Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1880-01-28
A MOUNTAIN MYSTERY.
A Brief Glimpse Of Life in the Thinly
Settled Interior Counties OF
Arkansas.

From "A Correspondent If the New York
World.
WITT SPRINGS, SEARCY COUNTY,
ARK, Dec. 2O.-At the foot OF the
Boston Mountains dwrlls man
named Mason He is over eighty
Years utd, aud his tail figure, white
hair aud patrlarclal air give HIM
an Understandable appearance. His
house is II rough bat comfortable
log cabin, and the few acres around
il afford ample subsistence. AntX-
crllcnt mdrksinan, hr has never
abandoned the use of his TASTY
rifle, while the numerous deer AND
bear skins within aud without his
cabin bear ample testimony of his
skill and success. With the eScep.
ton of his wife. he lives entirely
alone. But his life has not always
been thus drsolate. Only a few
Years ago three children frightened
his humble home, two boys. John
and David, and one daughter, LIZ.
zie, who was the pride oi the old
mans heart and the light OF his
rude cabin. The SONS We're light.
hearted boys, given To dunk some
| what, but liked 10y every body, while
/ Lizzie WAS Il rare. wildwood bios
som. Her soft hiur eyes ami taAtH
/ hair PLAYED sad havoc with the
. hearts ut the Younger portion uf
the opposite >rN III all that section
and many sought her hand III man.
/ riagr. the fortunate sulior being Il
Young man named Charles Mckln.
/ ley, rather dlsSipatcd. not worth e
/ dollar. Vet handsome, ii very forest
I Apollo-in short, just the KIND OF Il
man 10 win n Young girls heart.
The Mason family Nrrc ANYTHING
! but pleased with her choice. aud
spared no effort 10 break of the
attachment the lovers had ion each
other. Lizzie, however. could not
be moved. EnirralicS and threats
were alike nnavniling. The former
gave her courage to plead for Char
. ley; the latter made her cling the
closer to him. The Young man was
also firm. will never give MP Llz'
zie, he said, with n big. round oath,
when questioned on that point.
Finding all either efforts useless,
the Masons resOrted To more violent
measures. John Mason met Charles
Mckinley one day in the forest and
a desperate fight eusued, IN which
both were badly cut and bruised,
but in which John WAS decidedly
worsted. This stirred up addition
al bitterness and tor a time threat
ened to draw the majority OF the
surrounding families into the quar-.
rel aud disturb the peace OF the
neghborhood. Lizzie sought to
pour oil on the troubled water, and
her gentle words melted the bar
dened natures that evil passions
had filled with wrath. There WAS
a reconciliation between her love,
and brother, and there WAS general
rejoicing in consequence. when an
event occurred which changed ami
Il into distrnst and suspicion. The
event WAS no less than the sud
den and mysterious disappearance
OF Mckinley. He WAS last seri
alive, alone in the forests beyond
the mountains. and was on the trail
OF herd of deer. The most rigid
search failed to discover him oI
any trace of his ~hrreabouts. Ht
had dropped ont of sight and life
rs if the earth had opened and
swallowed him mp. All sorts OF
stories were rife. One said he had
been murdered, another that he had
run away, still another that he wa,
purposely hiding himself, aud would
suddenly return. But as time wen'
on aud he neither came nor va.
heard Of, the suspicion that he hat
met with foul play gained groanf
rapidly, growing into certainty II
the minds of very many persons
OF course John Mason was accused
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