Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1867-03-06
The Effects Of a Curse,

liz lOllONIuS bIl tltSC CIICulllol duCt.
which occurred a number of years ago,
shows the terrible effects which an excited
imagination may have upon a life. The
affair occurred near the place Of our nativi-
ty, and partly during our boyhOod, and we
do not remember ever seeing it in print
We will give it, therefore, in the shape that
it is impressed on our memory;
L young man named Comyn had for
some time paid attention to a girl who was
the belle Of the village, and they We're at
length formally engaged. Elizabeth was Of
an ardent temperament, loving Comyn with
her whole heart, and sensitive to the slight
est appearance of GOODNESS or neglect. \
lovers quarrel sprang up for slight cause
There was a GOODNESS for day or two and
on Sunday afternoon COmyn escorted an
other Young woman to church. Elizabeth
saw them pass her window, and the cold
ness of despair chilled through her. Re
covering from the shock, she took down
her PRAYER book, and, turning down a leaf,
sent it to Comyn's house That done, she
Event 70 % neghboring wood AMI hang her
self.
On returning from church, her lover had
prcsentimen. of evil, and went to her
home. She had not been seen for two or
three hours. A terrible conviction flashed
to his mind, and ne exclaimed, Good
Heavens she has destroyed herself He
| was told that book had been sent to his
house, and on running thither he found the
| PRAYER book, with the leaf turned down to
the 109th Psalm, and the following passage
| marked:
Let his days be few, and another take
his Office.
Let his children be fatherless and his wife
a widow.
Let his children be vagabonds, and beg
their bread let them seek it also in desc
late places
Let the cxtortioner consume all he hath,
and let the stranger spoil his labor.
Let there be no man to pity him, nor to
have compassion on his fatherIess children
Let his postcrity be destroyed, and in
the next generation let his name be clean
put out.
While reading this terrible maediction,
word was brought of the discovery Of Eliz-
abeths body, and the manner Of her death.
Comvn rushed from the house saying he
was ruined forever and ever, and for days
and nights he wandered about the neigh
borhood. half crazed with remorse and fear.
Years passed away, but brought no ale
Walton to his mental torture He was
afraid to enter q church lest he should hear
the dreadful words read. This sight Of a
bible or PRAYER book would drive him from
the house. Disasters and mistortuncs Of
various kinds betci him, all owing, he
claimed, to the curse which hung over him.
His nights were disturbed by frightfuI
dreams. The dead girl appeared to him
in his sleep with her features distorted by
strangulation, and her finger pointing to a
prayer-book open at the terrible curse. At
such times he frequently shrieked in agony,
%. Betsey, my dear Betsey, shut the book
shut the book
His friends persuaded him to marry,
hoping thus to break the spell that weighed
him down. At length he asscnted, and Of
fered his hand to young girl. She turned
from him with horror, asking if he wished
to hiring down the curses Of tho dead girl
on her head Two other offers were re
fused in the same manner, but at length
the chance Of good settlement out-weighcd
supcrstitiOus fears, and a woman was found
to accept his offer
The wedding was described to us by an
eve witness. They were married II the
church. and the way to 1t lay across an
omen track. When about midway, sud
den and violent storm sprang up. Crush
ing tbunders, inccssant flashes Of shccted
lightning. and bowling winds dauntcd even
the least superstitious with their iii Omens
Comyn threw himself to the ground on his
face. and groveled in convulsive agony
Striking to be protected from the dead girl,
who he said, had come with thunder and
lightning to destroy him. He was led
helpless to the church, and passed though
the marriage ceremony in a stunned and
bewildercd manner.
For two years after the marriage COmyn
dragred out a miserable existence. body
and mind wearing rapidly away together
He became the father Of two children. both
Of whom died shortly after birth At
Icnoth he died his end being cmbittcrcd by
terrible visions, the horror Of which throw
him into violent commissions. To the last
the vision Of the prayer book open at the
1Oqth Psalm seemed to scar his eycbaIl-,
and he died shrickiug to his attendants TO
amalc her shut that book.
The singular coincidence that had terri
fed him during life did not cease at his
death. He was buried on a sunday after
noon. and. according to the custom of that
nciobborhood the coffin was placed in the
aisle during the reading Of the regular Sun
day afternoon service. As the villagers
looked at each other in astonishment at this
coincidence the church clock struck four