Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-02-28
BIRDS OF PREY.
A Rare Dish or Scandal for
the Streets and Drawing
rooms. H
The Old story Over Again
with a few Variations.


Memphis society are disturbed by scan
dal. While murders, assassinations and
bloody assaults have been rife, 1t is only
at rare intervals that the journalist is
required to narrate events born Of that
species Of infdelity which saps the very
foundations Of social life. For days We
have been in possession Of the material
facts for sensation of this character,
which, although passed from tongue to
tongue by rumor, pursued its course
stealthily and in whispered accents. For
reasons that readily suggest themselves
to those familiar with some of the
parties Immediately concerned and with
others who through. various ties are
drawn into the vortex as innocent suf-
ferers in mind, we forbore mention OF
the sad story on which the gossips, like
ill-omened birds of prey, are feeding.
Dragging parties, whose responsibility
hitherto has stood unimpeached, into the
whirlpool Of scandal is at best but sorry
business; but when to that is added the
consequent humiliation Of others neces-
sarily involved by consanguinity or other
tender ties. it becomes task from which
we instinctively recoil. Had not some
of the supposed facts been already bla-
zonea in one of the public prints, and a
thousand rumors affecting innocent par
ties by implication or otherwise set aaoat,
we should still maintain silence. But
now that reticsnce avails nothing, publ
cation ceases to be q question of pro.
priety.
Without needing the almost countless
rumors aaoat, we shall merely tell the
story as seemingly warranted by the facts.
A year ago the wife of Mr.. Thomas Leech,
the well known cotton broker of this
city, visited Paris with her children and
brother-in-law to recruit her health,
which had become seriously impaired,
the husband meanwhile remaining at
home. Mrs. l.. is the daughter of a well
known citizen of Memphis. of respecta-
bility, and has always borne an ire
proachable character. Not even whis-
per of scandal ever before sought to
blacken her name. Her conduct was
ever that of modest, virtuous woman,
whose friends greatly esteemed her for
her many qualities of head and heart.
The family had an intimate friend and
relative in the person of Mr.. Thomas
Lewis, quite young man, who has at
various periods illustrated his genius
as mud" clerk of different steam
boats plying in the Memphis waters, but
who a couple of years ago, through the
influence of Mr.. Thomas Leech, obtained
a position as accountant in the DeSoto
Bank, where he remained until few
days ago.
As the story goes, Mrs. Leech and
Lewis have been in constant correspond
ence during the formers absence. By
accident, letter intended for the hus-
band was directed to and reached Lewis,
and one for him fell into the hands Of
Leech. As an immediate result the
DeSoto Bank was suddenly deprived Of
clerk, Memphis robbed of social or
nament (2), and city newspaper fur
nished with legal advertisement paving
the way for divorce. .fs
Lewis left the city simultaneously
with the appearance of the advertise
ment. But before thus rendering society
inconsolable, he went before the Clerk
and Master of the Chancery Clerk and
unblushingly made oath to having held
illicit relations with Mrs. L. in her hus-
bands residence, on Jefferson street, last
April.
The purport of the letter prompting
Mr.. Leech's course is purely conjectural.
As his action in consequence was the re-
suit of the legal advice of so competent an
attorney as General Hume, it is to be
presumed the unfortunate missive
breathed such sentiments as true wife
should utter only to her husband. What
ever its substance, it has plunged two
| families into acute sorrow and visited
humiliation upon others bound to them
by ties Of blood or marriage.
II is stated that when confronted with
the husband, Lewis, after at first denying,
confessed that he was guilty, and was not
10th to qualify to the truth of his confess
sion. When the affidavit was signed and
sworn to Mr.. Leech was not present.
Besides, Gen. Hume and the Chsncery
Clerk, the only witnesses to the crown
| ing infamy on the part of this shameless
bank clerk, were couple of relatives of
the absent wife.
Assuming it to be true that the facts
are even as rumor has them, it will strike
the reader as ALMOST beyond belief that
one of the guilty parties, to secure him
self from personal consequences, or
through a less worthy motive, should
volunteer to degrade, for all time to
come, his alleged paramour in inhdelity,
who is thousands of miles away, and un-
able to enter a defense before scandal
has blackened her name for all time to
come. II he possessed spark of man.
hood be should have risked every con-
tingency rather than commit an act as