The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1873-02-04
A Texan Adventure.

town named Fairfield, situated about sew
enty miles moth of Austin. went from
Galveston to Austin by rail, and, purchas-
Jug a horse there performed the rest of my
Journey on horseback. When / reached
Fairfield, found the town in a stage of
great excitement horrible murder had
been committed there.
A young lady and gentleman had dis
appeared, and from circumstances con-
nected with their disappearance, it was
evident they had been murdered, and their
bodies thrown into the river.
The supposed murderer had been ar
rested he was young man named Archie
Raynor, the only son of widow, and,
strange to say had been the betrothed
lover of Jessie Emory, the murdered girl
The circumstances that had led to his ar
rest, were as follows:
Charles Harris, the young man who had
been murdered with Miss Emory, had been
a rival of Raynor, but Jessie had loved the
latter, and had repulsed the offers of Har
Harris and she had been seen together by
the side of the river and, as she did not
come home, her parents became alarmed,
and search being made for her, on going to
the place where they had been seen, they
were Mortified at seeing, lying on the
ground, her scarf stained with blood. The
earth showed signs of desperate struggle;
pools of blood stained the grass, and a
crimson trail led to the waters edge, show
ing that the murderer had cast his victims
into the stream.
On further search knife, stained with
blood, was found the initials GA. II"
were craven on the blade, and it was rec
ognized by several as belonging to Raynor,
and several persons testified to having met
him that evening near the place where the
murder had been committed. He was ar
rested, but declared that he was innocent
Jealousy was the supposed cause; his
mother was nearly heartbroken, and it was
said that if he was convicted, it would send
her to her grave. On the evening after
my arrival, was sitting in my private
room in the hotel when the clerk entered
and said that a lady wished to see me on
important business.
"Send her up" l said, wondering who
it could be.
He retired, and in short time lady
dressed in black, and deeply veiled, en-
tered. placed chair for her and she
sat down, and throwing back her veil,
said:
"You are a lawyer, are you not ?'
81 am"
az am the mother of Archie Raynor,
the young man who is charged with mur-
DER" said she, "and have come to see if
you will consent to defend him at his ap-
preaching trial. Oh sir, if you have a
mother, think of her, and think what her
feelings would be to see her only child,
her sole stay and support, in prison cell,
with an awful doom hanging over his head.
Oh sir, know that my son is innocent.
know that he, who is so kind and gen
tie to ALL would not stain his soul with
murder. He has told me that he is in.
nocent, and he neger told me a lie But
come with me and see him. DO not re-
fuse mother that poor boon !''
thought ethe matter over few mo-
ments, and then decided to go with her
and see the young man. We left the ho-
tel and went to the Jail she introduced
me to the jailor as her sons lawyer, and
he, taking down bunch of keys, showed
us into the young mans cell. The prison.
er, a noble looking man, was sitting on the
side of his pallet, with his face buried in
his hands.
He started up as we entered and em.
braced his mother affectionately. She
turned to me and said:
"This is Mr.. Clifton, lawyer from Gal
weston. / have engaged him to defend
you, my dear boy"
He shook hands with me, and in short
time his mother said; 81 will now leave
Mr.. Clifton and you together, and ! am
sure that on hearing your story, he will sec
that you are innocent"
She then took her departure, and ask
ed him to tell me all the circumstances
connected with the affair."
"Well, on the night of their disappear
ance, | did not see Jessie. was to have
met her by the river but was prevented
by business from getting there until neal
dark, and then l could not find her, 81
concluding she had gone home; went t.
my home, and being tired, went to bed al
once. slept till near twelve o'clock, anC