The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1880-07-15

n STORf.-It has the flavor
of some ancient classic tragedy. like that
of Nirginius stabbing his daughter TO pro-
tect her virtue, for example,-has this sad,
shameful story from the Northern border
The features are as homely as the actors ;
but the moving spirit is as pathetic, as
tragic, as natural, as anything in Sophocle>
or Sappho.
Brief summary of the facts. The De
Jarnettes, OF Virginia, were an old, and at
one time prominent family. Men of the
name have been in both the Federal and the
Confederate Congress. Since the war moth
ing has been heard of them the waves OF
adversely engulfed them, as SO many Others.
Young Thomas Del annette came to reside
with his mother at Brown Summit, n. c.,
where be was telegraph operator. His sis
ter Mary remained in Danville ia some EN-
ployment. She was in i'll health, and seems
to have gotten along badly. A Charlotte
paper says she came to that city and won
good opinions from those who knew her.
but her health became so poor that she
started to return home. On reaching Dan
vile, and being penniless, she finally went
to Blonde Hall, a notorious bagnio. A
man promised to ''befriend' her if she did.
Ere the end Of a week, weakness and remorSe
caused her to write to her brother, narrat-
ing the whole miserable story. 1t was a
terrible shock to him. He loved her dearly,
had paid for her education, and hoped to
see her happily settled for life. Terribly
stirred, he fastened to Danville, and was
shown to the dirty little attic room, carpet
less and windowless, where his eighteen
year old sister sat upon the bedside await.
ing-not him, of all men. He locked the
door, and enptied five barrels of his revol-
yer into her breast! 1t was a dastardly act;
no 0nrhf RI hoyo CLAIM hor col,.o,. +Io,
his sister lastly. aud without fail, him
self! Bnt the boy was probably too much
wrought up to know what he was doing.
And now we quote from the Danville Neu>
the particulars Of the scene at the dying
girls bedside =
Miss Mary said the mayor, 'if you
can, please give an account of the shooting,
and who did it."
My brother did, said the dying woman,
land | do not blame him | have disgraced
my family, and ! am the only one for three
generations that has.
| wrote to my brother yesterday morning,
but he did not answer my letter. He came
In person. | wrote to him that [ would
rather get on my knees, and ask forgiveness
that God alone only knew how [ had suf
fered. He came last night, and came into
my room. He took out his pistol and shot
me first IN the breast, | ran behind the bee
and as | did so he shot again. | threw uI
my hand, and this saved my life.
| beg you not to condemn him. ] love
him dearly, every drop of blood in his heart
| want to see him now, Notwithstanding hi
dle-two bullets in my body, and bleeding
inwardly.
wrote to a lady in North Carolina offer
ing to keep house, and do anything for her
| did this before l wrote to my brother, bu'
| did not hear from he~.
could not stand but one week Of Thu
life, receiving i'll treatment from those whc
had worse blood in their veins than L.
hope this will be a warning to my little sis
ter, who is younger than | am.
Signed. MARY DEJARNETTE.
In answer to the urgent appeal Of MOllie,
the Mayor, after consulting DR.. George
consented to: ALLOW the brother to be brought
from jail to see her.
The meeting was one of a strange, i'm
p~ressive and varied character. Thomas
Dejarnette is not a bad looking man, ha
black hair, clear black eyes, and goO(
features-is above the medium stature, an(
will be 81 years old the lst of August.
When the young man entered the room
his siste: seemed deeply moved, her bosom
HtdNSu. duu ucT coutcuduCe contracted
with pain. Her right hand was pressed tc
her pale forehead, her left, with a bloody
bandage partially conceaIing a painful
wound, lay outstretched.
Dejarnett walked around the bed ane
took a chair on the opposite side and nea1
the foot OF it. The sister was the first tt
speak. ''Oh, brother" said she, Il feel fo
you more than you de for me. | am bound
to die, l feel it coming on me, and I would
die happy if i knew you would forgive me
and that you would not be condeinned.'
''MoIlie," replied the brother, in COO
and subdued voice. Il have d, ne it,
knew was what | doing, and l am willing t.
take the consequences
Lifting her bloody hand from her sid
and placing it on her bosom; Mollie assur
ed her brother, in clear tones, of her love
for him, and said be had been a good broth
er to her, and asked him to say that he for
gave her. In he said he knew sh,
could never undo what she had done. ant