News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1901-03-06
..The Prudent Nan Setteth
His House in Order. .
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Hub. Completely captlvated by her
charming face he bad married her,
though she was twenty years bis
junior, without anv investigation OF
her antecedents. E4tablshtd az the
mistress of a palatial home in New
ton, her husbands wealth and social
position immediate ly secured for Mrs.
Vandegger an entrance into the best
society. Five years passed away and
then disgrace overlook the young
wife. She was arrested on a criminal
charge and a Boston detective, a
member of the legislature and
clergyman testified that the ex-res-
taurant cashier had been girl of no
toriously bad character before her
marriage. The detective testified
that he had arrested her for stealing
watch, and that she had served ten
months in prison for the crime.
These disclosures stunned her hus
band. Without one word to his wife
he left the courtroom, and no one in
Newton ever again heard from him,
or saw him alive. A few days after
ward be appeared at Niagara Falls,
though whether he came with the fixed
purpose of ending his life in the way
described above. or drifted there aim
lessly in a half stupor, no one can
tell.
Another romantic suicide was that
of Elmira Willard in 1S47. The story
of her tragic death has been related
by a comely matron of nearly 60
years, who was the dead girls bosom
friend. Both resided at the then viii
lage of Niagara Falls, which has since
grown to be city of about 10000
Inhabitants. 1T all happened
through the predictions of fortune
teller" she said. "Elmira never had
a lover. She had no secrets from me,
and a purer girl Dever lived. One
summer day as we were sitting upon
the veranda of the very house, there
came along a little, dried-up. wierd-
looking old German, who asked per-
mission to sit down and rest. He
seemed strangely attracted by Elmi-
"a, keeping his large, wild eyes con-
stantly fixed upon her face with a
most uucanny stare. He finally said
he was a fortune-te teller and = a very
impressive manner propose to tell
Elmira's fortune.
"Taking her hand, he told Their to
my intense astonishment,' many
things that had passed between us
and which | firmly believe were known
only to ourselves.
"You were born unlucky,' he said,
'and you will bring evil upon all who
love you. Those from whom you re-
ceive presents and those to whom
you give them will die. The stars
predict for you dreadful end in the
near future
"For moment we were almost
stunned by the old mans words and
the solemnity with, which they were
uttered. When we recovered our
composure he had disappeared and
we never saw him again. From that
day heavy shadow seemed to rest
upon Elmira. She was evidently
brooding over the old mans words,
} and | tried in vain to rouse her from
the deep dependency into which she
had fallen. Exactly four weeks after
the fortune. teller's prediction she was
} found drowned in the Niagara river
} near the Cave of the Winds, and it
was the general opinion that she had
walked into the rapids above the falls
} and been carried over"
Ia the early part of June, 1860, an
evening train from New York brought
the remains of an middle-ag gentle.
man who had died of consumption en-
, route. A Juno-like woman of 40,
} with dark eyes, who stood at the exit
leading from the cars, turned away
} with a sadly disappointed look after
} scanning the face of every alighting
passenger, and seeking the conductor
} eagerly inquired for one Mr.. James
William. On learning that a gentle
man Of that name had died during
} the trip, she was very deeply affected,
, and declaring herself the dead mans
wife, she summoned an undertaken
, and had the remains conveyed to her
, hotel. She declined all offers of assist
J ance and companionship from those
} about her, saying that she preferred
} to watch alone through the long
night with her dead.
: On the following morning, though
: evidently worn out by grief and
: fatigue, she ordered carriage and was
, driven to Table Rock. Alighting and
/ requesting the driver to deliver to
: the pro 1rietor of the hotel a letter
which she gave him, she walked into
the water before the man had the
slightest idea of her intention, and
: was swept over the falls. The body
was never recovered.
J The letter which she had given ia
the hackman enclosed considerable
sum of money and told a most ro
mantle story. Her name was Emily
+. Glidden, and twenty-three years be
] fore at Williamsport, Pa, she haC
q been married in jest at a picnic by 6
g divinity student to James Whitman
i the nephew of deceased old bachelor
! who had left him a fortune of $500,
q 900. Whitman and Miss Glidden be
t came deeply attached to each otheI
r and were to have been married il
n earnest, but the young mans health
II compelled him to go abroad. Fo
the remainder of his life he was a cos