Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1878-12-05
The Grimes of Des Touches.
An Infamous Outrage and MUIR
der at Mobile-The Victims Son
Trying to Ferret Out the Perpe-
tratOrs-A Burglar and Start
ling Discovery. tEF4
"Sixteenp'
"Sixteen! ] have won't"

The elderly man who had
been throwing dice with mere
youth in a saloon at Chattanoo-
ga, Tenn, on the 18th of No
vember, 1843, raked in the pile
of money lying on the bar,
treated his companion to q
drink, and left the saloon.
The youth remained. His
name was Walter Limestone.
He was from Mobile, Alabama,
and had but recently come to
Chattanooga, which was then
the most thriving town in South
eastern Tennessee.
lie seemed to have plenty of
money, was welI-dressed, and
his handsome form and prepos-
sessing face made him at once
a favorite in all circles where
he made his appearance.
Young Limestone was at that
time only twenty years old
tall and. straight as an arrow,
and upwards of six feet high
the very picture of a healthy
soul in a healthy body
AS a general thing, he was in
buoyant spirits, but occasional l.
ly he fell into long fits of mel
ancholy, and this was by no
means snrprising, for, young ds
he was, his history had already
been full of sad experiences.
He was the only son of James
Limestone, a wealthy cotton
dealer of Mobile, Alabama.
When Walter was nine years
old a terrible misfortune had be-
fallen his family. A clerk of his
fathers, Mark Des Touches, a
very fine-looking man, in whose
integrity his employer had re-
posed implicit confidence had
committed nameless outrage
upon Mrs. Limestone.
The poor lady who was at
the time less than thirty years
of age, and a most beautiful
woman, was taken dangerously
sick in consequence of the
dreadful occurrence. Des Tou-
ches disappeared from the city,
and James Limestone made i'm
mediate preparations to- start in
pursuit of the scoundreh with
the avowed intention of shoot
ing him at sight.
But two days after leaving
Mobile James Limestone was
found dead Oh the Montgomery
road. His throat had been cut
from car to ear, and all his val
uables-eyen his signet ring, a
a curious old heirloom-had
been taken flom him.
When the news of her hus-
bands violent death was broken
to the young widow she became
dclirious, and died few days
later, without having reawaken'
ed to CONSCIOUSNESS. Des Ton'
ches was never heard from a.
gain. At that period murders
were only too frequent in Ala
bama, and the authorities die
little or nothing to ferret out
who had slain the young cot.
ton-planter. Walter Limestone
had been sent by distant rela'
tives to a Northern College
where he graduated in 184l.
He then returned to thu
South, where MS fathers estate
had been so we'll and conscien'
; tiously managed that the you'll
found himself in the possession
Of a fortune of between three anC
four hundred thousand dollars
He resolved not to stay in Mo
: bile, principally because he fcl
an irrepressible desire to lif
the veil of the mystery sur
$ rounding the last hours Of hi
i'll fated father.
From Mobile he had gone t
Selma, and there taken tn
S stage to Chattanooga. Ther
was only one passenger besid
him, the mlddle-aged man, wit
whom he had thrown dice i
the saloon.
Although the mans bearin
was very reserved. Waite
Limestone Ii d conceived
i strong liking fer him. lie tol
the youth that his name We
D,t ax,J That no had&aoar