The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-07-07
For the FARMER AND MECHANIC.
FROM THE NATIONAL CAPITAL
ne whitney Homicide, etc.,e.c.
IAN Interesting Letter.
WASHINGTON. ID C.. .Juna >

see an old pilot DESTROYS the effect
or the romantic story Of Miss Mary Burr
MOVIE. lie atlrlns over his own name
mat IL Is a myth. | was right, o see.
10 suspectlng the versatile gentleman
VINO presldeS V The Marlboro. Mrs. Vi.
d. Clarke deserves credit for the attrac-
tive manner in which she presented the
facts, which We're doubtless given her
by our mutual friend DR.. B. with his
usual sang Jrond. You bachelor editors
are too prone to believe stories of long
lost love. am astonished at y0u
>peakIng OF romance. | am reminded of
the life of a poor lady, Mrs. Myra
Clarke Gaines, whom | knew as the
guest of members Of my family in North
oarollna years ago Then she was a
bright. vivaci"us little woman. Now.
she Is bowed down with grief. The
story OF her lite Is stranger than fiction.
She was about sixteen before she knew
that her mercenary guardian was her
father. He deceived her because he
desired to control the immense propertv
she possessed. Soon after she discov
cred her parentage, she married "a
Northern man named Whitney. Be
coming a widow, with two children,
William and Rhoda Whitney, she
married General Gaines. This last
named gentleman has a large family
connection among your readers In War
rem, Granville, and Franklin counties.
Her famous law suit is familiar to the
reading public. Her terrible struggle
to regain and establish her rights, will
probably make a page in future history.
Her daughter, Rhoda was married when
quite young to a Mr.. Strother. She
was divorced from nim and married to
James \. Christmas, of Warren. Her
son, William Whitney, was first married
to a pretty girl, a VirgiEian. Soon after
her marriage she found that he had
epilepsy This and other reasons, in
duced her to leave him. He was sent
TO a famous water cure hospital at the
North. Here. he met a young attrac
tive Nurse and married her. This lady
Is said to be a person of considerable
strength of character. She was certain
ly very patient and forbearing with the
eccentricities Of the afflicted man she
married. the co heir, with the late Mrs.
James Christmas of Mrs. Gaines repu-
ted millions
Rhoda Christmas died in Warrenton
about two years ago.
Last Saturday VIM. Whitney struck
James Christmas a blow and made a
motion to draw his pistol. This fatal
property had produced jealousies and
ennItles which could not be healed.
Christmas anticipated his brother-in-
law, and shot him dead. 1t is a clear
case of self defence, and by the time this
reaches you, | think the friends of
Christmas, principally gentlemen fiom
North Carolina, will have procured bail
for him. Whitney was buried on the
day of the terrible storm which unroof-
ed houses and blew down trees in this
city.
1t seemed that the evil spirits
OF the air were In league With
the wicked passions of human hearts to
make the tragedy more awful. Imagine
six little children standing around an
open grave, three orphaned by the hand
Of the father of the other three, and
united by the closest ties OF blood! |
DO not wonder that Gods radiant sun
yelled his face in thunder clouds to
shut out the spectacle, or that the wall
of tempest-driven winds mingled with
thuds of earth that fell on that coffin lid
[ know of but one Ariel whose power
can avail and bring harmony out of such
confusion-the white winged, invincible
Angel of Prayer. The aged woman
SCARED with the conflicts of many years,
the widow, the man whose hands are
stained with fratricidal blood (nU matter
how justitiable he may have been in the
eyes Of the law the poor, innocent chill
dreen must look to Him alone who can
straiehten the tangled webs, an adverse
and inscrutable Fate seems to have
to woven around them.
Lot turn to a p%leasanter picture.
There is another old lady, native of our
State. who came here after a pension.
You see love of money is at the bottom
of a great many troubles.
The Children Of Israel were o the
only people ever punished for bowling
to the Golden Calf. And this old lady
was as anxious about her few hundreds
as Mrs. Gaines has been about her mil
lions. Aunt Abby House remembered
that her father had been a Revolutio Ia
ry soldier. Other people had pensions.
She wanted one too. Armed with let
tiers from her idol, Gov. Vance, and
others she turned her face towards
Washington. She arrived, safely. She
walked across the avenue, entered the
nearest store and asked:
''Wlar does Ben Cook live ?"
The clerk replied that he did not
know. She made several similar at
tempts, when her patience became ex
hausted and she im~perlousiy informed
the coterie of clerks that had gathered
around her that If you is specimens OF
Washington folks you is the biggest
fools | ever sot mortal eyes on.
The proprietor hearing the unusual
noise, advanced. took in the situation
at a glance, found DR.. Ben Cook resi-
dence in a Directory, and sent his smart
est clerk as aunt Abbie's escort on a
street car to her destination. DIR. Cook
is well known in Granville. his native
county. lie cordially welcomed his
unexpected visitor. She visited the
President and Commissioner of PEN
sions. She had several interviews with
the President, but refused To let HIM
hold more than a portion of her papers
because, as she infol med him, they
were valuable, and she was afraid he
would make way with them; in short,
steal them! The Commissioner OF Pen
sie ms informed her that if she had been
the widow instead of the daughter OF
the soldier he could have alded her
She told him she could not see the
Justice of that as she considered "a
father, enough better than a husband
any day ~