The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1871-08-04

!
We will now explain these omi-
nous words by recounting the histo-
: ry, in few words, of Miss Sarah
f Wilson.
:: Our readers, doubtless. know that
in those happy countries which are
D blessed with kings, princes and other
I superfine mortals, it is customary fer
: royalty to be served by nobility and
} nobility by gentry-one caste serving
. and supporting the other, until the
: brilliant pyramid is seen resting upon
the broad foundation of the people.
J Miss Sarah Wilson was one of the
: gentlefolk of England, educated as a
lady, but doomed to poverty, that
J the oldest son of the family might
: support the honor of the Wilson's by
making beggars and toad-eaters OF
his brothers and sisters.
Miss Sarah Wilson was accom-
plished, as it is called, and instructed
in much; but not in the principles OF
f morality or the duties in religion.
We do not mean that she had not
been told what these principles and
, duties were but she never felt their
f reality or utility. She saw around
her that all Difference was paid to
, rank or fortune. She saw artifce
prosper and heard the language of
flattery, of corruption, of intrigue
of everything but truth. She sighed
for that wealth which appeared to
command all things; and that splen-
dor to which all around her paid
homage.
In an unlucky hour she was sent by
Miss Vernon with confidential
message to the queen; and being
left, without her majesty's knowl-
edge, in her private apartment, seized
the opportunity to take possession
of casket of jewels, among which
was the queens miniature, and con-
trived to bear of the prize.
1t is not our intent, if we could, to
paint the miseries of this Young
woman, consequent upon the act of
guilt she had committed-th up
braidlngs of conscience-thef fears of
detection-the difficulties and dan
gers attended upon selling one of the
jewels to dealer, which could only
| be effected by appearing as a lady,
under false name and disguise, for
no jeweler would purchase an arti- |
Gle of such value from a menial. |
She ovecame these difficulties in ap-
parent safety. Miss Sarah Wilson !
was not suspected. Indeed it was
not known that she had had the Op |
pOrtunity of committing the theft |
but she saw others suffer under the |
imputation of guilt, and knew their
innocense and she was not yet cal |
lous to the whips and stings of the |
inward monitor. AT length the |
jewel was offered for sale by the |
dealer; it was recognized as belong
ing to the queen and the sale to the
jeWeler traced to Miss Wilson. She /
denied the act, and no other part of
the stolen property could be found.
Her family tried to screen her-Aliss
Vernon interceded for her-but she
was imprisoned, tried, found guilty
and condemned to be hanged. She
was respited; and finally, at the in
tercession of her fricnds,he sentence
was changed to transportation TO
"his majesty's plantations" there to
be sold for life. The partiality of
Miss Vernon spared the unhappy !
criminal many of the penalties her
guilt had incurred. She brought
with her TO her place OF Punishment
the clothing she had Haunted in at
court and, what is most cXtraOrdi-
nary, the queens miniature set with
brilliantS, and many other Jewels. !
Tie prepOsterous mode OF dressing
at that time. in which the influence
of her patroness had, through those
vicissitudes, INDUCED her, gave her
an opportunity of secreting these
evidences and fruits of her guilt.
She arrived in Maryland, was sold TO
aplanter, and taken home TO his
house as his slave, under the denOm-
ination of a "convict servant for
life"
In the course of two years her be-
havior, accomplishments, apparent
penitenCe and real usefulness gained
upon her owners, and she was entrus-
ted with the instruction of their
children and care of their property.
They left home on distant visit OPP
portunity again tempted her to
crime, and she committed a second
robbery. With her trunks and
booty she contrived to gain in safety
a Judgement in number three at the
Kings Arms, in Williamsbourgh.
What Miss Wilson's plans were we
do not know; but they certainly
wera modified, if not entirely
changed, by her meeting with Mr..
Patrick O'COnnOr, the Irish travelling
merchant, alias Tom Bell, the crop
ped and branded vagabond. 1t was
in vain to deny her identity or her
present situation to Tom she wanted
an assistant to further her ultimate
escape; and, in short, they made con.
fidants of each other, even to the
confession, on his part, of the posses
sion of a considerable sum of III oney;
and on hers, of not only possessing
cash, but the jewels, the picture of
the queen and trunks filled with
costly clothing.
Tom conceived a bold scheme,
which could not have been executed
in any other country than America,
nor at any more recent period of the
colonies. The possession of the
Jewels and miniature probably su@-
gested to this impudent vagabond |
the plan, which Miss Wilson agreed |
to put in execution.
She was to declare herself the |
princess Susannah Carolina Matilda, |
sister to the queen of Great Britain !;
and Tom was TO ,pCrSOnatc her be- |
trOthcd lover, MIR. Edward Augustus |
Montague, private gentleman of
fortune. for the love of whom she had |
been induced to fly to America, as
her royal relatives forbade their |
union; that size had lately received I
| letters which rendered farther in
cOgnito unnecesSa.y-letters by
which they had certainty of being
recalled, and the marriage permit /
ted he being first elevated TO the
pcerage by his gracious majesty. at
/ the intercessiOn of his royal consort. /.
As proofs of her high rank, she was
to produce the jewels, and the pic
| ture of her august sister. To pre-
pare for the execution of this compli- !
Gated plot, it was necessary that the
actors should separate for time,
and change the scene. Toms talent
at deception and knowledge of Lon
don, made him confident that he
could play the part of fictitious
great man: and Sarah had seen
! enough of royalty to enable her TO
initiate its fantastic tricks. But the
peddler's pack must be exchanged for
the paraphernalia of eourticr of
that day, and a red caXon for the
curls and bag of the nobleman.
AT thai period the apparel of a fine