Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1906-02-01
Gone Into Oblivion
fOrlginaLl

II il said that in the great city of
New York this announcement is made
frequently and there is one of these
disappearaDces for every day in the
year When thing becomes common
1t ceases 10 attract attention But
there was time when this sudden
walking into oblivion from New York
made great stir. That was when
most of the people lived in little Dutch
looking houses huddIed about the Bat
terry, when the French and Indians
were troublous upon the border in the
Mohawk valley and the gentlemany
pirate infested the ocean, making his
shore headquarters ON Long Island
within half days journey by coach
from The Dutch and English village.
Apropos Of the gentility Of piracy the
farmers OF Long Island considered the
pirates making that coast base quite
an advantage. The water merchant
was supposed TO bury his treasures
near at hand, and the farmer dug many
hole looking for it. An old historian
has spoken Of the pirates rs worthy
gentlemen" and records that the IA
nous Captain Kidd had for his asso-
ciates Lord Chancellor Somers, the
Duke of Shrewsbury, the Earls Of Rom
ney and of Oxford
One night when New York had grown
so far that Wall street was beginning
to be n fashionable dwelling place
there was n wedding in house near
the corner Of Wall and Broad streets,
on which latter street the Stock EX-
change now stands. Stephen Winter
ton. Il younger son of British noble
man, was married to the beautiful Re
becca Van Flotter New York's most
engaging belle A month after the
wedding the groom walked out Of the
house and was never heard Of after
ward. When al nightfall he had not
returned the young wife, becoming
alarmed, sent word to the watch, who
secured the town without finding him.
The prominence of the family of the
groom in England and Of the bride in
the province were alone sufficient to set
all tongues wagging. But as weeks
passed the hurghers gradually ceased
their clattcr, and in time the young
scion of noble house was forgotten
by all except the wife, who shut her
self up and was never seen on the
Battery. in Bowling Green, or even on
the street Whether or no any word
ever came to her from her husband
was not known-at least, outside her
home. An elder brother Of Winterton,
Lord Boniford. came over from Eng
land to Seek the lost member Of his
family. During his stay he lived at
the home of his sister-in-law, whom he
strove in every way to comfort. He
went back to England without having
found the slightest trace of his brother.
Five years after her husbands dis
appearance Mrs Winterton went to
England ana was kindly received by
her husbands family After remain
Ing for some time their guest she re
turned to America. A year or two
later accounts came OF a scout who
had been shot by Indians near Sche-
nectady which in some respects tailed
with the missing man. The Van Flot-
ter family did not hear Of him until he
had been buried some time When they
did they sent Il man who had known
Wnterton to have the body eXhumcl
and examined The family'S repre-
sentative returned and reported that he
believed the remains TO be that of Win
terton. though they We're much decom-
posed. lie had found the letter wv
embroidered on the shirt in which the
man had been buried, and this tended
TO confirm his belief, The Van Flot-
ter family announced that Winterton's
body had been found, and thereafter
they publicly considered him dead.
The announcement no sooner reached
England than Lord Boniford started
for America. ana on his arrival there
was second wedding in Wall street
IN the same house rs the first, Lord
Boniford marrying his brothers wife.
Since the marriage between a man and
his dead brothers Wife is not legal in
England. the couple remained In New
York till the death Of the groom's ia
ther the Earl of Scarsield, which oc-
CURED year after the wedding. Then
the son, having succeeded to the title,
took his bride to England
When they arrived there 1t was SUP
posed that they would seek recognition
among the earls friends Contrary to
expectation, ther remained shut up on
the estate, neither seeking nor giving
invitations This changed the attitude
of their peers toward them. and invita-
tlonS began TO bc sent thcm. Not one
WAS accepted They remained isolated,
only going beyond the limits of their
estates when necessary.
70 say that Stcphca Winterton was
never heard FROM needs qualification.
He was never heard from to the world.
Two years after his disappearance a
swarthy man partly in soilor's dress
knocked &C the back door Of the Van
Eiat,cr bone n WAL street v.ith cuFiog
}o soil N9s. Winfnrtou was called. aud
rs soon as the man was alone with her
he handed her letter addressed 60 her
IN the well known hand Of her husband
Tearing fl open she read a farewell
from Wlntcrtou stating that when ho
met her he was engaged in making
money 80 replace what the laws of
,pamo-eniture denied hiua and after