Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-05-06

story Of Real Life In West yir-
Ginia.
Special to the Register.
PARKERSBuRG. w. Va, May 5.--
The recent appointment, on the recon-
mendation of Senator Hanna, OF Mrs.
Ida w. Dawson to a position in the
General Land Office at Washington re-
calls the romantic history Of the wo-
man who is said to be her mother, a tale
OF love and perfidy which thrilled the
people of West Virginia a quarter OF =
century ago.
It was thirty years ago mat William
f. Taylor, young, wealthy, talented and
re..giously inclined, married servant
In his mothers house. Their happiness
was short lived, for soon after Ley
were married Taylor met the wife of a
poor mechanic, Mrs. Simpson, who was
possessed of remarkable beauty and
was competent to move in higher circles
than those which opened their arms to
the poor mechanic. They fell in love
with each other, and scandal followed.
TAYLOR left his home in the city and.
moving to Greenbrier county, West
Virginia, reared him a palace in the
mountains. Mrs. Simpson followed him
and lived with him as his wife. Taylor
purchased one of the finest farms in
the county, four thousand acres in ex-
tent, Built magnificent residence and
He erected -four mill which cost him
thirty or forty thousand dollars, built
enormous barns and granaries and went
extensively into the cattle business. He
also built and conducted large retail
store He was one of the most success
full and respected men in the commun-
ity, and with the woman of his choice
and the good things of this world, his
life was happy one. Mrs. Taylor died
in Philadelphia of broken heart, and
the mechanic filed suit against his
wife for alvorce, naming Taylor as CO.
respondent. Then the people OF Green
brier began talking about the rich
strangers, who were finally married.
With Mrs. Simpson, when she came to
West Virginia, was her daughter, Fan
ME, beautiful girl of fifteen years. She
had all her mothers graces and her
beauty, combined with the freshness OF
sI,1 how. OF o,,
became jealous, the daughter becoming
her mothers rival in the affections OF
Taylor. Then came the strangest part
of the strange story. Anxious to get
rid of her rival, even though it were
her own daugnter, Mrs. Simpson is said
to have entered into a plot to ruin her
lovely child and remove her from any
place where she might come between
herself and Taylor. The daughter
reputation was ruined and the child
sacrificed, to satisfy her jealous mother.
Samuel S. Snyder, young man of the
neighborhood, was encouraged to call
a few times upon the girl, after which
the report was circulated by the mother
of the girl that she discovered improper
relations existed between the girl and
Snyder. Public sentiment was aroused
by the declaration of the girls mother,
Fannie Soon afterward she was sent
away to school to complete her educa-
ton, and she never was seen again in
West Virginia, unless as has been sup
posed, she returned at a later date uu-
der another name. Snyder sought in
vain for his child wife, but never found
her. After long and tireless search,
he went to Texas, settled down there,
achieved distinction at the bar and died
there a few years ago.
With her daughter gone, and her
neighbors more or less estranged, Mrs.
Simpson-Taylor longed for the more ex-
citing life of the city again, and urged
her husband to take her back to Phila-
delphia. He refused to give up all his
property and leave his home merely
to suit woman's within, and then be-
gan the series of misfortunes which
were laid at the door of his wife, and
which finally drove him penniless from
the home he had established and where
he had hoped to enjoy his dream OF
bliss, for which he had left his wife,
his home and his honor in Philadelphia.
The big home was burned by an incen-
diary. Scarcely were the ashes cold
when his mill went up in smoke. Then
barn full of cattle and horses burned
and Taylor, fearing that his life was in
danger, but not suspecting the wife
whom the community suspected, of set
ting fire to his property, fled the coun-
try, and is now living in Philadelphia
in seclusion. What became of his wife
is not known. She disappeared entirely
from view. Taylor's fine farm was put
In the hands of trustees, but he still
owns and refuses to sell a large tract
around the falls of New river, which
have been admired for their natural
beauty by many thousands of people
Ten years ago a woman, who gave
her name as Mrs. Ida w. Dawson, and
claimed to be an adopted daughter OF
Cleveland, Ohio, millionaire, appear
peared upon the scene in Greenbrier
county with deed to the old Taylor
place. She was proclaimed by the COM
munity to be the long lost daughter
Fannie. She had been a favorite in
Cleveland society, and while visiting in
philadelphia, had met young man by
the name Of lawson, of Charles Town
w. Va, and they were married. They
purchased the Bushrod Washington es-
tate near Charles Town which nod q,