely. that.
according as II man sows. 50 shall he
reap and that the sins of the father shall
he visited upon the children even unto
the third and fourth generations
There lived in Berlin some years ago n
well known brewer who had an unusually
pretty wife. The brewers name is an
open secret, but it is not divulged and he
is only referred to as H. The pretty wife
felt indisposed one day and II servant was
sent for II physician. DR.. S. who lived
close by responded to the call and the
remedies used by him were effectual and
Mrs. ii. was soon as well as ever The
physician, however, kept on calling, and
il soon became evident that he and the
brewers wife had become warmly attach
ed to each other The phys was I'M
married. and the only apparent bar to his
happiness was the rigid fact that the
adored one was already the wife of an
other DR.. :. pondcred the matter deeply,
and soon took bold step. Going to the
brewer, he asked him point blank on
what terms he would surrender all claims
to his wife-in other words, how much he
would take for her in solid cash, To this
question the brewer gave II prompt an
swer Knowing that his wife loved the
physician and cared no more for him. he
expressed his Willingness to dispose of her
for 90. 900 marks. The offer was accent
| ed. The physician paid the money and
married the wife, and the brewer con
tinued to live alone. with his only child
IL boy.
Evil days, however. were dawning for
the brewer. He fancied that he could live
at ease on the interest of his money oh
tanned in this infamous manner. and 50
he disposed of his business and began to
live like II gentleman of leisure But this
life did not suit him. and. craving excite
ment of some kind. he began to drink
heavily, with the result that he was soon
laid in Il drunkard'S grave. Strange TO
say, the physician died about the same
time The brewers property. including
the infamous purchase money for which
| he had bartered his wife. was divided he
tween his brother and his young son
The brother, who was in the livery bust
ness, spent MS snare IN buying coaches
ana horses and in otherwise improving his
property But like the brewer, he soon
walked lazy, and began tn drink heavily
| with the result that he, too, died early.
| The brewers son was now young man.
and he became sole proprietor of the liv-
cry business. The income therefrom was
very satisfactory, but he soon became dis
| satisfied with the business. and so he sold
| it and determined to live on the interest of
| his money, which included the 80. 600
marks for which his mother had been
| sold. His next step was TO marry IA pref
| ~ but otherwise undesirable waitress
| HIS friends demonstrated with him. but
| he would have his own way He and wife
went To live in Brandenburg street, and
it was not long before appalling stories
of domestic inidelity began to circulate
, among the ncighbors. The young hus-
| band quickly found out that he had made
IL great mistake, and like his father and
uncle, took to drink which very soon
carried him off
His pretty young widow came into pos
session of the illstarrcd property. and
strightway started To spend it most Law
iShly. She kept open house surrounded
herself with all the luXurics that money
can buy. and in IL short time became the
wife of Il retired officer of the army
Much OF the property had disappeared by
this time and she and her husband went
| To Potsdam, where they opened fashion
able wineroom The eNwaitreSS prcsid-
ed over the establishments and by her
beauty and seductive wiles soon attract
| eel II host of customers. But the profits
| of the wine business were not sufficient
for her. and She let il he known that
persons who wanted money could yet it
from her, provided they were willing to
pay handsomely for loans. Now. as re-
CARDS money lending, the German laws
are rather strict, and hearing curious
stories about this apparently respectable
| wine room in Potsdam, the law officers
| determined to make Il strict investigation
| But when they went to the wine room
they found that the birds had flown. and
all they could do was to publish descrip-
ton of the cX-waitrcss and to charge her
with usury. They are trying to arrest
her now, and if they catch her she will
probably he severely punished.
so, from generation to- generation. this
shameless blood money. this money fixed
by husband for wife, has wrought in
calcuiah!c mischief, and the story Of the
ruin which i; has caused teaches Il lesson
which j. not likely 10 be soon FORGOTTEN.