The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-03-08
SEEKS HER HUSBAND
Mrs. SchafferS FruitIeSS Jour-
ney to This City.
CAME FROM NEWKIRK, 0. 7.
Relates a Story of Hardship,
Hinged With DupIicity'
CAME FROM NEWKIRK, 0. T.

Mrs. Mary Schaffer Of Newkirk, o. T.,
was In the city yesterday in search of her
husband, who, she says. deserted her at
Newkirk a short time ago, after he hao
made a miserable failure Of the saloon
business in that town. Mrs. Schaffer ar
rived in the city Monday night and in
ouired of a hackman as to the where
snouts of her husband, she thinking that
he would probably meet her at the tram,
as she had received letter from him tell
ing her 10 come to him here. The hack
man knew nothing Of her husband ana
she was taken to the Occidental hooel'
Early yesterday morning Mrs. SchaHer
went to the police station to get help IN
hunting her husband. None of the police
men had ever heard Of him, and the wo-
man was heartsick with disappointment.
She is not only deserted woman, but 1t
seems from her story that she has been
the victim Of wicked and designing per
sons as web. Mrs. Schaffer Is now con-
WINGED that the letter purporung 10 De
from her husband was a forgery, designed
and executed by persons with whom she
was STAYING at Newkirk, and who, she
saws, wanted to get her out Of the way.
To a reporter for the Eagle Mrs. Schaf-
fer told the following story:
MY husband and 1 formerly lived at
Nickerson, Kan, nut when the strip open
ed we made a race for a claim and sue
ceeded in getting a good one. We worked
very hard to get a start, and 1 did all
could to help him. We lived on the claim
until last January. and had accumulated
considerable property, considering that we
were beginners in a new country. Then
MIR. Schaffer thought ne could do better IN
the saloon business, and he traded the
farm to Mr. Sewers of Newkirk for his
saloon, and I bought a comfortable home
in town. The saloon business did not pay,
and my husband soon ran out Of money,
and could not renew his license. He of
course had to quit. and when he came
home one morning he said he would have
10 leave me and the children and find
new location, as he could not face his
friends after making such a failure. He
said he would so on TO Ponca and dispose
of what whisky he had left on hand and
when he got a new location ne would write
home. L have never heard from him from
that day to this. Finally the creditors be
gan to dun me for what debts my husband
had contracted. and for his sake 1 sold
everything I had to pay his debts. Mrs.
Mary EVERY bought my home place, and
L sold the team and COWS, and what other
stuff that had been left from the farm,
and after paying all the debts 1 had some
money left.
while lying sick in bed last Sunday
Mrs. James Houston brought me a letter
dated at Wichita, which I then supposed
was from my husband, telling me he was
IN Wichita and had got in proper shape to
receive me. noticed that the letter was
not in his handwriting, but he said in the
letter that he had hurt his hand and had
another person write the letter. That sat
isied me, and I was overjoyed at the
thought of being with him again, with my
children, and I hurried to get ready to
meet him here. Mrs. Houston was very
handy in helping me to get away. She
burned the letter which she handed me,
saying that my husband would not want
people TO know where he was Then after
wards, when 1 was getting ready to 90 up
town for something, she snatched my
pocSetbook from my bosom, saying:
Here you don't want 10 carry that
around with you" and at the same time
threw it into the bureau drawer I had
the utmost confidence in her and paid no
attention TO the action. When I went to
the train she helped me to get away, and
when on the train I counted my money
and found that I was just $50 short Since
coming here and learning what I have
from the police, I am satisfied that the let
ter was a forgery, and that Mrs Houston
got the so, for my little daughter here
says she saw her take the money from nv
pocketbook after had gone Up town. I
cannot afford TO go back and prosecute the
woman, for it viii take every cent 1 have
10 set located so as to support my two
children 1 sha5l still try 10 find nv bus-
band, and believe if he knew my condition
he would at least write to ne"
Mrs Schafor said she and her husband
had shifted about a great deal. and she
would burst into tears when she smoke Of
how well they were getting along on their
claim before her husband made his bad
trade She said they moved from Niclsr-
son 10 Udah. then to Kinsman. then n
New Mexico, then back TO Nickerson. and
from there 10 the strip. After all those
hardships. She IS now left alone with two
children TO care for. Mrs. Scbafrar Iar-
last night for Hutchinson. where she s,-
poets TO find her brother. GEORGE !. ,,,-,,,
J.. e. Labrue, another brother. lives ~