Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1852-03-10
DISTRESSING CASUALTY.

A veIy distressing event has recently occurred
in the neighborhoed of Port Republic. GsIlah
Raynes, the wife of James Raynes, an DID, inhrth
woman, about 70 wears of age, on Saturday eve
ming, the l4lh ut, on her way hume got iost' and
is supposed 20 have pershed as the night was very
cold. She was almost blind from injury 10 her
ewes by ANAL nor, some Is or 70 years age, but
w.s nevertheless much in the habit Of going ABOUT
q. visit her neighbors. A son Of hers, (Reuben
Raynes) who has, it is said. acquired fortune of
FINN 1900 900 to halfa million in California, re-
Gently sent her as present, draft on the Bank
OF Philadelphia for $1,000. She deposited this for
safe keeping with Gen. Lewis, and on Saturday
morning she came 10 ask his advice as to the prop
er means of obtaining the money for the check
She left about IL o'clock, leaving the cheek with
him, and went to her sons, (Zacharlah) where she
remained until late in the afternoon. "A snort
time before sun-se, she was seen 10y some OF
Gen'l Is. seryants) TO leave the main road-'ak'
ing the road to her home, Upwards Of mile DIS
tant) through thick wood. II Is Supposed tnat
she mstook some road that led into the forest for
hauling timber, got into the thcket, near the foot
of the Blue Ridge, where there are several thous-
and acres of brush wood so thick as TO be difficult
to pass through. Surprising that she was at her
sons no alarm was created by her not coming
home, until about noon on Monday. few per-
persons then commenced searching for her. On
Tuesday, "Wednesday and Thursday the search
was continued by large parties, fFom on TO lUV
persons being engaged in she search. Inc search
has TO some extent Been continued TO this time,
but no trace other can be found. On the night
that size was lost, some negroes heard halloolng
in the wuods, in the direction of her home, but
they not suspecing any thing amiss paid no at
attention 10 il. Ii is not doubted that they were
the cries of the poor old woman lost in the
woods, that were heard. How sad and dis
tressing is the fate of this poor old woman! before
she had realized any benefit from her sons kind
ness, she had persisted. Her sons were both ao
sent at the time, and only reached home few days
ago, and have been assduously searching the for-
est for the remains of their parent, since their re-
turn. The old woman had been very often ad
moaished Of the danger Of rambling about in he
blind state and although several times before lost
and once spent whole night rambling about in tn
same woods, in which she is supposed to haJ
persisted she persisted in going about through III
neighborhOOd.
Since the above was pui in type, we received
the following.
On THURSDAY last some tracer Of Mrs. Rayne
were found, in an opposite direction from her home
from that in which she was supposed 10 De lost
the contents Of small bundle with some eggs &c
which she was carrying home-her pocket hand
kerchief and one Of her shoe strings and place
in the leaves where she had laid down. larg
party will to dav make thorough search wher
these traces have been found Harrison burg he
publican of6M