The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1870-03-23
ROMANCE In REAL LIFE.
A True St8ry That Is Stranger
Than Fiction.
From the Courier-Journal.l
SINGULAR HISTORY OF A TENNESSEE
FAMILY.

One night, about the first of January
last. two young men, living in North
Alabama, were murdered in q very
shocking and mysterious manner. They
were brothers, and one of them was
married. The latter was seated at his
own fireside, engaged in reading, when
several men, wearing masks, rode up
to the house and called him to the door.
He came, and was shot and severely
wounded. He succeeded in getting
away, however, and went to the house
of a neighbor, where the assassins
found him very soon after, and going
into the room where he lay in bed rid
died him with bullets. The next day
the Younger brother was found dead in
n sinkhole some two miles from home.
These young men were born and
raised in Tennessee, and q gentleman
from Alabama, who was himself former
" a resident of Tennessee, gives us the
history of their family, which is quite
romantic enough for first class novel.
The story, as told to this reporter,
runs briefly thus:
Twenty years ago the town of Blank,
in Middle Tennessee, was one of the
fastest and most fashionable places of
its size. in the South. OF course the
name of the town was pot Blank, which
Is merely borrowed for the occasion.
Every ether name which appears in
this, except that of Louisville, will be
borrowed for the same purpose. But
one real name will be given. One of
the finest plantations in the neighbor-
hoes, of Blank was that of Mr.. Brown.
His residence was one of the most ele-
can't and costly in the country. But
Mr. Brown took less pride in his splen-
did farm and beautiful home than in
his beautiful daughter, at that time a
Young girl of not more than sixteen,
and tile reigning belle of the whole
neirhborhood. He lavished upon her
all that wealth could buy. In the Gre
cian beauty of her face, in the exquisite
Grace of her slender form. in the rich
ness of her toilettes, in the elegance of
her eauipage, and in all else that goes
to constitute queen of society, she
was without rival. Lovers and admi-
rers f1ocked to her shrine from every
quarter. Some of these were rich, and
few or none were poor. But their WOO
ing was in vain. They came, and WOO
ed, and went, leaving her still in mai
den meditation fancy free. This, how
sEer, could not last always. In about
the forth OF fifth yearof her reign as an
unmarried belle, she met a gay and
handsome young lawyer of Louisville,
named Smith. They first met, it is be-
lieved, at watering place in the inte-
rior of this State. In short time they
were engaged to be- married, and the
day was appointed for the event to take
place. But it would seem that the ap-
pointment was made without the con-
sent of Mr.. Brown, tor, when young
Smith reached Blank, for the purpose
of fulfilling his engagement, he found
that the old gentleman had placed his
daughter in a carriage and quietly car
ried her beyond the limits of the State.
Young Smith returned to Kentucky,
aud nothing more was heard of him in
Blank for six or eight years.
Not great while after the above in
cident, the heart and hand of Miss
Brown were sought by a wealthy and
most worthy young gentleman, named
Jones, who lived in distant part OF
the State. His suit met the hearty APP
proval of all her friends, for he was
rich, handsome and q thorough gentle
man, and in a short time they were
married. But the marriage was an I'M
happy one. Mr. Jones had large
plantation in one of the cotton States
and his business interests required that
he should spend much of his time there
and this he is said to have done, leav-
ing his wife at her fathers, where she
preferred to stay, in the enjoyment d
that society and those comforts which
were not to be found among the cotton
plantations of the South. Thus mat
tiers went on for several years, when
there came divorce suit, at the in.
stance of the lady, though upon wha
grounds our informant never knew
The divorce was granted, and Mrs
Jones resumed her maiden name. L
was believed that neither husband MOI
wife was much to blame in the mattel
that they were more sinned against
than SHINING.
A year OF two passed by and young
Smith who had never forgotten his low,
for the beautiful Tennesseean. return.
ed and renewed his suit-this tins
with much better success, for there wa
no formidable opposition, if any at all
and he and Miss Brown were married
And then the war came on. Young
Smith was among the first to espoust
the cause of the South and join the ar
my for her defense He became an Of
ficer in cavalry regiment, and contin
ned in active service until the close o
the struggle. He then returned to hi
wife at Blank, where he soon after be
gan the practice of his profession. Ht
returned to find that his father-in-l Law
wasa bankrupt-that the war had in
yolved him in utter ruin. Very sool
MIR. Browns magnificent home wa.
sold, and he removed to Blank with hi:
family, consisting then of his wife ant
two sons--the two young men wht
were recently murdered in North Ala
bama. Soon after his removal to Blanl
from his old home, five miles distant
Mr. Brown died, leaving his wife al
most or quito penniless. About tn,
same time tho two boys removed t,
Alabama, and Mrs. Brown was lief
alone with Mr. and Mrs. Smith.
They lived in an elegant two-stor,
cottage in the suburbs of Blank. Ear
y one morning, in the summer of 1867
Mr.. Smith was found lying at his from
door quite dead. The weather was ex
ceedinglyWarm at the time, and it wa
supposed that he had seated himself il
the window of his room in the uppe
49, kl,nL Y. L Il