Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-09-05

this is true, and can be proven. 1 heard
after the war was over a hint in regard to
the horse stealing, but 1 never could find
n who could tell ms plainly who told
them these tales, and I know they are
false. And the young widow Jones re-
turned to her mother who was keeping a
millinery store at Helena. This is also
false, as every citizen here can attest. 1
have never kept a store in my life. When
my daughter came to me after finding
homes tor her freedmen and women, she
came to ms at Memphis, with a favorite
woman of hers in a dying condition, and
where she died, leaving the little
ones in my care. This / can prove in
Memphis. Ny daughter hen sent to
me asking me to obtain a permit to bring
cotton to sell and pay for a house. She
had contracted to buy of Captain Clay
lamb for q home for Us all. When she
went for the cotton il had disappeared
from where b expected it. While at
Memphis, my husband returned the
last time from California, and was very
unhappy at m~isfortunes, put babe US
be cheerful, for a~s:soon as the country be-
came settled, his share with barnes would
be divided, and he would relieve us. He
then went to New York to try and get
his railroad inventions patented,
or raise the money to do so.
While there l removed from Memphis to
Madison, and taught school till / found it
would not support myself and children,
for they were both with me; so l con-
Guided 1 would return to Helena. / came,
leaving my children at Madison with a
friend. After l engaged a house L sent
for my children and furniture, and COM
menced sewing for a living, and have
been ever since. My old friends came to
me-, and, thank God, have given me all
the help / asked of them-U0rk for their
,,ao Iava a,ouDal.l -, raT.F,- ,a
Independents living, without asking favors
of any one. 1 have never once called on
the fraternity, of which my father YVES an
honored membe in good standing in all
my troubles; and il / nave an enemy on
earth l do not know 1t, unless it is VIM.
A. Ammons, whose history, so far as l and
mine are concerned, is as follows: Fou
year since Mr.. Ammons came to my
house in Eelena with work for me to do.
1 told him my price, and he engaged me
to do it, which l did. He told me he was
q Free Mason, and wished me well, and
being an inofiensiVe looking person, l felt
disposed 10 favor him in my charges. He
said he was a widower, had a daughter
grown, who could not make her
clothes, and a couple of boys, and
would like me to teach his daugh-
ter to sew. I told him I would do
so. He introduced his children to me,
and 1 treated them respectfully as far as
/ vas able. He then moved his residence
next door to me, and became almost a
trouble In calling so often. i had to tell
him once nv house was q resort for ladies',
and they would not like to meet gentle
men when they came to have dresses
fitted. He a~pologizsd and did not offend
so much. His daughter was a very wise,
intelligent girl, and much of a lady, at
least 1 ever found her 30. After a while
he commenced limiting of marrying him
self, and spoke of my daughter. told
him plainly l did not know him, and
further he was too aged a man to think
of such a thing. My daughter has never
received any company since her husbands
murder, and 1 hoped she never would.
He then stated his means, a told
him 1 had no children to sell, and he
must drop the subject, which he did, and
1 thought no more of it. My daughter
was then preparing to go to Memphis, to
learn something in regard to business
concerning VIM. +. Jones, which he re-
quested her to sea to for him-said Jones',
q younger brother of the late husband.
She disliked to go alone, and 1 asked for
Miss Ammons to go with her. She went.
Nr. Ammons told me the next day he
was going to st. Louis, and did leave,
and the next news that reached me was
msrrisge-snnounced in Memphis.
From there they went to st. Louis. 1 was
much grieyed at the time, arc really did
not believe it. But soon they returned,
and as they were married L thought l
would bear it as well as 1 could. re-
ceived them all, and treated them well,
although my old heart was near broken
to see my accomplished, lively, only
daughter so sacrificed, and even told her
She soothed me-. and told me not to
that she loved Mary Ammons, and
Mr.. Ammons was aware of her feel
for him. She never had or ever ex-
to love any one else as she did her
dead husband. She believed Mr.. Am
mons was a gentleman, Inc would take
care of her; he had promised to do so,
and she believed him. They then went to
housekeeping, and for all I know lived
peacesbly together till he wanted to move
10 the country, which she opposed; he
20 coerce her, and she resisted. She
to me often, so did his daughter |
with complaints of i'll treatment, till at
last he forced his own daughter to hy his
house. She first went to a neighbOr, then |
TO me, and / told her l could not
lake caro- of her. She then went to an
Other house, where she remained soma
time, till one day she came to my house
disguised. 1 did not know her, aud sent
her in the dining-roOm to Mrs. Am
mons, who she asked for. When |
fOund out who she was l advised her
10 go to the MssOns for sup
port if her father would not do it.
correspondence occurred and UheMasons |
called on MI. AmmOns about the child.
have the correspondence now. The re-
suit was the abused child hid herself
somewhere, l do not know to this day. /
believed her in her fathers house, as the
ysrds Joined mine without a fence be-
.weeB. Ammons took out a search war
rant for his daughter and found her in
my kitchen surrounded by her friends,
who had hidden her, / suppose, and took
ler by force-and Deputy Sheriff Joe
Macy and a party of street rabble-to a
I don't know what they done
here, for 1 would not listen to any news
rom there. He took her by the force of
We policemen, IL O'Clock at night, across
he river, where he perched her on a cotton
lale and waited all night in the cold for a
In the morning he shipped for st,
louis, where he put his daughter on the
for st. Joseph. Missouri, to go to her
Mothers father. ! received a letter from
Vhitesville, Missouri, from her after she
,ot there, which letter 1 have yet, and it
viii explain itself. She has since mar
led, and l wish her much happiness, for
believe she is far better than her sire.
have never seen her since. I was rent
ng a house of AmmOns at $500 per an
payable monthly. When this oc-
urred I had lived in the house two
the first month l paid the rent,
when he sent fos the next rent he
wed me $50 for goods and work done for
is family. 1 sent him my bill and he re-
used to pay it, and ordered me out of the
i was doing well in the house and
efussd to leave, as he was owing me. He
hen put me out of b house by law, in
middle of winter, damaging me very
much, and would not pay me his bill,
Yhieh he w me yet. He then publish
d his wife in the Shield here, warning all
ot to trust his wife Jennie or any of his
degrading his family in the eyes
( the world, and starving them to the
otings Of a miser. I then took my
aughter home, where she stayed
some time till she went to Tennessee
nth the intention of teaching. While
here, b was persuaded to return to
Lmmons, with the promise of better
reatment. He then bought Forest Hill,
> Tennessee, but thinking himself
heated, he sold it again, and was living
i q hired room in Memphis when he
snt her home TO me on q visit. He had {
-eated her so very badly in Tennessee
nat / would not let her ~ with him /,
hen he came, and ordef ad hi Vi TO lst us /
My husband had written 20 me {
our daughter came to he 30 esep. nar 5
II he CAM home, whiea 1 do. Am
ions left US for a while, aagl my daagc-
n went to Madison to make her living
y teaching. He followed ner there and
srsecuted her, not tor love, but for her
He ordered her tenants not 10
her the rent, and even tried to col
ct her school income and leave her pen
less. 1 had to clOthe her and send her
loney (her father also) while she lived in 4.
at Forest Hill, which I can 7
rove and citizens can attest. While she
we'd there he treated her cruelty, sven to
le Icing on of violent hands. He took
or clothes from her and sent her home
rags, and in delicate health. About
lis time the Jones' estate Was divided,
Id my daughter received her part of the 4
omestead land, some hundred acres of Z
BOD land in a fine condition. She rented
:. e. 10000 I1lIa--