Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1880-04-22
MALEDICTIoN FULFnLED
The Tragic Killing Of Captain Reu-
ben Keith, in Verification Of Ra-
chel Stones Curse---A True and
and Romantic Incident Of the Late

chel Stones Curse---A True and
and Romantic Incident Of the Late
War.
In the domain Of fiction the
use of a verified malediction il
a fayorite artifice Of dramatic ef
feet. Upon the stage, we find
it used with impressive infiu-
ence. In the realm of the real,
history recalls no well-autllenti-
Gated instance of a realized
curse. The followingis a literal
case that occurred during The
War under the personal knowl-
edge of the writer, and has been
the theme of much speculation.
Whether it was a mere coinci-
dence happening without real
connection, or whether il was
one of-those mysterious matters
Of inexplicable romance, that
breaks The current of prosaic
fact, must ever remain an un-
solved problem. l vouch for
the details. The reader must
exercise his own judgment up
on them: naA
OLD AUNT RACHEL STONE.
The incident began in the ear
ly part, of 1868. The writer
commanded the Fourth Regi-
ment of Georgia Cavalry. Most
of the members of this regiment
came from Whitfield and adj
joining counties in the northern
part of the Slate of Georgia.
Among the soldiers was a youth
named Stone, who enlisted in
the company raised in Murray
County by Capt. Reuben Keith.
The mother of young Stone
was a very notable character.
She was called Old Aunt Ra-
chel Stone. Her husband was
dead, and she was still a widow,
supporting her family on small
farm. She was a woman Of
marked and peculiar appearance,
a very large, erect masculine
creature, with the frame, mus
cles and stride of a man. She
was over six feet high, broad
shouldered, massive, sinewy, of
immense physical yigor4 and
strength, performing manual la
Dor on her farm with the power
and readiness of a man. plow-
ing, splitting rails and such 9th
er work requiring force and en-
durance; she had face clear,
open,p decided, of remarkably
positive expression, large
bright blue eye of piercing PEN
ctration, a nose of character, a
broad, high brow, and lan iun-
kempt blonde hair, that was Of
ten hanging down loosely on
her shoulders, and which, when
so futtering around her express
sive countenance and heavy
frame gave an effective individ-
uality 10 her appearance. The
most impressive thing about her
was her manner Of talking. She
had a clear, deep voice, and an
oracular way Of uttering her
words that was singularly forci-
BILE. She spoke with a deliber-
alton, a precision, a measured
emphasis and a ringing earnest
ness that always held the atten-
ton. She was naturally oratori-
cal IN her manner and utteran-
ces. A public speaker might
have learned something from
her. She expressed herself with
unusual dircctness and a sort of
dramatic flavor that lost nothing
from the fact that it was couch
ed in rude words and an uncul-
tured idiom. There was, also,
an originality in her expressions
that interested a hearer. Her
mind was bold and independent,
though uneducated, and her in
telligencc strong and pictu-
rescue, though unframed.
She took her toddy at times,
and even exceeded a prudent ra-
ton Of spirits on extra occa-
sions. But there was never
anything against her chastity,
and she pri,led herself very much
on her unblemished character.
She said once to the writer in
her peculiar manner, with an
added ring to her voice, and
dwelling with her oracular en-
lphasis on each distinct syllable
"Mebbe you think | am q
drab. But 1 amt! lam an hon.
est woman. | am one of JEFF
EDavis's danghters."ly lAgliA
She prided herself very much
upon being a good worthy SUBJ
1ect of the Confederacy, which
she habitually epitomized under
the name of "Jeff Davis" Take
her all al all, with her strong
sense, her original intelligence,
her decisive mcthodsTher keen
penetration, her impressive ex-
pressions, her shrewd obserya-
ton of public matters and heI
rough, but pictulesque,s indiyid-
uality, and she was a very re-
markable character, and to me
ia study of considerable interest,
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