Gossips about town were in clover yesterday. The denouement
of a plot wherein connubial infidelity, shrewd cunning, aristocratic domestic
differences, and a base avarice, each had a part, leaked out just as the actors
themselves began to tremble before the unavoidable penalty of the law. The parties interested were not alone, nor
three nor four, but even more, and among them the wife of ex-Alderman Jacob
Harris, and ex-Justice of the Peace, David Vaughn. Our much respected friends, the old ladies,
caught up the whisperings of the revolting affair, gathered them together, and
ere night had come, the whole city were conversing over its distorted details. –
The truth however, has not been more than half told. This we shall endeavor to set fairly before the
public and in our account shall screen nobody nor relate more than has actually
happened. To tell the whole truth would
be a hopeless task. Much of it is shut
out from the world and even the siftings of judicial process will not bring it
out.
To go back a few weeks.
On the 12th of February just past, Mrs. Lydia C. Burrows, a young window
lady living at No. 483 State Street corner of Eldridge court, was called upon
by an acquaintance, Mrs. Chloe Hills, residing at the same house. The latter asked Mrs. Burrows if she would
like to “put four or five hundred dollars in her pocket within the next eight
or ten days.” This question would be
needless to ask of almost any person, but Mrs. Burrows inquired before
answering, what were the terms. Mrs.
Hills, having enjoined secrecy said that the wife of a prominent citizen on
Wabash avenue was desirous of procuring a divorce from her husband, and wished
to hire some woman to induce him to commit adultery. She represented that this lady was tired of
her husband, and that she was ill treated by him, and that their family
relations, though externally fair, were not of the most pleasant nature. Mrs. Burrows assented. Shortly afterwards, David Vaughn, an
ex-justice of the peace, was introduced to Mrs. Burrows by Mrs. Hills. – The former
had repeated interviews with Mrs. Burrows, and made all the arrangements from
the proposed liaison. Then Mrs. Harris, the wife alluded to, had an
interview with Mrs. Burrows and finally Eugene Vogle, son in law of Mrs.
Harris, who gave to Mrs. Burrows fifty dollars as the first installment of the
compensation which she was to receive for her part in the affair. In the meantime Mrs. Burrows sent a note to
Mr. Harris requesting him to call at her house.
The latter though a stranger to the woman, called upon her. She stated the circumstances truthfully,
keeping nothing back and informed him of every particular of the devilish plot
by which his wife, his son in law Vaughn, and Hills were endeavoring to break
him down. Thus had she deceived
them. Harris received the intelligence
with astonishment, the thought that his wife was thus trying to ruin him – that
the husband of his daughter was no less base – would be enough to overpower
almost any man. He was not long in
coming to a determination. He bade the
woman who had given him her knowledge of what had transpired, and what was
proposed, to go on apparently hand in hand with the guilty plotters, and bring
the affair to the very verge of its proposed conclusion, that they might the
more readily receive their just punishment at the hands of the law. Mrs. Burrows informed the others that their
plan was succeeding, and it was arranged that on Thursday night she would have
carnal knowledge of Harris. Mrs. Harris
was elated at the probably success of her scheme, the guilty son in law clapped
his hands at the prospect of obtaining a share of the “old man’s” property and
Vaughn and Hills were no less jubilant.
Well, Thursday was the time set for the consummation of their desires, –
everything was arranged, and Mrs. Hills was to open the door of Mrs. Burrows
bedroom while the act was in progress.
Thursday evening came, Harris arrived, and with him walked noiselessly
up the stairs a friend of his – a citizen of eminent respectability. A person in the street might have seen at the
very moment, two policemen concealed in the shadow of the building, awaiting a
signal. These Harris had brought with
him for a purpose which will soon be explained.
Harris walked arm in arm with his friend into the room of Mrs.
Burrows. Harris placed his friend in
concealment under the drapery of the window curtain, threw off his coat and
covered himself with the quilt of the bed. – Mrs. Burrows gave the signal and
Mrs. Hills with Vaughn walked into the room, while the policemen were grouping
their way up the stairs. In another
moment Hills and Vaughn were under arrest – their bubble burst – themselves disgraced
forever. These are the circumstances in
brief. The arrest was made on Thursday
night last. – {Chicago Times.
– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye,
Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, March 8, 1862, p. 3
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