Year: 1877

The End Of a LOve.Match.


Correspondence OF the Hartford Times.I


Another chapter of the very strange
Lands romance has been written. 1t re-


lates to the struggle between Charles X


Landis and his wife for possession of the
children, and it has ended in victory
for the wife. The page of fiction might
be searched in vain for series of more
sensational incidents than are furnished
by the history of the Lands marriage
and its consequences. Ten years ago,
Charles X. Landis, successful real es-
tate speculator, became acquainted with
the daughter of Commodore Meade,
ofthe United States Navy. He was forty
years old, and Miss Meade was a few
years beyond twenty. A mutual afiec-
tion sprang up between them, and was
encouraged by Mrs. Meade, who found
much in Landis to correspond with her
ideal of a husband for her daughter. But
the old Commodore, an irascible and very
proud man, objected strongly to the pro-
posed alliance, and threatened to be an
insuperable obstacle in the path of the
lovers. Landis, however, was a man OF
resource and resolution, and having
made up his mind to marry the daughter,
he was not to be baked by the anger and
opposition of the father. The old gentle
man was taken out carriage riding one
day, and he did not return that night.
Instead of being brought back to his
home, he was quietly placed in the
Bloomingdale Insane Asylum, the same
institution that was subsequently ex-
plored by the Tribune reporter, julius
Chambers, and graphically written up by
him in the book recently published un-
der the name of "a Mad World" In
order that no time should be lost, no
sooner was poor old Commodore Meade
safely shut up in the asylum than Landis
and his daughter took prompt measures
to become man and wife, Mrs. Meade Civ
ing full assent to all proceedings. The
Commodore was then released from
Bloomingdale Cat least his confinement
there lasted but few days after the con.
summation of the matrimonial scheme),
and Lands took his wife down to Vine
land, New Jersey. He had purchased a
waste of wild land there few years be-
fore, laid it out into town lots, attracted
a lot of settlers by liberal advertising,
made many Improvements with his
own money, and built up one of the
prettiest and one of the most thriving
towns that can be found in New Jersey.
Lands had a handsome residence there,
and for few years the Landis home
seemed to bc as happy as any in Vine
land. But it was not decreed that the
happiness should last. Elements of
trouble gradually found their way into
the household, and in the course of time
it became common talk that Landis and
his wife were not on good terms. This
talk nettled Landis, and It also irritated
his wife, and their affections became more
and more estranged. And to make mat
ters still worse, a meddlesome rural
editor begun to drag the Lands family
into his paper. The editor was Mr.. Car
ruth, whose death at the hands Of Landis,
a few years ago, was one of the sensations
of the day. The trouble between Lands
and Carruth had political origin. Lam
dis was Democrat, and being the foun-
der of Vineland, the principal land
owner in the place, and a man who
portance, he aspired to leadership in
politics on the Democratic side. Carruth
was the editor of Republican paper
in Vineland, and it is easy to see that
unfriendly relations might soon spring
up between the two. The health of Lam
dis began to fail and he took a trip to
Europe. Evil tongues were not wanting,
and malicious rumOrs were soon cir
culated. Some said Lands had got him.
self into financial trouble, and others
hinted that his mind had given way.
During his absence in Europe he sent
home several letters, some addressed to
his wife and others to nurse who had
been employed to take care of the chill
dren. The letters to the Lurse reflected
sharply on his wife, and this naturally
made more trouble. After a few months
sojourn in Europe Landis returned to
Vineland, and the mischief between hus-
band and wife broke out afresh. Editor
Carruth got wind of it, and basely made
use of it to give spice to hislittle paper. 1t
is needless to dwell now on the death of
Cairuvh from pistol shot fired by Lam
dis. Carruth lived for some weeks with q
bullet in his head, and Lands was subse-
quently tried for shooting him. During
his imprisonment his wife never once
visited him, nor did she seem to care what
might become of him. After the trial a
legal separation took place, Lands re-
tanning the children.


Allegations of insanity were then made
on both sides, and much scandal resulted.
Finally, Mrs. Lands, who had left Vine
land, recently commenced proceedings to
get possession of the children, and few
days ago they were awarded to her by
the court. The scene when they were
separated from their father is described
as most painful one. They clung to
him with sobs and touching embraces,
and it was with difficulty that they were
removed. And this is the end of a love-
match that, owing to the peculiar cir
cumstances attending it, attracted the
attention of the whole country not many
years ago. A clever novelist could find
in it material for a romance as sensational
as Sue or Dumas ever wrote.