Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1902-06-13
RICH, RARE AND RACY.
A. {. Stricken. a Denver Butcher.
Here With Another Mans Wife,
MRS. BESSIE A~sHBRook.

About six weeks or two months ago
there arrived in this city from Denver.
by slow overland route. a man and
uni
They desired to stay and to that end
rented the two story house, No. 519
North Second street.
The man was named A. K. Stricken
and he introduced around the woman
as his wife.
a few days ago letters were received
in this city from a news agency of
Denver. giving a description of a wo-
man. who had left her husband and
fed from Denver with a butcher. a
big. fat fellow, and they were suppos-
ed then to be in this city. The woman
had announced to certain confiding
friends in Denver hat she would drive
overland to New Mexico. on her way to
California. and subsequent events
show that they did arrive here il a
road wagon. drove by two horses, ana
leading a little black mare. which
sort Of points her nose out in front
when travelling
The information obtained from Den.
yer. with the descriptions. was very
plain as to all details. and soon there
after the interesting couple were spot
ted.
The man had secured a position in
one of the meat markets of the city,
while the woman, not Mrs. Stricken
but Mrs. Bessie Ashbrook, the wife of
a real estate agent of Denver, looked
after the household duties.
By some means they got an inkling
that some one, possibly the outraged
husband of the woman, was on their
trail and would make them trouble;
would have them arrested under the
Edmunds adultery act. and they pack
ed up and skipped away.
1t is learned that the woman, pack
ing together what few wearing appar-
els she had, for she sold all her house
hold effects before leaving Denver,
left the city Tor the west last Sunday
night. her destination being Los An
geles.
Stricken remained behind with the
intention of selling the horses and
road wagon; but he grew
every man he saw was an officer in his
mind-and day before yesterday he
loaded the three horses and road
wage on to a freight car, con-
signed for shipment TO a city outside
of New Mexico and a little closer to
the setting sun. He followed at night
On a passenger train and doubtless by
this time they are again together.
c%huckling 10 themselves how easy it
it to escape the clutches of the law
when some of its most sacred provis-
lens are broken.
The woman's name is Mrs. Bessie
Ashbrook. the wife of James Ashbrook,
a Denver real estate agent, and it was
on account of the woman'S infatuation
for Stricken that the family skeleton
vas drawn out of the closet" and Ash
brook left his M bright and pleas
ant home at Monclair. the suburbs of
Denver. Here was Stricklen's chance.
and a few days later he moved his
trunk to the Ashbrook residence and
assumed the role of husband. The
tongue of gossip commenced wagging,
and the guilty couple prepared for the
overland trip to the southwest. While
in Denver Stricken was employed in
the meat department of the John
Thompson Grocery company.
The woman's maiden name was 8es-
sic Sandenling of Baltimore, Maryland.
In hat city, when quite young, she
married Forest Parknurst and they
came west. Owing to certain crooked
steps taken by the wife, P~arkhurst
sought relief in the courts and was
divorced. He is now interested in sheep
raising in Montana. Several years ago
AshbroOk fell in love and was married
to then Mrs. Parkhurst, and now he
has separated but not divorced. Mr..
Ashbrook is reported to be a highly es-
teemed business gentleman Of Den.
yer. He is said to be a sober, genial
man of undeniable good character and
is reported to be very successful in the
handling of business since separat-
ing from his crooked wife. The Clti-
zen learns that he is interested in an
oil well near Boulder, Col, in which oil
was struck but a few days ago and
which may make of him a wealthy
man. 1t is also learned that he will
make no effort to have his faithless
wife and butcher friend punished FOR