Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-07-09
EVEN FAITHFUL WOMAN.
How . Devoted Wife Cli,gs to Her Grim
inal Husband.

Its the old story of woman's devotion
to the man of her choice, no matter what
he does. She's like ivy-the greater the
ruin the closer she clings." This was the
comment of langnid New York clubman
on hearing the story of William Riley
Foster, his wife and little daughter. Fos-
ter, now for the second time fugitive
from justice, is managing to keep beyond
the reach Of law. His wife and child are
living at quiet New York hotel waiting
to hear from him. When she does learn
where her husband is, she will endeavor
to reach him, but should she succeed there
is every probability that the police will by
following her once more nab their man.
Foster is the son Of man who was
formerly in good circumstances. He was
educated at Columbia university and soon
afterward came to be recognized as tai
ented lawyer. The trustees of the Produce
Exchange gratuity fund selected him as
their counsel, and such satisfaction did he
give that ere long he was made sole GUS
todian of the fund. His salary was s1O,-
900 year, but he lived at q rate necessi-
tating ten times that amount. This went
on until 1888, when, having cmbezzlcd
1898, 900 of the funds intrusted to his
care, he fed Then for the firA time the
trustees heard Of Lucia Belote. When al
most q child. she had been inveigled into
resort which Foster used to visit. I'm
mediately on her arrival tho lawyer saw
her and, moved by her beauty and simple
innocence determined to save her. At that
time she did not know the fate from which
the kindly hammered stranger had rescued
her. she knows now. Foster installed
the beautiful young girl in a villa on
Long Island. There she was carefully edu-
Gated, it being understood among people
in the vicinity that she was Fosters niece.
AS matter OF fact she had become his
idol, and he was only waiting for the COM
pletion of her education to make her his
wife. The girl was equally infatuated
with him, and when the crash came and
Foster disappeared she had no thought of
deserving him. Police and detectives vain
ly tried to get from her information which
would lead to his arrest. Finally she
slipped away and took ship Tor Lisbon,
Portugal, where Foster was already locat-
ed. There they We're married and lived
for years. Meanwhile Fosters father had
paid $780, 600 OF his sons stealings, but be-
fore he could pay the rest he died, leaving
property worth about 100000. This
estate was settled up and Foster got the
money, but in some way the police got a
clew and started after their man.
By this time Foster was the father of q
girl baby. Getting hint of the pursuit,
he, with his wife and child, roamed from
place to place in Europe, but was finally
caught in France. After "a long legal
fight he was brought to this country, the
woman and the little one following on the
next steamer. In New York no secured
bail in 100000, Samuel W. Millbank pledg-
ing his $50, 600 residence for the embez-
zler's appearance. This was early in the
present year. For four months he and
his family lived quietly at hotel, but on
the day when the case was called Foster
had once more fled A day or two later
Millbank paid the $40, 900 bail, and about
the same time word came that the fugi-
tive was in Paris Mrs. Foster declares
that her husband has committed suicide.
Every day she asks at the clerk desk for
letter. When it comes, she will proba-
bly, try to elude the police once more and
join her husband and face the odd life
fear by day and night. with certainty that
her husband must again return to this
country and meet his accusers.