The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1900-05-02
DISCOVERY


That the Photograph of His FL
nancee's Mother Was That OIL
i His First Wife Kept Adam lam
COFdiff From Marrying HIS
/ Daughter.
ToLEDo, o., April 25 but for
/ the accidental discovery in his aft
fianoed wife's album If a picture of
his dead wife, Adam Cordiff, of
| Harrison county, Ohio, would have
been married within "a hours to
his own daughter.
Cordiff was in Charleston, w.
| Va, in readiness for the wedding
when the discovery was made. In
company with his fiancee, Miss
Lucy Cole, he was looking overthe
photographs when he saw one of
his wife, dead nearly twenty years.
His exclamation attracted the at
tention of the girl, who said:
"That is my mother's picture.
She died years ago when was lit
| tile"
Excited questions brought out
the full story. Cordiff says his
love for Miss Cole was rather that
of an elderly man for a young
maiden, and he is we'll pleased to
have her for daughter. She has
not yet decided whether she will
leave her adopted parents, Mr.. and
Mrs. w. Cole, to make home for
her father.
CordifS was born near Philadel-
phia, and running away from home
while young, worked for New
Jersey peach grower named Cole.
He fell in love with Coles only
daughter, and runaway marriage
followed. Cordiff was compelled
to leave the place, but declared he
would return for his wife. He
wrote to her repeatedly, but receiv-
ed no answer. After eight months
silence he learned through friend
that Cole was insolvent and Mrs.
Cole was dead.
a few weeks later came the word
that Cordiff's wife was dead and
had left child, baby girl. The
child had been adopted by reln-
tive of the Coles in Baltimore.
Cordiff visited New Jersey and
Baltimore. but failed to find his
daughter. He returned to Ohio,
where he is now living on farm
near Hopedale. The remainder of
the story is best told in his own
words,
"In April, 1899, 1 received copy
of matrimonial paper. / saw the
description of young lady living
in West Virginia who wished to
correspond with gentleman. 1
wrote to her and soon received
reply from Charleston. A long
correspondence followed.
"I seemed to be strangely fas-
oinated by tho young womau'slet-
ters and to be drawn toward her by
some unknown power. On Thanks
giving of that year 1 went over to
Charleston to see her. We were
wonderfully pleased with each
other. To be sure there is quite
difference in our ages but it was
suoh strong attachment we be-
came engaged and the wedding was
set.
81 came home, where 1 rented
small farm and told my neighbors
of my intended wedding. L ar
rived in Charleston two or three
days prior to our wedding day.
Lucy and 1 were sitting in the par
lor, talking over the plans for the
future. She had brought out an
old album. While looking through
it was suddenly startled to find a
photograph of my wife of twenty
years ago.
"I asked Lucy whose picture it
was. She told me. She added
that her mothers maiden name was
Cole, but she had never been told
who her father was. When she
had been adopted into the family
where she made her present home
she had received their name.
"I was amazed. Lucy thought
me ill and called for assistance.
"When 1 came to my senses /
olasped her to my heart, not as my
bride, but as my Iong-lost daughter.
[ understood then for the first time
the peculiar power that drew me to
her since the time 1 received her
first letter"
The base ball season has opened
anain and there seems to be no es-