Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1879-10-23

= AOS HOUSES VI lI6yuOluB anu t1OTlO0 were
IN q futter, and were closed to all out
siders. The case has just been decided,
and the facts are substantially as follows:
During the early, part IF May last the
quadroom woman Lucy Shepherd, here
totoro referred to, was taken quite i'll,
and when it became apparent that she
could not live but few days, she secret
~ requested DR.. Blackman, the physi-
clan attending her, to inform Mark Hort
on that she had something of importance
to communicate to him and, desired
him to call and see her at once.
MI. Horton, in response to thisErequest,
called about an hour after the request
was made. The woman began by telling
him that she had kept secret locked in
her breast for years, and now that she
was going to die she could no longer re-
main silent. She did not wish to 20 to
her grave as the partner in great fraud.
She then informed Mr.. Horton that his
wife Jessie was her daughter, that she
was the illegitimate child of Reynolds,
and that the secret which had so long
been kept was the cause of the death Of
Mr.. Reynolds wife, who grieved herself
into an early grave on account of the
fraud which Reynolds was practic1ng in
palming off Jessie as his legitimate
daughter. The woman informed Mr..
Horton that Jessie knew nothing of these
facts; that she was perfectly innocent and
believed herself the legitimate daughter
Of Reynolds. She stated that Jessie was
born in Wilmington, N. c., after Rey-
nolds had married, and he notified his
wife that she must adopt the child as her
own and rear it as such. He threatened
both his wife and the mother of the child
with death should they divulge the facts.
Mrs. Reynolds died broken-hearted after
years Of grief and shame.
Mark Horton, after hearing the story of
the quadroon woman, at once went to
Reynolds and confronted him with the
facts. The latter did not deny the state
ment of the woman but told Horton that
he had better remain silent, as any ex-
posture would bring shame on both fami-
lies. But Horton belonged to an old
fashioned, high-bred family, and pride
was his most striking characteristic. He
notified Reynolds that he would send
Jessie back to him, with their child, and
that he would at once apply for divorce.
He then went back to his home, called
Jessie into private apartment, and there
told her the story of the quadroon woman,
who was then dying as he repeated the
words she had spoken to him.
The wife was struck with terror and
could not utter word. She acted for a
while as if she was bereft of her senses.
When she became composed she found
herself and child in her fathers house.
She at once became an object of pity and
sympathy. She will see no one, and pass
es her time locked in her room with her
child.
This exposure broke up the Horton
family, the old man selling out and re-
turning to North Carolina, and Mark
having left few days since for Califor-
nia-after the Court had declared the
marriage void because of fraud. Rey-
nolds is endeavoring to dispose of his
property, intending also to leave the
country. He is blamed by everybody for
the misery he has brought upon his I'M
happy daughter and the Horizons. He
attempted to induce his daughter to con-
test the divorce suit, but she was not in
a condition to appear in court. The case
brought together the largest crowd ever
gathered in Walker County.