The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1878-07-03

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duel, but requested that her own re-
mains should not he buried at Lees
burg, and that no mark should be
placed above her grave wherever it
might be. She lies in the Congress
sional cemetery at Washington, with
only the earth and grass above her.
Then came the war with Mexico
Her son for little time had the 3D.
lportunity to forget his troubles an-
der military excitement. He was
mortally wounded by a cannon shot
Il think it was at Monterey-and
died, captain of rifles, in the arms
Of his lieutenant, one Of the Rhetts,
of South Carolina. 1t was an i'm.
Ipressive day in Loudon when the
body Of young Mason was received
from Mexico and laid in the shade Of
the old church beside his father and
his bride. All the people assembled
and made public funeral for him.
One Of the arrangements was that
only the blood relations should pass
within certain railing close about
the family graves, and I we'll remem-
her that although goodiy company
had followed him to dinner when he
was 81, where the same relationship
was exacted, and although be was
about 81 at his death, yet only three
were there-two besides myself-to
enter the narrow inclosnre.a So fam
lily and fortune passed away. i But
not even here ended the effects OF
that pistol shot at Bladensburg.-
McCarty, the other principal ia the
duel, also had an only son, very pro,
missing, in whomihe took.great pride.
Though living but a few miles apart,
the two families never renewed their
acquaintance or spokeiof each other.
There was a mutual avoidance.
nothing more. Young McCarty was
a frequent sportsman, but in all his
cunning was never known to set his
foot on any part Of the Mason estate,
whatever the luck it might promise.
One fatal day, however, in following
the fight of game he mounted fence
dividing the Mason property from
another's. Attempting to load il
This position, his attention diverted
no doubt, by the movements Of the
birds or, the dogs-he let slip his
gun, which, exploded and sent tht
ramrod through his head. He Eel
on the Mason side,. which he hac
avoided all his life-upon the ground
| which he was to press only in death
And, to make the dramatic situation
complete, Stew. rs Mason at that mo
ment came riding by, and the. dying
youth was carried to Raspberry
Plain, the bl,ghted home. OF the Ma
sons, the birth: place Of the fathers
victim, and. laid dead in the, hall
This was almost a death, blow tt
the parents Of young Mccarthy His
bereaved father, the.slayer Of Senator
Mason, became cratic, and for much
of the lime q wahderer. He would
leave his home Without. q. word and
be gone. for years, his. own wife moi
knowing where,i and then would a.
suddenly, reappear, onkempt and bag
gard, With hair long on his should
ers, and beard descending to hi,
waist. a12om19 oaitl1saaH edl ra.
| !, After all this the Mason house a,
Raspberry Plain stood shut up and
empty for years. In due time, Of
course, it became "haunted,n and
as might have been expected, a pie
toll shot was sometimes heard there
at night by veracious passers-by.--
But at length. it passed into careful
though stranger hands,, and is now.
with Selma also --once more tn,
scene Of prosperity and happiness
Ii Lippincott's Magazine. .a
WILKES BOOTHS GRIM E
00AN ~ cVNDs luz DAAAA1ONE IA ~ a
| GER, ADDS A CHAPTER TO THE
HISTORY OF THE AS Ig I'll
ga sASsINATIoN.a al. ,tin'
| I The announcement made of tn,
coming production of Shakespeare
great Roman play Of Julius Cezar'
recalls the great tragedyin Washing
ton, in 1865, when John .:Wilke
Booth assumed a role somcwha
similar to that of Bratus, in the as
1sassination of the President of th
United States The actors grea
crime startled the world, and al
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