Daily national Democrat., 1859-07-26
A Tale of Horror.

About thirty years ago Joseph ST. Clair
built cabin in Arkansas, far up towards the
head waters of White river 1t was then all
a wilderness country for many miles around,
and game was very abundant There was no
lack of bear, catamounts, wolves and pan
theirs. In fact that country was, at that date,
a perfect paradise for the practiced hunter.
st. Clair had no family other than young
wife and one infant He was fond of hunt
ing, but he cultivated few acres in corn and
vegetables At first it was fully ten miles to
his nearest neighbors, but during the ensuing
Spring man named Williams made settle
ment within a mile of St Clair's and the two
families became neighbors and quite intimate
Williams was a man in humble circumstan-
ces and had a large family, mostly of grown
daughters, and no small children. One day
in the month Of July 1929, (the first Summer
that st. Clair lived there), his wife was at
home with the child, and st. Clair was off
with his gun. About 10 o'clock in the morn
ing she left her baby asleep in the cradle and
went to the field to gather beans for dinner
On her return the child was gone She how
ever felt no alarm, because she supposed that
her husband had come home during her alb
sence and 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 Williams
daughters had come in while Mrs. St Clair
was out, and finding the baby. of which she
was very fond, she carried it home. This
theory was to them quite satisfactory, for
there were no other neghbors and the child
could not 60 away unless carried, how else
could it have happened?
Dinner being over, ST. Clair walked over
to the neighbor's TO bring back his treasure
OF a baby that Miss Lucy had borrowed that
morning Miss Lucy said that she had not
borrowed the baby-she had not seen it that
dav 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
about it.
1t was now time to be alarmed. "What
has become of the poor child" was his earn
est exclamation, and he ran back home in
great agony. The mother. in like manner,
was almost frantic They could not con-
ceive who had taken away their child.
Williams's family joined in the grief but
could afford no aid, no consolation. They
could invent no theory, nor devise any plah
by which the child had, with any degree of
probability, disappeared Who was to take
it away? Why would any one wish to have
! it? They were utterly at a loss.
Finally it was remembered that occasion
ally there were parties of Cherokees hunting
through that country. 1t was now surmised
that they had happened to come to the house
while It. Clair 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 s. Clair and Williams
/ set out to seek for the Indian camp, and Mrs.
St. Clair was left alone at home. She was
sitting in silence, weeping tears of bitter an
guish, such as none but mothers ever shed,
and wondering in her heart what had become
of her darling babe. 1t was now about the
hour Of the day when she, the day previous
had gone out. Ere she was aware, large
panther, with stealthy tread, came to the
door and looked into the cradle Mrs. st.
Clair screamed and he ran away The fear
ful truth was now apparent, and no new
light has ever been east upon The subjeot--
Ws'rp'is AFrss'