Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1878-12-12


to the knowledge of persons living
in the neighborhood OF Henderson,
one of the most wealthy aud aris-
tocratic sections of Western Ken
lucky. At Robard's Station, d III.
tie railroad village fourteen miles
from Henderson, have reside Tor
generations a family named Ar
thur. Ohe of the younger repre-
sentatives, Nathan Arthur, owned
a drug store in the village. and
some years ago married his first
cousin, a daughter of Emmanuel
Arthur. She was very young
then, and is now only twenty one
years Of age.
Four years ago a DR.. Brown
moved to Robar,i's Station from
Louisville, KY, bringing with him
"a rem ,rkarly handsome wife and
several children. They were hos.
pitably received by the residents
of the vi lage and neighborhood,
and being educated people at once
took prominent position =
Browns practice made him soon
intimate with the Arthurs, and as
Il consequence the families b, came
intimate.
TnuS matters ran along three
we lrs or m re. Mrs. Brown is a.
bout thirty-two, and young Ar
thur, who is a distinguishing Eel
low, is about twenty seven. A
short time ago it began to be ru-
mored that Mrs Brown and Ar
thur were very fond OF each other,
and the woman did not attempt to
conceal it even from her husband,
Further, aud to the great astonish
ment OF oil, DR.. Brown did not
seem to ~ ject, but paid Mrs Ar
thur elaborate attention. Mrs.
Arthur alone seemed to be igno-
rant OF how matters stood, and b4
lore her friends told her, she went
with Mrs Brown to visit several
weeks in Illinois While there
correspondence was kept up with
the husbands they left behind.
Mrs. Arthur, being poor scribe,
persuaded Mrs. Brown to write
her letters from dictstion. 1t
trausrires n,w that Mrs.. Brown
wrote for herself in her friend let.
ter-, and made love to the hus
band.
In the mean time the husbands
at home became more intimate in
temporary Dachelorhood, and one
evening, while drinking together,
began t. discuss their wives. Both
soon got under the Influence of
liquor and ennboldness. FINAL,
Brown told Arthur he had observ
ed his iondness for his { Brown's)
wife, and had not OH cted, be-
cause he had conceived fondness
for his { Arthur's) wife. This led
to mtudlin confessions, aud finally
to "A proposal to swap wives, and
before they separated the arrange
ment was made. The next day
they met, and the following agree
ments were signed.
BROWNS PROFESSION.
81 love Mrs Arthur better than
any human being on earth, and
will never b. satisli I'd without |
live with her. am 10 earnest,
aud will make the swap, SO help
me God WASH L Brown
ARTHUR S AGREEMENT.
81 a m willing to make the swap
| love Mrs. Brown better than any
body else, aud | am in earnest,
just as sure as | am sitting ON this
barrel, as God is my judge; and
the one that backs out first is to
forfeit S. MATHEW ARTHUR
From this a further contract
was drawn up for the women to
sign. This is not to be obtained.
Ii disposed of Browns four Chi.
dren, Of whom three were to re.
main with their father and one 10
go with Arthur, who had none
These prelilDinariesarraneed, they
wrote to their wives to return, and
on arrival, Mrs. Brown at once d
greed to the exchange.
Mrs. Arthur was still ignorant
Of the arrangement, and was to BE-
approached. Brown at once began
10 write h love letters of the
most ardent description. These
wsre conveyed to her by her own
husband, She Indignantly de-
,tfoyed the missives, and did no
speak OF their contents to Arthur
In IA few days she observed that
her photograph was removed from
her album and Mrs. Browns in
ito place. Then she spoke to her
husband, and he told her all, ask
ing consent to the exchange, and
that she would accompany DR.,
Brown, who was we'll supplied
with this worlds goods to another
State. She Indignantly refused.
and when next day he insisted.
and producted the contract for her
signature, she went to her desk,
took out revolver, and told him
Il he did not leave she would shoot