Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1881-02-24


erywhere admitted, and our peaceful and law
abiding condition has at last challenged an
admission from the most violent of our pre-
tended enemies. 1t remains for the South to
encourage this kindly feeling and to invite
by the most liberal legislation the approach
of Northern men and capital. The strength
of our position being admitted, let US break
down the last barrier Of prejudice. Mobile
Register.
A SAD STORY FROM TEXAS.
LITTLE Rock, ARK, February 10.-A pri.
vate telegram from Dallas, Texas, was re-
ceived last night, which solved mystery
that has for three years bafled persistent
search and inquiry, and caused untold agony
and suffering worse than death. The facts
may be summed up briefly.
In 1877 the Robertsons were living in
Wise county, Texas. The family consisted Of
mother and two boys, the father having
died some years before. No family in the
neighborhood was more highly respected.
The widow owned large plantation, and was
considered wealthy; while all predicted that
the boys had bright future before them.
Henry, the younger, didn't 60 much into So
ciety, preferring home and seclusion. Frank,
the elder, went everywhere, and was known
far and wide. He was wild, generous boy,
whom everybody liked, and it was thought
he had not an enemy in all the world. Pos
sessing rare manly beauty and pleasing ad-
dress, he had little difficulty in winning the
affections of Miss Jennie Bane, daughter of q
neighboring planter, and, as there was no i'm.
pediment to the union, preparations were
made for it.
1t was intended that the marriage should
eclipse any similar event in Wise county.
Invitations we're issued lavishly; all the nec-
essary arrangements were conducted on a
grand scale; the night which was to witness
the ceremony was beautiful; the season was
early Autumn the moon shed its light upon
the earth the flowers were yet in bloom, and
the night wind, as it crept through the branch
es of the trees, carried their odor upon its
wings. The planters house was brilliantly
lighted; the guests were arriving in numbers /;
the strains Of music were waited on the
air Miss Jessie Bane had donned her bridal
dress, and waited, in her chamber, the arrival
of the one to whom she would link her desti.
ny. The hour set for the marriage came and
went, but no bridegroom appeared. Another
hour passed. Then a messenger was dis
patched to Robertson's mother, who sent a
reply 10 the effect that Frank had started for
the .Bane plantation long before sundown.
This fell upon the assembled company like a
bombshell Messengers were dispatched in
hDr I'd
was secured for miles around without finding
trace. Daylight dawned, and still there
was no sign of Frank Robertson. Meantime
the scene at Bane's was distressing in the ex.
treme. The betrothed bride, so strangely for
saken, gave way to the anguish which op-
pressed her. A horrible foreboding took
possession of her. With the orange blossoms
amid her hair, and arrayed in her bridal
robe, she ran from room to room crying, hys-
terically, Frank is dead; my darling has
left me forever!" Soon Inconsistencies came
to her relief, and in deathlike swoon she
forgot her misery. The music ceased; the
guests departed rapidly, full of mingled pity
and wonder ; the lights were extingushed
the grand banquet was thrust aside unnoticed
and untasted, and that which had promised
to be brilliant social event resulted in q
scene of gloom and mystery.
The search for the missing bridegroom was
continued all the next day, and for many
days thereafter, but without avail. There
was no clue, no trace of the young man.
From the moment he bade his sick mother
goodbye and rode gayly off in the direction
of Bane's plantation to meet his bride, he
had disappeared, to be seen no more in human
flesh. A year went by, and the incident
passed into local tradition. Frank Robertson
was still missing. His betrothed was a ma
MAC. She has never recovered from the
shock his singular disappearance occasioned.
To-day, in private mad-house she wears her
wretched existence out. She is always ex.
pecting some one always watching and wait
ing for day to dawn and bring her lover. In
all this time Mrs. Robertson has not been
idle. Since her son disappeared she has not
given up the hopes of finding him. She in
stituted vigorous search. She advertised
and all the Texas and leading New York
paper contained notices, and offers Of 500 re.
ward for clue or information of Frank,
dead or alive. There were replies, but the
clues furnished turned out false, and the
broken-heart mother almost died beneath
the weight of anxiety, disappointment, and
suspense.
Two other years went by, making three in
all which interviewed between the present and
the time of the young mans unexplained de-
parture. The mystery seemed as dark as ev.
er. Mrs. Robertson doubled the reward, and
offered plantation to any one who would
find her missing boy, Two farmers living
near by accepted the offer and dug up Frank
Robertson's remains from a ravine where
they had buried him They claim he was
horse thief and was lynched by vigilants on
his wedding night. That he was hanged and
then buried is unquestioned, but whether
horse thief is not so clear. The men claim
they were bound by solemn oaths to keep the
actions of the vigilauts (of whomethey were
members) secret, and hence their reluctance
in revealing the fate of their victim. Mrs.
Robertson had the skeleton of her son en-
closed in an elegant coffin and buried in the
Denton cemetery. The funeral attracted
hundreds, and the comments were various.
She recently instituted suit against all the
parties implicated in the hanging, showing
disposition to 90 to the bottom of the matter.
The suit revives all the interest in the affair,
recalling almost forgotten incidents, and, be.
fore it is ended, there is probability that
some new and startling developments will add
to its already sensational features.-Cor. CHI
cago Times.
POTTERY IN THE UNITED STATEs.-A wri-
ter in Harper's Monthly says there are 800
pot,eries in the United States, the total pro-
ducts of which supply 80 per cent. of the
wares annually consumed, the chief centres of