The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1878-07-16
AN OLD TINE
Virginia ssnsation hat Married thu Open,
ing Of the Century.

. Virginia ssnsation that Married thu Open
ing Of the Century.
correspondent who il travelling abou
IN virginia has found among the numerouI
n~e,s-erown old t~ombstones in the grave
ye,u OF Williamsburg one which bears thu
ioiiowing inscription:
Sacred TO the Memory Of
~ SARAH sESpHILL,
ner two infant daughters, by her q
she was fair to look upon, pure as snow. and
beloved By all who knew her. Divine
frovidence alone knows why
~ khe had to perish 20
This epitaph, some of the words oil
wnicn are hardly legible any longer. il the
only record left Of one Of the most terrible
Dominion.
1t was in 1898 that John semph;u. 4
young man who said he was from Santv
Gruz in the West Indies, arrived ut WI.
namsDurg. and settled there rs q tobacco
PLANTER He had plenty of money, and
%as able TO purchase 1000 acres Of the
nnest soil within a short distance Of the
Being apparently a gentleman in every
sense or the word, Mr.. Semphill was ad.
mitteo TO the best society in his new homs
and . year later he was married to Sarab
Jones, q beautiful heiress, the wedding fes
tivities being celebrated with extraordi
nary pomp and splendor. In oourse Of
time W. daughters were born to the young
couple, and everybody predicted a Ions
career Of cloudless happiness for them
Alas! How terribly those bright ~anticipo
lions were to be disappointed. 1t was On
christmas eve, 1901. that a strange look
Ing man, in a sort Of military uniform. a,,-
peared at the house Of Mr.. SemphilI, who
was In Richmond at the time. Mrs. Semp
MIL received the stranger in the parlor.
ID you speak French Madame ?" no
said to her in very broken English.
She replied in the affirmative.
Then, Madame, please send your two
nurse girls with the children out Of the
room"
See did SO, and looked in~terrogatiyely u.
her visitor. The latter hcsitated a mo
nent- Then he said in a tone Of deep emo
ton:
you"
Heavens L" she cried, turning very
pale. my husband"
your husband is IN infamous villain
Sit " she exclaimed Indignantly.
He has bnsely deceived you. He is an
escaped galley slave, a thief, and a murder
She uttered q heartrendino scream
Do you tell me the truth " she pnsped.
He is a Spanish thief, and was sent TO
the galieys Of Barcelona for life. He made
his escape from thence and fled to Cuba.
where he robbed aud murdered a rich plan.
ter. 1 am here to take him to Cuba.
where the scaffold awaits him."
The afflicted lady had become strangely
calm.
"Sir, " she said to tho stranger, before
you arrest him, will you permit me to hold
q private interview wiLh--with-"
His true namc Is Juan Cefirio. II Won
will let me remain in IN adjoining room
until he returns from Richmond, where he
privately.n
II expect him back every moment. -
Half an hour Inter Ce6rio, alias Semp-
hill, made his appearance. His wife briefly
told him everything. He fiew into a terri
BILE rage. He shot her through the heart
i'd rushed out Of tho room to the nursery.
The next moment the Cuban officer, who
had rushed after him, grappled with him,
and succeeded, after q desperate struggle,
in shnckling him.
The news Of this horrible tragedy spread
like wild6re through the town, and in less
than twenty minutes q large -concourse Of
people had gathered in front of Semphill,
alias Cedrio's house. vociferous threats to
lynch the murderer were made, and the
sheriff., who were promptly on hand
TO nrrest him, had the utmost difficulty In
him to Jail, where he was chained
the floor, having Threatened to commit
The villain was hung on the 18th of May,
1903.