The Topeka state journal., 1901-11-14
HIS WIFE GONE.
AlOnZO TOwnsend's Dream of
Happiness Is Over.
Beautiful Young Wife Returns
to Her People.

"Oh the years we waste and the tears we
And the work of our head and hand.
.d B.el9ng to the woman " who did not .1,T know
And did not understand"
Deserted by his wife, with several
large dry goods bills to pay, his new
and handsomely furnished home with
out a mistress, weak from the effects
of a surgical operation, Alonzo c.
Townsend, formerly known as king
of the Jointists.' lies at Stormont hos
pital sore in mind and body.
1t was two weeks ago today that
Lon Townsend as he is Familiarity
known, was taken to the hospital to
undergo an operation. 1t was two
weeks ago tomorrow that his hand
some and stately wife left his home
without apparent excuse and returned
to her home in Cottonwood Falls
She left behind a bill of 5000 at one
dry goods store, a bill of $12S at an
other dry goods store, and besides the
finery that the bills represent she took
for pocket change all the money on
hand in the office of "A. G. Townsend,
agent for Red Raven Splits" and other
things, on East Fifth street.
The meeting, the wooing and the
wedding of Way Thompson, a school
teacher of Cottonwood Falls. by Lon"
Townsend, once termed King of the
business, is full of romance. Last sum-
mer Miss Johnsons sister was being
treated at the StOrmont hospital Miss
johnson met Townsend at the home OF
Arthur Massey, on West Fifth street.
1t was a case of love at first sight with
Townsend He was infatuated with
Way Thompson.
And Way Thompson seemed to return
his love. That was in July. Miss
Thompson notified the school board OF
her district near Cottonwood Falls tDat
r11k haf
cOurtShip was short. Only a little short
er than the honeymoon. Way Thompson
became Mrs. A. c. Townsend in August.
They took a short wedding trip and
came to Topeka to live.
Townsend was ready to settle down to
home life. He bought the Wolff prop
erty at Thirteenth and Van Buren
streets. He expended a large amount or
money in improvements. His bachelor
quarters at 726 Kansas avenue had been
known to the few who saw them to be
all of mahogany. The walls were adorn-
ed with expensive pictures, the floors
were carpeted in velvet. There We're
divans, piano and all that would go
to make a bachelors quarters pleasant
He fitted his new home for his bride
in even more lavish style than his
bachelor rooms. There was everything
to make a home pleasant. From the attic
to the cellar and from the front door to
the kitchen all was the model or con-
venience and neatness. the best that
contained bIooded horses.
Two weeks ago today Townsend went
to the hospital to undergo an operation
Two weeks ago tomorrow his wife de-
serted him. The day that Townsend
went to the hospital his wife went to his
place of business and got what money
there was there, $50
Since that the husband has found
bills to the amount of 1928. His wife
told him that she was going home to
see her father who was i'll. She desert
ed her husband the morning after he
was under the surgeons knife.
His wife returned to town in few
DAYS and again asked Townsend's chief
clerk for what money he had on hand
By that time the husband knew some
thing was wrong. The clerk telephone1
to his employer and was told not to
give the wife more money. Then Mrs.
Townsend went to the hospital and in
formed her husband that all was over.
She gave no reason.
ssOh the toll we lost and the spoil we lost.
And the excellent things we planned.
Belong to the woman who didn't know
why
(And now we know she never knew why)
And did not understand