The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1848-10-30

JouN NEwLAND MAFFIT.-Of Mafit and his
marriage, the n. Y. Christian Advocate, Metho-
dist paper, says:
During the winter of 1S47, while Maffit was car
rVing on his meetings in the Centenary Church,
'EFanny Pierce or Frances Smith, was attracted to
the church in company with several young friends,
by report that an acquaintance had experienced
religion there. The result was, that she continued
TO attend until she became impressed, and hnalIy
professed conversion, and joined the church as a
prObatiOner Soon after this, Frances was asked,
by a friend Of hlaflit whom we shall not now name,
how she would like to become the JDte of Mr. Matt
The girl in utter establishment answered, " Why,
he is old enough TO be my grandfather! The mo-
tvcs were then laid before the mind of the unsus-
pecrng girl Brother lIafIit was a very piOWs man,
and the union would help her in her religious course
she would travel with him and see the World-he
was a very popular preacher, and mingled IN the
best sOciety-she would be perfect lady, and as
sOciaie with the most accomplished ladies In the
nation-besides, brother mafft was Gerry TJch, and
he would make her large presents to begin with,
and then she would never want anything which
was really desirable.
When the girl 5 ear was gained matters proceeded
rapidly, but secretly. She was conducted at night
through the basement window OF the Centenary
Church. and taken through at the back door OF the
Parsonage to hold interviews with AIaifit She was
presented with much costly Iewelry, costly rose
wood piano. etc, etc: all through Maifits agent IN
the affair. The result was, the plan succeeded,
and the prey was secured. The FIRST cOmmunica-
ton which the mother OF Frances received touch
ing the matter vas made by the same agent, and
then she told that opposition ras useless
er -nqift and Frances ,Dere engaged and ,routd be
married at all eUentS and she might as tCeh consent
and make the best Of Il.
The marriage was c0nsummated-there being
only hiy-SeUsH years difference in the ages OF the
pares-but it has brought with it none of the bliss
which had been promised Frances. As TO religious
influences, they had now all evapOnted- Not a
word did she hear upon the subject from Matfit, or
those in his service in the matter Of the marriage,
from the moment of the commencement OF the
tragedy. She had been carried away with golden
dreams of elevatOn-her brain bewlldered with
phantomy; but the period of her intellectual haIlu-
cinaliOn was of short duration. She soon had TO
grapple with realities. But f0rbear. A portion
Of the history has been given but the rest, and by
far the most mysterious and illustrative of charac-
| ter remains behind.
That the poor girl was unhappy in her new and
| unnatural position was an event that might have
been expected but that she would so soon fall a
victim to her misfOrtunes has taken all by surprise.
| She ever had perfect health until her marriage,
but for the last SIX months she had been rapidly
sinking under the influence of grief and mortfca-
| ton. She was defamed-the worst attributes oil
character attributed to her-and many of the tales
of her traducers were, by mistaken friends, whls-
pered in her ears. Her heart sunk, and life became
| a burden. The functions of the brain became de-
| ranged and she died in commissions.
| Al the present we forbear reflections This much
we think the public entitled 10 at present, but we
are mistaken if more is not forthcoming from other
| quarters. We knew nothing of Mrs. Matfit until
| circumstances threw the information in our way
and we confess little as we thought of Mrs. Alaffi
| so many strange accounts had been given us, that
we thought her none too good for the destiny upon
which we supposed she had recklessy rushed. But
authentic information, from various quarters.
changed our views of the lady entirely. Now, we
| can say, that we have heard of nothing preiudiCal
| to her moral character which cannot be traced to
one sOurce-and that source, with us, is entitled 10
no respect whatever The fact that she died
through grief is strong presumptve evidence of her
| innocence of certain things existing In rumoT. Fe-
males such as Mrs. NJ. has been represented by
some and suspected by many, to have been, neUe'
| die heqf broken