The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1881-10-13
AFTER MANY YEARS.
4 Romance Of the West.

Romance OF the hests
Detroit Free Press.
On the 29th of September, 1865, just six
teen years ago, james Baxter left Stone coun-
", this State, with his wife, intending TO
emigrate to Louisiana. Some place along
the border he fell in with man who gave
his name as Isaac Young and who obtained
permission to join the Baxters, as he claimed
to be travelling in the same direction they
were going. Young was about ~, very
plausible, and quickly ingratiated himself
in the good graces of Baxter and his wife.
He confided to his companions everything
regarding his financial resources and future
plans, and Baxter, in return, made similar
revelation. Among other things he inform
ed the young man that he had sold his farm
for $1,000, and that he carried the money,
in $50 gold pieces, in belt strapped around
his waist Some time after this the emf
grants eamped one night at point between
Dykes Mill, La, and Magnolia, Ark. The
spot selected for camp was at the head OF
a lonely glen, which was shaded on either
side by tail pines, and thickly carpeted with
luxuriant grass. A spring of clear, cold
water gushed from a ledge of rocks halfway
down the glen, and number of fallen pine
logs furnished ample material for fuel.
When a simple repast was prepared ana
eaten, Baxter lit his pipe, and saying ne
would return soon, strolled down the glen.
Young and Mrs. Baxter remained seated by
the blazing fire talking about the incidents
of the days travel. An hour passed. Bax-
| ter did not return. His wife grew uneasy
and Young, to quiet her fears, as he express
ell it, started down the glen, saying he would
bring him back. The woman waited I'M
patiently One, two, three hours went by,
| yet neither appeared. Mrs. Baxter was now
thoroughly frightened. She called loudly
| for her husband, but received no response.
| Only the echo of her own voice came back
| to her, borne on the night wind, which
| swept down the valley and through the
| tops of the swaying trees. She yentured
down the glen, trembling, calling, listening,
| but she neither heard nor saw anything.
Both her husband and his companion had
disappeared as completely as if the earth had
suddenly opened and swallowed them up.
| Almost distracted, she returned to the camp,
where she paced to and fro until morning
came; then, mounting one of the horses
she hastened to the nearest house, and soon
had body of men securing the country in
search OF the missing men. The search was
continued nearly week without finding SC
much as a trace of either Young or Baxter
| when it was abandoned. The men engaged
in it told Mrs Baxter bluntly that the affair
| was precoucerted between the two men, aud
that her husband had heartlessly deserted
her. The wife so strangely berett would mol
accept: this theory. She insisted that hel
husband had been murdered by Isaac Young
| and that time would show that she was not
mistaken.
Acting on this supposition, she returned
to her former home, and gathering all hel
available means, instituted a thorough
search. She advertised, employed detec
tives, scattered handbills with accurate de
scriptions of her husband and Young; bu
all TO no purpose. Nothing came of it, ane
the affair seemed a mystery which no human
skill could unravel. Years went by, anc
still she remained in her mountain home
hoping and praying for tidings of her miss
ing husband-or even a clue that woulC
point to his fate. The suspense in all these
years has been trying. Since that memora
BILE night she had become an old woman
By the sale of nearly all the effects which
remained to her after her husbands disap
pearance, she had been enabled to buy lit
tie cabin and few acres ofground and hay
enough money remaining to keep her, witt
close economy, from actual want. Ant
, alone in that little hut she waited for tldlng
of the man to whom she had linked her fate
, Last weeks startling news reached tha
solitary woman in her mountain retreat. |
came ia the shape of letter written onl,
last June and dated at Melbourne, Austria
liza The writer said he had that day assistet
to bury man of the name OF Saunders; bu
whose papers, which the writer had bee
chars ed to examine, showed he was Isaa
Young, an American, and who confesses t.
, horrible crime Then followed a detailet
: account of the night in the glen, sixtee
, years ago 1t seems Young had made u
his mind to rob and murder Baxter from tn
time he learned that Baxter had $1,000
He followed him quietly down the glen, stol
; upon him unawares, and struck him blo'
with stick OF wood which killed him il
stantly. To secure the money and bur.
= the body under some loose earth and ston
, was the work of very few moments, an
: before Mrs Baxter had started down tn
r glen Young was miles away. He hastene
to New Orleans, took passage to Australia
+ changed his name and speculated with hi
ill-gotten gains. He prospered amazlngl
and, unlike the traditional murderer, die
undetected and wealthy. He directed tha
i Mrs Baxter be found, if living, and pal
, $4,000 with interest from the date of tn
murder; and he begged her to forgive hin
! | That was all which the letter contained
. But subsequent investigation proved 1T t
: be true. Baxter's bones were found at th
+ foot of the glen and decently buried, an
: the Australian party turned out to be Isaa
Young, the muderer. Mrs. Baxter decline
, the money with indignation, but she ma
r yet conclude to take it. The story is ;
, strange as it is true.
|