The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1870-04-07
From the San Francisco Tribune.
A ROMANTIC TRAGEDY.
A Virginian Marries his own Daughter.

It said by Solomon, who, in his day, was
the wisest of men, that there is nothing new
under the sun" 1t would seem, from the
frequent occurrence of remarkable incidents,
that there is certainly nothing of an improb
able nature, Judging from the following won
derfully strange and hardly creditable story
which come to our ears few days since.
In the spring of 1849, when the gold fever
was at its highest possible state of excitement
in California. and the yielding earth wore a
rich carpet of green verdure, waving luxuri-
antly in the soft southern cline, as its dew
sprinkled petals proudly kissed the morning
sunbeams, there lived in the State Of Vir
GINA, on the banks Of the flowing river, a
few miles below the historical town of York
town. gentleman of culture, whose parents
were in moderate. circumstances. 1t was du-
ring the gold excitements he left the comforts
of home, his friends, relatives, a loving
wife, whom he had led to the altar but year
since, and an only child-a daughter Of two
months-and took up his lonely journey to
seek his fortune in the wild, distant West,
over and beyond the Rocky Mountains, where
the bright aud golden sun sinks down to rest
amid the blue waves of the grand Pacific.
After years Of toll, druid gerry and reverses
Of fortune in the mines, he came to this city
and engaged in business. He, being success
full, soon amassed an immense fortune. His
beloved wife had died during prevailing
| epidemic while on visit to some relatives
during the yellow fever season at New Orleans
as at the same time did little girl Of anoth
er family, of the same name aud age as his
little daughter. He visited the States, but
could find no clue to his deceased wife's sister
he thought, naturally, she too, had died
He returned to the Golden State, and time
aud the whirling excitement of business soor
healed his sorrows, aud effaced, apparently
! all recolections of his old home on the banks
of the placid York.
| Shortly after the completion of the Pacific
railroad, there arrived at this city a gentle
man, his wife, and beautiful. we'll educated
and graceful young lady, just blooming into
maidenhood, apparently and really of about
eighteen summers. It was by chance the
young lady and aged widower met-and te
meet was to love. They we're duly married
after short acquaintance, the ceremony be-
ing celebrated with great cclot and creating
no little ~futter in fashionable and wealthy
circles of our city. The fact that both par
ties bore the same Christian name excited nc
comment or enquiry, as it was one almost
quite as common as that of Smith or Brown
A few weeks after the marriage, as the
husband and wife naturally inquired into
each others past history and antecedents, anc
were gradually becoming better acquainted
with each other, the announcement came
theyl were father and daughter-man an6
wife; the instructive love Of the parent fol
the child and the daughter for the father
had been superseded by strong emotional pas
sion of sexual love. Both innocent at heart
but foully criminal in the eyes Of man ant
of God.
| His daughter was not dead, as he suppos
cd but. after the death of his wife, wa
kindly taken charge of by his sister-in-law
who had married aud moved to distan
State, and who, also, with her husband, &C
companicd his wife's daughter to this coast, tt
meet as strangers, lovers and subsequently
parent and child-as they were-cultivateo
passionate love changed into flial ard pa
rental devotion.
Wonderfully strange indeed, are the for
tuitous circumstances which control apt
guide the footsteps of erring and susceptible
mortals.