The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-11-03


A dispatch from Indianapolis to the
Chicago Times Herald tells this inter-
esting romance in real life: The ques-
tion of the identity of Mrs. Luetgert
with the woman who was seen in
number of places by different persons
and which played such an important
part in the trial of the Chicago saus-
age-maker has revived interest in one
of the most remarkable cases of mis-
taken identity that ever occurred in
the west, and which would make the
basis of a more than ordinarily inter-
esting romance, containing as it does
a record Of devotion, of desertion, of
an attempt to lose identity and finally
of denouement that laid the scheme
bare and gave TO a widow the conso-
lation of burying the body of her hus-
band after long and bitter struggle
in the courts for it's possession.
Fifteen years ago James Pierce
Weaver was one of the most popular
undertakers in this city and was doing
a business that was rapidly making
him a fortune. He was the father of
an interesting family and to all out
ward appearances was supremely hap
py in his home life as he was prosper
Gus in business. One night in the fall
of 1889 q colored man called at his
home and told him that a man was
waiting to see him at the corner a few
rods away. Weaver went out to meet
the man, and as he emerged from the
house the stranger placed pistol to his
head and fired Weaver fell to the
ground, and when carried into the
house it was found that the ball had
entered just below the right ear and
had come out at the neck.
William Eden surrendered to the
police a few moments later and boldly
admitted the crime, Justifying 1t on
| the ground Of relations sustained to his
wife by Weaver. Weaver recovered in
a short time, sold out his business and
| suddenly left the city. Mrs. Eden fol-
| lowed in a few days, and the charge
| of attempted murder against Eden was
! dismissed. Eden's bullet left two ugly
! scars on Weaver's neck, and, as the
| sequel proved, these were destined to
! play an important part in the drama
still to be enacted.
WEAVER FOUND IN TEXAS.
Something later than one year after
| Weaver left the city an indianapolis
man was visiting in Dallas, Texas, and
was surprised when registering at the
| principal hotel to find that mine host"
was. none other than James Weaver,
who had transposed his name and was
known to the Dallas people as James
w. Pierce. Mrs. Eden, as Mrs. Pierce,
| presided over the domestic affairs of
the hostelry, and there was no sus-
picion that the pair was other than
they seemed, for Weaver was prosper
Gus and popular, and he and his sup
| posed wife were moving in good soci-
| ETY..
This condition of affairs was con-
veyed to Mrs. Weaver and she sud
denly pounced down upon the pair and
caused their arrest, and with it a SEN
sation. Under the Texas law an in
jured wife gets half the fine for prose
cutting such cases, and the Texas court
was in a humor to give her and the
state its full benefit. Weaver was
fined $1,000, and Mrs. Weaver returned
with $1,000 in her pocket, having re-
fused an offer of $4,000 if she would
get a divorce.
The Dallas denouement caused the
hasty flight of Weaver and his alleged
wife, and the next Mrs. Weaver heard
of him he was living on a ranch, but
just where she could not learn. She
was on the point Of going to Texas tc
institute another prosecution, when one
day, in December, 1885, a man called
upon her and said that the masonic
lodge of which Weaver was a membe,
had received letter from him asking
for a demit, but the lodge had refused
to grant it, When the letter was writ.
ten Weaver was at Atlanta Ga, ant
the purpose of the caller seemed to be
to inform the deserted wife of hi!
whereabouts.
HEARS OF HIS DEATH.
While they were yet talking the post
man delivered letter to Mrs. Weaver
which bore the Atlanta postmarl1
When opened it contained one of he
husbands old business cards and
clipping from the Atlanta Constitution
giving the details of a wreck on tn,
Georgia Pacific railroad, on Dec. IA, II
which it was stated that James w
Pierce, a wealthy Texas ranchman,wa
killed. The clipping stated that Pierc
had visited Atlanta with two Valuabl
race horses, had spent money lavishly
and was on his way home when tn
accident occurred.
There was nothing to indicate VIII
had sent the newspaper clipping an
the old business card, but Mrs. Weav
er's excited Imagination readily sup
piled all the missing links, and tear
filled her eyes as she recalled her hap
piness before the evil days came upo
her, and thought of her truant hus
band dying among strangers, but 4
his last moments giving directions tha
she, instead of Mrs. Eden, should b