The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1881-03-25
THREE WARS CT MYSTERY.


In 1s7s a family named Robertson v-=-s
living i'm Wise county Texas. The family
consisted Of mother and two boys, the father
having died some wears before. No family
in the neighb0rhood was more highly respec-
ted.-The widow owned a large plantation
and was considered wealthy. while all pre-
dicted that the BOYS had a bright future be-
fore them Henry, the younger didn't 60
much into society, lprofering home and Sc
Clusion Frank, the elder, went everywhere
and was known far and wide. He was a
wild, generous boy, whom everybody liked
and it was Thought he had not an enemy in
all the wide world. Possessing rare manly
beauty, and pleasing address, he had little
difficulty in winning the affections OF Miss
Jennie Bane, daughter Of aueigh5oriug PLAN
ter, and as there was no impediment to the
union preparations were made for it.
It was intended that the marriage should
eclipse any similar event i'm Wise county.
Invitations were issued layishly all the ne
cessary arrangements were conducted on
! grand scale; the night which was to witness
/ the ceremony was beautiful; theIseason was
early autumn; the moon shed its light upon
the earth the flowers were still i'm bloom,
and the night wind, as it crept through the
. branches of the trees, carried their OdOr up
/ on its wings. The planters house was bril-
/ liantly lighted the guests were arriving in
. numbers the strains of music were waited
on the air; Miss Jennie Bane had donned
/ Ter bridal dress, and waited, in her chamber,
. the arrival of one to whom she would link
her destiny The hour set for the marriage
/ came and went, but no bridegroom appeared.
Another hour passed. Then a messenger
was despatched TO R0lertsou's mother, who
sent a reply to the effect that Frank had
started for the Bane plantation long before
. sUndown. This fell on the assembled com
pauy like a b0mbsleu.
Messengers were despatched I'm every di-
rection. The entire ueighborhocd was scour-
ed for miles around without Ending trace.
Daylight dawned, and still there was no sign
of Frank Robertson. Meantime the scene at
Bane's was distressing in the extreme. The
bethrothed bride, so strangly forsaken, gave
way to the anguish which oppressed ler. A
horrible f0rcboding took possession Of her,
With the orange blossoms amid her hair, and
auayed in her bridal robe, she ran from room
toroom crying, Historically. Frank is dead; 4;
my darling has left me forever 90
soon unConsci0usness came to her relief,
and in a death-like swoon she forgot her
misery. The music ceased; the guests de-
parted rapidly, ,lfuIl Of mingled pity and won
der; the lights were exunEuished the grand
banquet was thrust aside unnOticgd and m
tasted and that which had promised TO be q
brilliant social event. resulted in q scene Of
gloom and mystery.
The search forthe missing bridegroom was
continued all next day. and for many days
thereafter. but without avail. There was nc
clue, no trace of the young man. From the
moment he badc his sick mother goodbye,
and rode gaily of in the direction OF Bane's
plantation TO meet his bride, he had disap-
peared, 20 1l seen no more i'm human flesh.
A year went by, and the iulig mt passed
into local tradition Frank Robe tson was
| still missing His bctrothed was maniac
She had never recovered from the Shoes e
b singular disappearance oCcasigued TO-t 81
i'm a private mad-house, she wears her wretch
ed existence out. She Is always expecting
/ some one always vatching and waiting IT.
day to dawn and briI her lover
In all this time 1Trs. pobsrts01 has not
b been idle. Since her son disappeared she
has not given up the hope Of finding him.
She instituted a vigorous search. she adver-
used and all the Texas ana leading New
York paper contained notices, and offers of
500 reward for a clue or information q
Frank, dead or alive. There were replies,
but the clues furnished turned out false, and
the br0keu-heaIted mother almost died be
meath the weight OF anxiety, disappointment
and suspense.
Two more years went by, making three IN
all which INTERVIEWED bteween the presnt and
the time of the young mans unexpected de-
paTture. The mystery seemed as dark e.
ever. Mrs. Robertson doubled the reward
and offered a plantation TO any one whS
, would find her missing boy. Two farmers
y living near by accepted the offer, and ding uT
- the remains Of Frank Robertson from a ra
vine where they had buried him They claim
u he was a horse-thief, and was lynched by
yigiants on his wedding night. That h
ID was hanged and then buried is Unquestion
ed, but that he was a horse-thief IS not 81
L clear. The men claim they were bound D.
solemn oaths to keep the actions of the yigi
= lants Cof whom they were memhers) secret
= and hence their reluctance in revealing th
q fate of their victim. Ms. Robertson ma
% the skeleton Of her son enclosed in an ele
4, CANT coffin and buried i'm the Denton GENE
tery. The funeral attracted hundreds an
.r the comments were various. She recend
N instituted suit agaiust all parties implicate
in the hanging, and shows a disposition TO G
10 to the bottom Of the matter The suit p,
i wives all the interest i'm the affair, recalun
= almost forgotten incidents, ard before it
,f ended there is a probability that some ne
ls and startling developments viii add 10 its a
~ ready sensational features