The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-08-28
ELOPED WITH GIRL
Edward GOff Runs Away With
IL Year Old Ward.
Fruit Farmer Fifty-seven lears
Old.
WIFE BROK KENHEARTED
Thirty-six Years a Wife and Now
Deserted.
Can Not Understand Her Hus-
bands InfatuatiOn.

Edward Con- lived just across Soldier
creek. He is 81 years of age. Effie
Moore is scarcely Il years of age and
was taken under the fostering care of
Mrs Goff two years ago, who sus-
pected not the wiles which the girl in
teens was weaving around the man,
forty years her senior.
Gof is now supposed to be in Denver
with the Moore girl and the police of
that city are aiding his son. Edward H.
Cor, in the search for his recreant
father. Thus far their efforts have been
futile. With his disappearance Goff has
left heart broken and distracted wife
who was so beside herself that her rela-
tfves had to watch her closely to keep
her from taking her own life.
It is simply a bit of inherited trait of
character, for Edward Goffs father
deserted his wife, while he was yet
child leaving her with seven children
to support. Has Edward Goff gone
crazy-a letter to his wife from Grand
RAPIDS says. I believe I am getting
crazy" Both of these facts are being
turned over and over by Mrs. Goff to
explain her husbands sudden disappear
ance- And yet facts seem to point to in
fatuation with the young slip of a girl.
But the wOman's heart which is able
to suffer and yet to forgive all the
wrongs done spoke when Mrs. Goff said
this morning: Il would forgive him
yet If he would come back. He has
been my companion for SO years and I
have never held anything against him.
He was for IS years a good kind hus-
/ band and faithful father. Many a time
| he took care of me in my sickness. 1
/ love him yet I love him so madly that
I could take my own life I grieve so
over his absence. They tell you that
love grows cold when you become faded
but it is not true
It is one of the inexplicable things
which bob up in the human relationship
"a mere girl unattractive, of unknown
parentags. without property. but who
/ has an unreasOning attraction for older
men and is able to make them do her
bidding-for Effle Moore came near to
breaking up the family circuIe of a
neighbor Of the Cons, previous to the
eseapade.
Effie Moore came from the slums of
Kansas City. She was rescued from
them, placed in an orphanage while yet
but small child and then found home
4 in a private family. She spent several
4 years in various households and finally
/ stayed with Mr.. and Mrs. Edward Rob-
/ erts of Caldwell, Kan Roberts was a
farmer and strayed over Kansas in
! search of a good location. In these
Wanderings his wife remained at home
while Effie Moore accompanied Roberts
4 in his wagon. She was then about IA
years of age. Finally Roberts came to
! Topeka and decided to settle down
along some of his old neighbors east Of
North Topeka. Mrs. Roberts had not
| arrived yet in Topeka and Roberts was
4 living alone with the young Moore girl.
/ Mrs. GOff, who was an old acquaintance
of Roberts advised him to write and
send for his wife as soon as possible,
4 that it was causing talk in the neighbor-
! hood that he and the Moore girl were
living there alone and that 1t might in
/ jure the girls reputation. He promised
/ to do so and Mrs. GoH in a motherly
I told hot she Fo1f
/ that it was not advisable for her to
/ travel about in q wagon all alone with
/ a man who was not her father. she
flew in a rage at that said Mrs Goff.
But finally acknowledged that it might
not be the best though she said she had
never thought of looking at 1t in that
| way"
Robert showed in numerous ways that
he cared great deal for Effle Moore.
it is said and he kept postponing
writing for his wife on one pretext and
another and gave as an excuse that
the old woman and the girl did
not get along very well together Eff
fie Moore too, was to pick out the fur
niture for the home which Roberts was
preparing Mr. and Mrs. Roberts after
living at North Topeka a short while
left and Eff1e Moore came into the Gofi
| household, two years since. Since that
time she has been as a member of the
Golf family.
Called Her Mother
Little did I think l was taking in
a girl that would wreck my home. She
called me aunty and then later asked
If she might not call me mother She
said she wanted to be my daughter. 81
said Mrs. Goff tearfully, and [ never
thought it would come to this.
Il don't want to say that my hus-
band has run away with this girl, un-
derstand, but 1t looks very much like
he had. Everything seems TO point
that way
grow up into nice woman. I don't
want you to do as some of these wo-
men. Some day there will be a nice
young man come to you and want you
to be his wife. He Will want a nice
woman to make a home for him; for
goodness knows there are plenty OF
women OF the other kind. and the
good ones are rare She called me
mamma at that time and said sht
wanted to be such a woman. And here
it comes to this.
II was blind, blind to all of this go
ing on before me. Blind through my
affection, for believed in my husband
and I never suspected the girl. She
seemed to be so honest. though some
! OF my folks VINO were visiting here SAID
that they didn't like her looks and told
me that they wouldn't have her in the
house if they were me
She came near to wrecking taii
other home. I never supposed ther,
was anything between my husband and
her for he was faithful and true to M
for 36 years of our married life. Thi
is the first time that I have had any
reason to suspect anything agains
, him. I think that some of his folk.
2 are back Of this too. On the 26th o
July I met my husband down town
: He didn't say anything to me abou
leaving the city though he had his gril
0 already packed and his ticket bought
4 He left that evening for Michigan