Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1872-03-20
An Instance of KeptOmania, Superstition
and Revenge.

On yesterday we learned the particulars OF q
case which evinceS a depravity not often VIII
messed in one so young and shows the laCen'
feeling of superstition that attaches to the lgno
rant, whose idea of fetishes and vaudooiSH1,
though indefnable and vague yet seems ~ %
ercise in some instances surprising lln9eII iG
In this city there lives a respectable ana Wen
TODD colored man named Stephen bahhs, W!los9
niece young girl named all Ella a'S concInSed
that her wardrobe needed replenlshing ana pc
inp rather too Young to earn money by gong
out to service, She thought the easiest way to
procure the necessary greenbacks would be to
borrow them from her uncle Stephen, which
she did one day IN his absence, taxing ABOUT
thirty dollars.
This was the first time in Elias eventful life
that she had been possessed of so much money,
and she at once set about patronizing the dry
goods stores in lavish style. In short time
she had got rid of considerable amount and
doubtless fearful of arousing suspicion by going
in too deeply at one place, she stepped INTO a
house further up street from the scene OF her
first purchase and nonchalently asked one of the
statesmen to change twenty dollar Dill, at the
same time throwing the Xxx on the counter.
Alive to a possible trade, he told her he would
do so if she bought something. This Ella
seemed to think reasonable and she accordingly
purchased several pairs of stockings and pair
of shoes amounting to $3.50 and received the
correct amount in change.
So far so good, but riches are decelttul ana
this was to prove no exception to the rule.
While on her way home she was met by the
ayenging Nemesis in the form of her avuncular
relative, who, with his brow lowering with rage
at her perfdy, checked the youthful klepto-
maniaist in her extravagant career and com,
PEELED her to return to the stores where she had
made purchases and recall her trades.
This she did very unwillingly, but Stephen
took his cash and was rejoiced at its recovery,
and doubtless felt constrained to administer
20 OH II 011yy
pensity to appropriate goods belonging to anoth;7
er. Revenge, however, must have animated
her breast, for few days after she stated to
friend that she "had dreamed her uncle was
dead" But twas only dream and stephen
health was as robust as ever, and nothing un-
usual occurred until last Friday night, when
the gentle niece armed herself with a carving
knife and an axe, repaired to his bed wherein
he was reposing, enjoying the sleep OF an hon
est, hard working man, intending If the knife
failed to do its deadly work that the latter weap-
on should be called into requisition.
Like the Georgia ''melish' when given a
furlough to 60 home to cut sorghum, Ella
raised the cleaning blade on high and the
murderous steel descended, but she mlscalcu-
lated her aim and strength, for instead OF sever
descended on his forehead and glanced OF, IN,
hicting only a Scratch and before she could
seize the axe, Stephen seized her and prevented
a frst.class local item being committed:
He was hurt at her tigerish disposition, and
wishing to learn the cause of her attempt on his
life, procured flexible rawhide and persuaded
Ella to tell the story, which she did, giving her
dream in full and alleging as a reason that
something kept telling her to cut short his life.
Who or what the % something /" was, whether
spirit from the vastly Deep" or that
of a warrior deceased from happy hunting
grounds of Ashantee, was not definitely ascer-
tanned. But there was no poetry in Stephen S
disposition and he famed her with his rattan
until she expressed desire to visit the Virginia
Springs for her health, though early in the
season, and he procured Ella halffare licked
and she is at the time of this writing rusticating
in the borders of the old Dominion.