The Pantagraph loved catching wrongdoers flat footed. In July of 1853, a certain Mr. Wolf, formerly of Toledo, was managing the Pacific Hotel in Bloomington. On the 25th the Pantagraph reported that Mrs. Wolf had arrived in town, in the company of a detective who had traced her husband to Bloomington. The story was that Mrs. Wolf had been sent to Germany by her husband, from whence Mr. Wolf did not expect her to return because she did not have sufficient funds to do so. Her appearance at the hotel left Mr. Wolf quite speechless, it was said.
But Mrs. Wolf did return to Toledo and found her husband missing. He had expended all their assets to purchase the Pacific Hotel in Bloomington and allegedly hoped to live here without his wife.
Mr. Wolf had a disclaimer published the following day, claiming that it was a happy meeting between his wife and himself and that everything he had done was for their joint futures.
The Pantagraph did not swallow this story, but doubled down on the previous story by revealing the source -- a respected alderman of the City of Toledo.