HIDING A WIFE FOR YEARS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12991, 7 October 1905, Page 2 (Supplement)

HIDING A WIFE FOR YEARS.

Chambers, the celebrated Edinburgh publisher, used to tell of a house which had a remarkable tale attached to it. It was tenanted by a widow, the heroine of the story, who was well known to the publisher. The husband of this lady was a. singular character, and passionately devoted to antiquarian pursuits. He converted the upper part of his house into a museum, and built a special room for himself, lighted and ventilated in a peculiar manner. M Among his other curiosities there were two skeletons, which he dusted and brushed: himself. The dread of the skeletons wag bo great that not one of the servants willingly approached the staircase leading to' the room in which they, were deposited. But they all united in declaring that very strange sounds were heard to proceed from the floor. By-and-by his wife died, and he .came into possession of an ample fortune, A great change pissed over his appearance.., He began to be ispruce in his dress, gay and courteous in. his manners, and accessible to' strangers. By-and-by he prevailed on a very beautiful young lady, a portionless daughter of a curate, to become his wife. . ' * He told her plainly beforehand that if she married him she must submit to certain disagreeable restrictions?, 'as lie had made up his mind never to leave the town in which he resided; there would, therefore, be no bridal tour. The young lady agreed, and she was treated with a great deal of kindness, and allowed occasionally to leave home, though her husband never accompanied her in any of her excursions. About ten years after their marriage the vault in which the remains of his first wife had been deposited was opened in order to make some necessary repairs. It. appeared that the undertaker had abstracted the leaden coffin in which the body had been encased, and the wooden one. fell to pieces, disclosing the corpse. The perfect state of the body attracted attention. A face ghastly, but still undecayed, appeared beneath the mouldering shroud. On. examination the supposed corpse proved to be a, wax figure, and ail outcry arose that murder had been committed. One of the magistrates of the place proceeded to the antiquarian's abode, and bluntly told him the facts. After a few minutes of great perturbation the man exclaimed, " Gentlemen, 1 have a living witness to prove my innocence of the crime imputed to me." He led the way to the upper floor, opened several, doors, and brought out—his first wife. He had contrived to keep her in close confinement during this long portion of her existence. . • Tin 1 agitation produced by the discovery and the dread of consequences brought on an attack which in a few hours carried off her husband. The second wife quietly removed to the Continent with her children, while the first wife, accustomed to confinement, seemed! to have lost all enterprise and energy, and' was quite content to occupy the part of the house in which she had endured so tedious an imprisonment?. Chambers knew her as a quiet old lady, fond of cards and gossip.