Smyrna times., 1878-05-22
A Virginia Tragedy.
WHICH READS LIKE A CHAPTER OUT OF GIN
MISERABLES."

MloEhABLES.
Among the numerous moss.ono,u,,
ttomo-Stones in the grave yard of WiIi;on noS ~1'
oufg' Virginia, is one which hears tba eai
; lowing inscription: WV ioi
Sacred to the Memory of
Who dol % 4, SARAH SEMPHELL
N'0u tv Nv ine age of twenty-five slain, with ba,
Two infant daughters, by her own "-'ii Hei
| Sbo ,vos f,;. husband.
by ali all Who VI 5G0k noJP upon pure as snow and beloved
alone knows why she had to
! ,r perish so miserably.
IHls epltaPh, some of the words of which
are hardly leglble any longer, is the oni,, %
record left of the most terrible traood;cys dy
''iHt a. ever took place in the Old Dominion
- was In 1878 that John SemnhiIi -
youne & man. who said he was from Santa
Ea, Gau1, IN the West Indies, arrived at VII
,li+n'9ourg ana settled there as a tobacco
aLII PLTli'er' he had plenty Of money and ,vos
fnos+ " putchase about 900 acres of the
old town. ''''ilce OF the
Being apparently gentleman in ouon,,
sense of the word, Mr.. Semnb;li =, ,ry eEely
mltted to the best society in his new boraa az
ana year later he was married 10 $50
zones, beautiful heress, the weddinn foa or
tlVltles being celebrated with extroordS;,,om'
po"P ana splendor. In course of ti,,,a
Two daughters were born to the vonnc ,,ln0 onI'
pf PIE ana everybody predicted long carver
II ciouulesS happiness for them. Alas |
nov terribly those bright anticinations
were 10 be disappointed. 1t was On CI'n;at
mas eve, in 1901, that a STRANGE Ionili ,iliS.
man, In sort of military uniform onTonrnS i,n
az az the house Of Mr.. SemphilI VIZ Ivon pU'', ?o
hichmond at the time. Mrs. SemnbiI1 40 80
celVGa ~ ca the stranger ia the parlor.
10 you speak French, madame p. bo
sara 10 her in very broken English "'
one '9ne replied in the affirmative,
men, madame, please send your two
. nulse girls with the children out of tbe
:, She did SO, and looked irterrocativelv a.
ler visitor. The latter hesitated n mo !
meat: n! lhen he said in tone of deem
"Poor lady. Louo ..,,
ou." IIulngs for t
Heavens ?" she cried. turr;
ale, "my husband WI "'"s very
"S;r our r,,i husband is an infamous william" .
:, or or she exclaimed Indignantly :
lie has basely deceived von II. o
erer ~ 'ioi ana muir t.
one . 6 uttered heartrending scream. y
10 you tell me the truth p, sba I,oe,,o,,
IL IS Spanish thief, and was ssnt - o
10 gaiieys OF Barcelona for life He mado ~
IS , escape from thence and fed 70 60" =, ~
ne[e he robbed and murdered n rich ~
anIer' am here to take him to Cnbo =,
mere the scaffold awaits him. "''' a. a.
Ihe afflicted lady had become strorcoI, VI
I'm. o'iie strangely al
F" Sir, she said to the stranger. "beforo o. o.
~ arrest him, will you permit mo 10 Loid ~ =.
private interview with-witb-" 011 e
II iiis ~, 'rue name Is Juan Celirio. If Won tn
- IN i1C G me remain in an adjoining room ne
~ : ne returns from Richmond, where he
ivately." 'ee MN M
: expect him back every uon,ontn NV NV
10 10" az! an houF later, Cehrio, alias Semphill fir
~ 'I9 MS appearance. His wife briefly tb
= nm everything. lie flew into terri. cio
, rage lie shot her through the heart on
: i''Iiiet OUT OF the room to the nursery. fir,
eie nc stabbed his two little daughters fir,
= : next moment the Cuban officer. who La
4 rushed after him, and succeeded. after n,e
espe[ate struggle, in shackling him. Tho
VS. VS. OF this horrible tragedy spread like mo
unfe through the old town, and in Ieso .e S..
u twenty minutes a large concourse of mo
'Ple had gathered in front of SempbilI hot
Oenrlos house. VociferOus threats a. @ 7
On the murderer were made. and tho ctr;
'uty sherlffs who were promptly ON hand :
:Irest MN, had the utmost difficulty i, ,,o,
= iihs MN 70 jail, where he was chained ,'sr
tide. W commit In
ne ! villain was hung on the 18th of Nav set ~m
-.... buz