The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1869-07-30
4 Fearfu, Trraaau. edrtyy.IIa rtyy.IahSr hSrnn x,I,., ~,
Dor. 40 Il

IN ,
of the particulars of most singular and
fearfdl tragedy, which recently occurred
in one Of the mountain Counties of this
State.v The gentleman from whom we
receive our information has requested us
to give neither the name Of the County
in which the horrible scene took place,
nor the names of the actors in it; in the
first place, because the families of the
parties are among the best and most re-
spectable In the County, dnd should not
be subjected;to to this additional mortifica-
tion. for an act which they can, in no
manner, be held responsible; and, in the
second place, because publicity would
now, in no way, subserve the ends of
justice, as the guilty party has already
expiatad his. crime by 80 fearful pu-
nishment. We will only preface our ac-
count of the matter by stating that our
information was derived from we'll
known and highly esteemed gentleman
OF this city, and may be safely relied
upon as perfectly correct in every parti
cular. - ., a.t
In one of the mountain Counties of
Georgia there lives two families, each
before the war noted for its wealth and
refinement. Since the war, the families.
(whom We shall call respectively r. and
Icy euouSu oneJ' nau, Ahe ueurly every
one else, lost everything by the conflict.
still retained the high position in society
which they had for some long time filed.
One of them, the L. s, lost several of its
members, as we'll as its fortune, by the
war. and at the commencement Of our
story consisted of Mr.. L., n gentleman
ffty-fve years of age, his wife, nearly
the same age, and an unmarried daugh-
ter of aheat twenty-five, In about
quarter Of mile of their house lived
one of the r. 8, a young man, who had
recently married very beautiful young
lady of the, County, and having left the
paternal mansion, was farming by him
self on a small tract of ground. The
two families lived some distance from
the County town, in sparsely inhabited
section of country, and being each the
nearest neighbor OF the other, were, of
course, on terms of great intimacy. Be-
tween the young vito and the daughter
OF Mr.. L. O fast friendship was soon
formed, both being nearly the same age
and of similar tastes and disposition, and
relying upon each other for company in
the daily absence of the two gentlemen,
who were engaged in experimenting the
business of their farms.
A few days since, Mr.. R in
formed his wife that he had received O
letter, which would compel immediate
attendance in Atlanta. where he would
have to remain for several days, and as
it would be inconvenient for him to take
her with him to that city, advised that
she should ask her young neighbor to
stay with her during his absence. The
next morning he set out in his buggy for
Atlanta, and his wife during the morn
ing went over to L-'s house for the
purpose of inviting her young friend to
stay with her. When she arrived there
she told the young lady OF the absence
OF her husband; representing how lonely
she would find her house at night, from
the fact that she employed no house SER
want, and her cook. together with the
few laborers employed on the farm, slept
at theiF'negro quarter" nearly half n
mile from the dwelling house, and ended
by asking Miss LII to spend the
nights with her until her husband re-
turned. The young lady, after consul
tation, with fhsr mother, readily assented
to the.proposiEon and promised to, come
over. during the afternoon. Having
accomplished her purpose and feeling
very much relieved in mind, Mrs. R
returned home, and spent the day per-
forming, the usual household duties.
When the morning had passed away
and the afternoon came and then the
sunset, without bringing her friend, she
felt no alarm, but thought that the latter
had decided not to come until after tea,
when the father, across the field, which
separated the two houses, would escort
her. Accordingly the evening meal was
eaten, household affairs arranged, and
the. eools dismissed for the night to her
distant cabin at the quarter" About
o'clock, Mrs. r. began to feel a little
uneasy, as Miss L. bad not yet come,
when q servant came up to the house
and brought note from her expected
friend, stating that she would be unable
to spend the night with her, as she had
promised, for her father, from some
cause or other, had positively refused to
give his consent to tho arrangement.
After delivering the note the servant
took his departure, and the brave woman
prepared to spend the night by herself.
Feeling that she had a protector in a
large and very fierce yard.dog belonging
to her husband, she took him into her
bedroom, and after securing the house,
she lay down and resigned herself to
sleep.-.,-~.----.....---
About IL o'clock, she was awakened
from her slumbers by noise in the