The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1879-10-23

cd him nice farm, and the father
of Jessie had y splendid residence
built for them.
! After a brilliant honey moon,
Mark Horton and his beautiful bride
settled down on the farm given
thom. Prosperity smiled upon them
aud ia due time son was bern unto
shom AN event which brought an
usua! JOY to The parents. 10 the
midst of all this happy condition Of
things the whole neighborhood was
thrown iuto state Of utter contus-
ion by the report that Mark Horton
had separated from his wife, and
that no had ti.od bill for divorce,
alleging that fraud had been per-
petrstod upon him in tho marriage
that his wifo had negro blood in her
veins, aud that therefore the mars
riago was null and void. There
were hundreds OF rumors, some ri
diculous, many malicious and the
remainder about as near the truth as
is usual in such cases. The houses
of Reynolds aud Horton were in a
Autter, and were closed TO all outs
siders. The case has just been do
cided. and The facts are sub4tantial-
ly i: Daring the earl y part Of May
last the quadroon woman, Lucy
Sheperd, heretofore referred to, was
taken quite ill, and when it became
apparent that she could not live but
a few days, she secretly requested
DR.. Black man, tho physician attend
ing her, to inform Mark Horton that
she had something of Importance to
communicate to him, and desired
him to call and see her at once
Mr.. Horton, in response to this re-.
quest, called about an hour after the
request was made. The woman be-
gan by telling him that she had kept
a secret locked in her breast for
years, and that as she was going to
die she could no longer remain ST.
lent. She did not wish to go to her
grave as the partner in great
fraud. She then informed Mr.. Hor-
ton that his wife jessie was her
daughter, that she was the illegiti~
mate child of Reynolds, and that the
secret which had been so long kept
was the cause of the death of Mr.
Reynolds wife, who grieved herself
toto an early grave on account of tho
fraud which Reynolds was practic~
ing in palming off Jessie as his legit
innate daughter. The woman in
fol med Mr.. Horton that Jessie knew
nothing of the facts, that she was
strictly innocent, and believed her
self the Legitimate daughter Of Rey-
noIds. She stated that Jessie was
born in Wilmington, N. c., after
Reynolds had married, and no noti-
fed his wife that she must adopt tho
child as her own and rear it as euch.
He threatened both his wife and tho
mother Of the child with death
should they divulge the facts. Mrs.
Reynolds died broken hearted after
yeara OF grief and shame.
Mark Horton, after hearing the
story Of the quadroon woman, at
once went to Reynolds and confront
ed him with the facts. The latter
did not deny the statement of tho
woman, but told Horton that he had
better remain silent, as any expos
urc would bring shame on both fam'
lies. But Horton belonged to an
old fashioned, bigh-bred family, and
pride was his most striking charac'
teristic. He notified Reynolds that
he would send Jessie back to him,
with the child, and that he would at
once apply for divorce. He then
went back to bis home, called Jessie
into a 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 q word. She
acted for while as if She was be-
reft of her senses. When she be-
came composed she found herself and
child in her fathers house. She OF
once became an object of pity and
sympathy. She will zee no one,
and passes her time locked in her
room with her child.
This exposure broke up the llor-
ton family, the old man selling out
and returning to North Carolina,
and Mark having left few days
since for California--after the court
had declared the marriage void be-
cause Of fraud Reynolds is ondeav~
ing to dispose of hia property, in~
tending also to leave tho country.
He is blamed by everybody for the
misery he has bought upon his IN
happy daughter and the Horizons
He attempted to induce his daughter
to contest the divorce suit, but she
was not in a condition to appear in
court. The case brought together
the larges. crowd ever gathered in
Walker county.
SPECTATOR.