EPTRAORDINARY STORY IN DOMESTIC LIFE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 182, 16 June 1862, Page 5

EPTRAORDINARY STORY IN DOMESTIC LIFE.

At the Dublin Court of Probate, Mrs. Elizabeth Jane ltotherain, widow of. the late .Thomas Kotheram, of Friermore, in the county of Heath, propounded the will of her deceased husband, which was disputed by Mr. Thomas Edward llotheram, the eldest son of the testator, to whom there was no legacy. The late Mr. Itotherain was between sixty-four and sixty.--vine years of age. He first married a Miss Cox, the daughter of a clergyman, with whom he obtained a fortune of above £500. There were several children by the marriage, all of whom eiied with the exception of two. In the year ISSI the testator, who was passionately fond of field sports, became acquainted with a Air. Leahy, who resided on the banks of Lough Sheehan, in the County of Cavan. The result of the acquaintance was that the testator won the affections' of Mr. Leahy's eldest daughter, to whom he also became fatally attached, and in the year 1851 he induced her to elopo with him. They went to the north of Ireland, away ■ from everybody who knew them, or by whom they were known. On the 23rd April, 1855, the lady gave birth to her eldest daughter Elizabeth, the offspring of that illicit intercourse. , A deed of separation between testator aiid his wife was executed, under which lie provided that she should receive £400 a year, and retain the house and furniture at Friermore. The family then went to live on the Continent. Miss Leahy was, of course, cast off by her father, and after that she was the only companion of the testator up to his death. They next came to reside at Mount Tallant, near Round Town, in the County of Dublin, and on the 2t)th of December, 1855, another child was born. In the year 1857, Mrs. Rotherham died. After her death the testator formed a determination to make the only reparation iv his power to the woman he had wronged. This intention, the moment it became known to the family, greatly incensed them. ' They thought it a disgrace and a dishonor to them, and were inflamed and indignant beyond measure, and offered every possible opposition'to it. However, their third child being born in May, 1358, Mr. Rothsrhatn, as soon as the lady became sufficiently recovered, proceeded to carry out his intentions by procuring a marriage license. On the day previous to the one appointed tor the marriage, Mr. Rotlierham and the lady went to various shops in Dublin, to make some purchases, and, last of all, to a- place in Grafton-street. On getting into a shop, he said he wanted to go to Topham's, the jeweller's, to ask for her bracelets, which was being mended, and telling her to wait, said he would be back when she made her purchases. She waited some time, but he did not return. She then drove home in a cab and sat up till late, but no Mr. Rotherham apnearcd. The wedding had been fixed for the next day," the license bought, and the clergyman apprised of the marriage, but the ceremony was of necessity put off. At length the following document was received, and dissipated all doubt: —" My dearest Elizabeth,—l must write you a few lines. I love you in my heart and soul. This you know. It was cruel to part us; but I was hood-winked, pressed, and, in the last extreme, forced. I feel miserable without you. Farewell, my dearest E. Should you think me worth writing, to, youknow where to direct. I am, as ever, your affectionate and attached R. This I wrote before starting for II—." The unfortunate woman, on receiving this letter, wrote another to him, requiring some explanation of this extraordinary transaction, but it never reached its destination. On the following day she received by post another letter, as follows:—" My dearest Elizabeth, —I have no reason to expect any kind of affectionate feeling from you, nor is it in my power to express how truly unhappy I feel. Should you think me worth a thought, write, enclosing the letter, directed to Captain Lefroy, who will forward it to me.—Ever your's, my dearest E., T. Rothekium." That letter was undated, but the postmark of the envelope showed that itcame from Liverpool. The plaintiff m^de inquiries, and found that on the day the testator parted from her he went to Kingstown, dining there, and without even taking a stock of clothing with him, crossed by the packet. He was a man who kept very accurate accounts even in the smallest tilings. She sailed to Holyhead, and went from thence to Liverpool,, where she arrived on the 21th May in that year.. Late at night she went to the Adelphi Hotei, and it chanced that the testator was stopping there. She begged of the night porter to let her see the list of visitors; he did so, and she caw written in the testator's handwriting the name of Captain Lefroy. She desired the porter to go to that go.it!e nan's room, and say that a lady below stairs wished to speak to him. The porter brought back j word that the gentleman could not on any account be disturbed until morning. She refused to leave the house, and the porter accommodated her with a sofa. In the morning she went with the porter to the room, and on knocking at it the testator's voice answered. He immediately afterwards called her into his room. They remained a few days in Liverpool together, and returned to Ireland on the 30th of the same month. On the morning after his arrival there, the testator wrote to Samuel (Jerran, his attorney, directing him to prepare marriage settlements immediately. They were married on the 4th of June, and the testator settled £-JOO a year on the plaintiff, charged on his estates. They lived very happily together, and resided for some time at Friermore, and subsequently went to France. The estrangement between the old man and his family increased, and at length, when he died in 1861, lie cut off his sou with' a shilling. The case is not yet terminated. — Liverpool Albion.