Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1869-04-08
A Skeleton Finger and a
Diamond Ring.
From the Nashville Press and Times

Thirteen years ago man
named Jolly who lived in De Kalb
county, was mysteriously made
away with after having left his
home to visit Nashville. He was
tolerable we'll of, had a beautiful
young wife, whom he had married
a year previous to his sudden and
final disappearance, and whom he
had successfully won from a pow
erful, ,pertinacious and rancorous RI
val. At the time of Jolly's de-
parture from home he confessed
that he had a strange PRESENT.
ment of impending evil, and he
passionately kissed his infant boy
the morning be was leaving, and
even shed tears. His wife was
enciente with a second infant
which afterwards proved to be a
girl-born an orphan. When he
was away about a week, his wife
and friends became alarmed
Nothing had been heard from him
no one had seen him on the
journey. After a couple Of days
intolerable suspense, search was
instituted. No trace of any sort
could be found, except that the
marks of feet, as if those of strug-
Cling men, were found on the bank
of the Cumberland, about two
miles from a landing, where it was
expected jolly was to take boat
to come down the river. Several
small saplings were either torn up
by the roots or broken, thus CIV
ing evidence Of a fierce combat.
Nothing that could, in any way,
throw any light on the fate Of JoI-
ly was ever discovered. After re-
naming two years on farm, and
when her two little children were
in a condition to run about, she be-
came wearied of a scene the con-
temptation of which afforded her
nothing but the most exquisite
pain. She by the advice of friends
and physicians, sold out and came
to Nashville. In about three
years afterward she married the
clever but eccentric DR.. Harper,
who died down South during the
war. She has since remained a
widow possessed of considerable
and an interesting fami.
ly of three girls and a boy. The
early, but unsuccessful, saitor to
her hand, having never married,
engaged in the Southern cause, and
was in the same regiment in which
DR.. Harper was medical officer
He got along in apparent good
terms with DR.. Harper, but was
heard to curse him bit
.erly in private, and in fact, the
lay before his death, had a fierce
altercation with him, which was
,nly prevented ripening into a ia
al collision, by the intervention
# superior officers. For a long
ime after the death of Harper,
he manner of it was considered |
strange, but the thought of it final |
Y died out of the minds of men. |
After the war, the fierce but baf- |
led suitor Of her young days came
o Nashville andrenewed acquaint-
lnce with the twice-widowed fame |
# his youth. Very recently he
vas on the point of succeeding; in
act, some preliminary arrange
nents were already made for q
Wedding, when arrangement oc-
'urred in the water-pipe which
the house of the widow
Harper, in South Nashville
Plumbers were set to work upon |
he pipe, but could make no I'M
on it. Finally the
Itreet was ripped up to ascertain
he cause of the water stoppage. |
t was found. At the mouth of |
he pipe, where it was attached to
he main street supply pipe, the
keleton of q hand was found /; the
ingers were closed up like a knot,
irmly jammed into the small pipe.
IN being taken out, a jack-knife
vas found clutched in the fingers, |
overed with rust, of course, but
efficiently sound and perfect in
hape to show that it had been
nee the property of the man to
ghom the widow was engaged to
,e married. Upon one of the fin
,ers was found also a adiamond ring |
Ss.~ -