The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1873-06-26
A Dark Story Of Family Sin.

A lark SlOPy OF FANNY Sln.
A Saratoga special gives the
following account Of the causes
which led to the Walworth par
ricide:
Mansfield Tracy Walworth was
thrown into the society of bis step
sisters, after his fathers marriage
to tho widow Of Col. Harden, and
without the idea occurring to
their seniors that they would
ever dream Of being anything
nearer to ono another than broth
or and sister. Mrs. Walworth was
a strict catholic, and the mar
riage between the young people
woald have been extremely dis.
tasteful to her, since, in the views
of the Church. this relationship
by her first marriage was such as
10 forbid the forming Of closer
ties; but the young people knew
netting Of these ecclesiastical ro-
gulations, and cared little for
aught save themselves, and 60
grew to love each other strongly
80 deeply, indeed, that the pas
sion after a while obscured their
season. Then they secretly pligh.
ted their troth to each other, and
took up the relation of husband
and wife, a few brief months Of
wild happiness followed. As was
inevitable, the secret exposed it
self, when the betrothed wife was
evidently about to become a moth
er. Then a scene of recrimination
followed. The young couple made
the excuse that they had promised
themselves to each other, and
recognized Ole another by solemn
words Of an agreement between
themselves as husband and wife,
and that this agreement, accord
ing to civil law, was marriage.
There was then but one rec ,urse
left, and that was to make the best
of an unhappy passion, and unite
them by formal ceremony o: the
church. TO this cheerful assent
was given, and it was accordingly
done. The marriage that had be-
come a necessity was formal y SOL
emnized, and three months after
ward Frank Ii. Walworth was
born. As might he expected, when
the couple looked upon each other
with changed eyes, and each came
to think that their choice would
have been different had they not
been thrown together in COLL
mon household. Hence it happen.
ed that they quarreled and finally
separated. Each was jealous OF the
other, and each despised the other
for youthful weakness and indis-
cretions Letters passed between
them, containing recriminations,
and sCme Of their strange mis-
sives came into the possession of
the Young parricide. Taunts upon
his mother angered him, and there
il reason to believe that lie totally
misunderstood the reflections
made Oh the subject of his own
illegiiimacy. He thought his
father reflected on his mothers
chastity after marriage. Fired with
false chivalry, he did not stop to
question his mother, and the moth.
er had naturally concealed her
weakness from her son. 1t was
enough for him that a slur had
been cast upon her name and his
own. lie took his fathers life,
and thereby published his moth
er's early frailty to the world. Her
best friend lament-this more bit
tcrly than the murder for which
her son is imprisoned.
The correspondent says: "This
story lie freely canvassed by all
residents of Saratoga, where the
marriage caused great scandal at
tho time. 1t accords with what
know about the history of the
Walworth family"