Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1883-04-29
SOUTHERN ROMANCE.
Remarkable Career of a Beautiful
White Slave.
THE SECRET OF HER BIRTH.
A RomaRce That an Application for a
Pension Disclosed - Truth That
Double Discounts fictiou-A
Wonderful Case.

Wonderful Case.
A Washington correspondent writes:
A document filed as evidence in q
bounty claim was shown me by lead
ing treasury official. 1t contained a
story as rema rkable as anything that
ever e manated from the prolific brain
Of the author of "MOnte Cristo." lam
not at liberty to Use all the facts or all
the names in this curious paper, be-
cause the publication would give pain
to worthy people who live within the
limits of the National Capital and to
others who reside in Virginia and Mis-
sissippi. The story that shall relate,
how sYer, is true one. About half a
century ago slave dealer named
Shwllers took lot of slaves from Nir-
ginia To Mississippi for sale. In the lot
was fine mOtherly looking mulatto
woman, who had with her little
three-year-Old girl. The child was so
pretty rs to attrace universal attention,
and the mulattO woman was frequently
questioned as to its paternity. The
woman persisted that she was the
Mother OF the Child.
but declined saying anything about the
child's father. The mother and child
were sold To young planter in Kinds
county, Miss, named Kit Morris.
Morris was Immensely wealthy. He
owned plantations in Kinds, Madison
and Ga2OO counties, and all of them
u.nl Gt1Y,,liaI N1-ith lIaN-f.-- ha
place where Morris resided was in
Kinds county, and on this the mulattO
woman aud the little girl, named
Louisa, were located. For the first few
years after reaching Mississippi the girl
Louisa lived ut the negro quarters. As
she grew toward wOmanhOOd, however,
she gave evidence of unusual iutelli-
gemce, and promised to- develop into q
remarkably beautiful woman. She was
taken to the mansion house and given
to KIT Morris eldest daughter rs Il
maid. She was keen observer and IN
apt imitator. The Morris mansion was
a sort of social centre IN the county,
and great deal of company was en-
tcrtuined there. Louisa saw
Much 10 Observe
and much To initiate III the fine ladies
who freQuented her masters house, aud
being a great favOrite and beauty, she
was allowed many privileges. Although
Il slave, she wJS treated almost as
member al the family. Such good use
did She make of her opportunities that
At Tie age OF sixteen she was finished in
Department and rs charming in man-
nCrS - anybody in the country. She
regarded herself rs Il slave, and had no
ether thought but she was Il negro.
The old, old story now comes in. The
planter, Of course, became very fond Of
her, and she became the mother of an
illcgi,imate child. The mulattO wo.
man then came forward and disclosed
the truth about the birth Of Louisa. She
gave the name of tie parents, but for
obvious reasons they are withheld. Ii
is sufficient to say that, according 10 the
mulattO'S story, Louisa came of the
biuest blood of Nirginsa. Her mother
was the
sister of Statesman
who occupied one of the highest offices
in the gift of the people, and her re-
puted father was one Of the most bril-
liant and remarkable men who ever Or-
cuIed u seat IN the United States Sell
dlt. ut liu~ltNl llluttlkND "'llllu ilbAl
been induced to adopt this child of
shame to save the reputation ofa mis-
tre~S that she loved. better than her own
life. The disclosure of the parentagr
was made only to Kit Norris and he
kept the secret locked securely in his
breast for several years. .\S the story
goes, he rcp"ntcd of his folly, and.
while he loved the girl dearly, all i'm
proper relations ceased. rhe boy child
she bore him took his name, and was
educated 10y him in the hes; schools of
Virginia. This son entered the Conied-
efatc service and fell fighting gailautly
at the head Ofhis company 1T lieeSburg,
VA. The girl Louisa continued to live
at
The Morris PLANTATION.
becoming the mistress of the head over
seer Two children were born them, a
boy ami a girl. They were both ac-
knowlcdgcd by the oversccr somewhere
between 1910 and 1850. \ short time
after this a young man named German,
from Virginia, located in Kinds county.
He saw Louisa and admired her. Kit
Morris, who always had n warm place
in ms heart for the girl, wanted to see
her happily married and settled in life,
anu iLC OllCltN w CIV i-'uiSh llVi AitC
papers and u plantation on Silver Creek,
in NHZoO county, if German would
marry her. This German refused to
do, because he thought she had negro
blood in her veins. Morris for the first
time disclosed to Louisa
The Secret of Her Birth.
and also made known the facts to Ger
man. Being satisfied that Louisa was
white woman, and that she came OF
the best Virginia stock, Geeman ac-
rppted Morris proposition and married
her. The couple moved to the Silver
Creek plantation, where they lived and
prospered for many years. Not long
since German died, and it is not inn
probable that Louisa is still living on
the Silver Creek plantation or in that
neighbOrhOOd.
The two illegitimate children of the
Overseer were well educated, and are
now well-tO-do people of Mississippi.
This little scrap Of domestic history
was unearthed by the Department in
searching for the antecedents OfThOmas
German, whose wife was claimant
for bounty. One cannot help speculat-
ing how different in life would the path
of Louisa have been had she been the
child of lawfIll instead of illicit love.
Eli Perkins Stories.
The old lady seemed very much
worried about something. Finally, as
the train passed HinSdale, she caught
the conductor spasmodiCally 10y the
oCat-sIaaya and pNplai m ed