Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1869-03-17
A skeleton Finger and a Diamond
Ring.

Thirteen years ago q man named /
Jolly, who lived in DeKalb county, !
was mysteriOusly made away with |
after having left his home to visit
Nashville He was tolerably well OF, /
had beautiful young wife whom he
had married year previous TO his
sudden and final disappearance, and |
whom he had successfully won from |
a powerful, pertinaeiOus and raneo-
rous rival. At the time of Jolly's de-
parture from home he confessed, he
had a strange presentment Of impend- |
ing evil, and he passiOnately kissed his
infant boy the morning he was leav-
ing, and even shed tears. His wife
was encieRte with a second infant,
which afterward proved to be girl
born an orphan. When he was away
about a week, his wife and friends be-
came alarmed. Nothing had been
heard from him; no one had seen
him on the journey.
After couple Of days intolerable
suspense, search was instituted. No
trace of any sort could be found, ex-
eept that the marks of feet, as those
of struggling men, were found on the
bank of the Cumberland, about two
miles from landing, where it was
expected Jolly was to take a boat to
come down the river. Several small
sapplings were either torn up by the
roots of broken, thus giving evidence
of a fierce combat. Nothing that
could, in any way, throw any light
on the fate of Jolly was ever discover
ed. After remaining two years on
the farm, and when her two little
children were in a condition to run
about she became wearied of q scene
the contemplation 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 after
ward she married the clever but ec-
centric DIR. Harper, who died down
South during the war. She has since
remained a widow, possessed of con-
siderable property, and an interesting
family of three girls and boy. The
early but unsuccessful suitor 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 appaIent good terms with DIR. Har-
per, but was frequently heard to curse
him bitterly in private, and, in fact,
the day before his death, had .
fierce alteration with him, which
was only prevented ripening into 4
fatal collision by the intervention of
superior officers. For a long time af-
ter the death of Harper, the manner
of it was considered strange, but the
thought of it finally died out of the
minds Of men. After the war, the
fierce but baffied suitor of her young
days came to Nashville, and renewed
acquaintance with the twice-widOwed
fame of his youth. Very recently he
was on the point Of succeeding, in
fact, some preliminary arrangements
were already made for q wedding,
when n arrangement occurred in the
water pipe which supplied the house
of the widow Harper, in South Nash
vile. Plumbers were set to work up
on the pipe, but could make no i'm
provement on it. Finally the street
was ripped up, to ascertain the cause
of the water stoppage. 1t was found.
At the mouth of tile pipe, where it
was attached to the main street sup
ply pipe, the skeleton of a hand was
found; the fingers were closed up
like q knot, and firmly jammed into
the small pipe. On being taken outa
jaek-knife was found clutched in the
fingers, covered with rust of course,
but sufficiently sound and perfect in
shape to show that it had been once
the property Of the man to whom the
widow was engaged to be married.
Upon one of the fingers was found
also a diamond ring which her first
husband wore when he left their
house, in DeKalb county, thirteen
years ago. When these particulars
became known the intended bride
groom hastily left town, and the good
lady became sick. An attempt was
made to hush up these facts, but they
gradually leaked out, and came into
our possession yesterday. The lady
has not recovered. She has frequent
spells of delerium, and fears are en-
tertained by her physicians that her
reason has been impaired by the shock
of the discOvery.-NdshVille Press.