Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-06-13
From the Memphis (Ten.1 Appcal.


A TALE OF HoRRoR.-About thirty years
ago, Mr.. Joseph st. Clair built cabin in Ar
kansas, far up toward the head waters of White
River. 1t was then wilderness country for
miles around, and game was very abundant.
There was no lack Of bears, catamounts, wolves
and panthers. Mr.. st. Clair had no family
other than young wife and one infant. He
was fond of hunting, but he cultivated a few
acres in corn and vegetables. At first it was
fully ten miles to his nearest neighbors, but
during the spring Il man named Williams made
settlement, within half mile of st. Clair's
and the two families became near neighbors
and quite intimate.
Mir Williams was man in humble circum-
stances, and had large family, mostly of
| grown daughters, and no small children. One
day in the month Of July, 1929 1.-THE first sum-
mer that Mr.. ST. Clair lived therel, his wife
was at home with the child, and Mr.. ST. Clair
| was off with his gun. About 10 o clock in the
morning she left her baby asleep in the cradle
and went to the field to gather beans for dim
ner. On her return the child was gone. She,
however, felt no alarm, because she supposed
that her husband had come home during her
absence and had hidden somewhere about the
house with the child, merely for little fun ;
so she busted herself in preparing dinner. In
an hour or two her husband returned from the
woods bearing his gun and young deer that
he had killed, and on inquiry declared that he
knew nothing of the child.
They now supposed that one of Mr.. Will
liams daughters came in while Mrs. St. Clair
was out, and finding the baby, of which she
was very fond she carried it home The the
ory was to them quite satisfactory, for there
| were no other neighborS, and the child could
not go away, unless carried. How else could
it have happened Dinner being over, Mr..
lai, bod H.,
bring back his treasure of baby that Miss
Lucy had borrowed that morning Miss Lucy
said that she had not borrowed the baby-she
had not seen it that day. Mr.. st. Clair was
hard to be convinced that no one of the family
| had taken the child, but all assured him that
they knew nothing of it,
1t was now time to be alarmed. "What has
become of the poor child :" was his exclama-
ton, and he run back home in great agony.
| The mother, in like manner, was almost fran
tic They could not conceive who had taken
away their child. Finally, it was remembered
| that occasionally there were parties of Chero-
KEGS hunting through that country. 1t was
now surmised that they had happened to come
to the house while Mr.. St. c. was in the field,
and had stolen the child and carried it away.
| This was at once received as plausible and
| quite probable.
Early next morning Mr.. st. Clair set out to
seek for the Indian camp, and Mrs. st. Clair
was left alone at home. She was sitting in
silence, weeping teers of bitter anguish, such
as none but mothers ever shed, and wondering
in her heart what had become of her babe.
1t was now about the hour of the day, on
which she, the day previous, had gone out.
Ere she was aware, a large panther, with a
stealthy tread, came to the door and looked in
toward the cradle. Mrs st. Clair screamed
and he away Tho fearful truth was now
apparent, and no new light has ever been cast
on the subject.