The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1870-06-03
rFrom the New York WorId.l

this article, have read and admired a
little poem called "The Beautiful
Snow, which, Immediately on its ap-
pearance a few years ago, not only at
tracted attention because of its intrin-
sic beauty, but also because of its un-
known and disputed authorship. This
man claimed it and that man claimed
it now its author was woman whose
degraded life had separated her from
her sisters, and whose remOrse was
here shadOwed in verse, and again the
talk was that a poor Bohemian" had
written it or the spur of the moment.
It seemed destined to be one Of those
melancholy songs which wander about
the world, which go from mouth to
mouth, and which, beautiful as they
are, bring no recognition to him who
has made them. They live, as all true
poetry must live, simply because they
are beautiful.
On the night of Friday last, Major
William A. H. SigOurney was found
dead on the Bloomingdale road. He
was shot through the head, and all the
circumstances of the case showed that
he had committed suicide few hours
before he was found. The body was
taken to the house of a friend in One
Hundred and Tenth Street, where an
inquest was held, and whence it was
removed to Greenwood Cemetery and
there buried. Upon his person were
found letters from Stephen MasSett,
(Jeems Pipes Mr.. J. Jay Watson, and
Mrs. Lydia H. SigOurney.
Major Sigourney was the mel hew OF
Mrs. L. H. SigOurney, the poet, and
was born near st. Albans, in Vermont.
Early in life he married Miss Amelia
Josephine Fillmore, a sister Of Mr..
VIM. Fillmore, of New York, who was
afterwards associated with him in the
publication of hebdomidal called the
Golden Age, the first number of which
appeared in 1854, and was issued from
No. 335 Broadway. Miss Fillmore is
said, by those who knew her, to bave
been a very beautiful woman. The
marriage, however, was by no means
a happy one, and two years after it
took place, and while the pair were in
Europe, TumOT said that she was un-
faithful to her husband. Reports OF
this sort made their way to the friends
and family of Mrs. Sigourney, and
when the couple returned to this cOun-
try, in 1852, they received chilling
welcome. Apparently the wife was
bad by nature, for almost Immediately
upon her appearance i'll this city she
entered upon a life of shame, and it
was not long before she was lodged in
Blacl1weIl's Island as a vagrant-the
passion for strong drink had ruined
her. Through the kind offices of Mr..
Henry J. Raymond, Major SigOurney
succeeded in obtaining the release OF
his wife, but all endeavOrs TO reform
her proved unavailing, and it was not
long before she returned to her evil
ways. In the autumn of 1858 she left
her husband, and he heard no more O
her till he learned through the papers
that she had been found dead in White
street, frozen, and buried under the
snow, which had fallen upon her.
The papers had spoken of her simply
as a young and beautiful woman, bu
some circumstances connected with the
case led SigOurney to think that the
dead woman was his wife, and further
examination showed that it was she
He had her buried in Greenwood Gem
eterv. Mr.. RAYMOND again befriending
him and defraying the funeral expenses
1t was in memory of this woman anC
her SAD death that SigOuTney wrote Ia:
he claimed) the poem called "Tht
Beautiful SnOw,n and published in tht
Golden Age of the first week of Janua
ry, 1854.
After the death of the first wife h,
again married, and appears always Il
| have been in destitute circumstance
! OccasiOned either by his own neglect o
| opportunities, or constitutional ina
bility to keep money after he had mad
! it. His life was n rowing one; now n
was busy at one thing, and now at an
other. His health was not good, ant
some time aga "a pulmonary affection
forced him telinquish his place a
editor of tn Adams Messenger. a
various tip he contributed articles t
the Nd brk papers, but as read
! lily ma conceived, did not max
suffici honey in this way to suppOl
his IS sIy, or, at least, tO provide fC
its support after death, and his suicid
has left them poor.
For some time before his death Il
has contributed stories and poems t