Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-02-11
The Late Congressman 1ackey.

DENIAL OF TIE SCANDAL ABOUT HIS MARRIAGE.
Special Correspondence of the Philadelphia Press
NEW YORK, Feb. 1O.-"You can saw remarked
Judge T. j. Mackey, Of South Carolina, to-day to
the Press correspondent, 'that In the death OF my
nephew south Cardinals decimated ranks OF repub-
hcanism have lost the only leader whose call to
arms could inspire courage" He referred OF course,
to the late Congressman F. w. NJ Mackey, whose
recent funeral at the capital was the first event OF
the kind OF the Forty eighth Congress "He was I"
continued the Judge, "a man Of great nerve and
pure Instincts and Of decidedly aggressive, fear
less disposition. He could neither be bought nor
scared The story OF how he died is fine Illus
tra!lon OF his grit and cOmposure.
-, ne knew his time was nearly up, and anticipated
his physicians In saying His brother was called
and his will lelsurely made That done he re-
MN manded some one present Of volume Hollands
return to the library. His mother to whom he was
0eV0tedly attached, died last July
SCANDAL FOREVER BURIED
what was the true story, Judge, OF his marriage
to woman OF COLOR"
1.-THE truth about the matter is that the story is
scandal with him. The facts are these
Years ago a young Colonel Sumpter, of
South Carolina, a scion of the famous Revo-
luConary family. fell deeply in love with hand
some woman whose position socially was below his
own. He was anxious and willing to make her his
wife. but he knew that his proud Old father would
cut him OF with a shilling the moment such an
allahce was known. Accordingly, for prudential
reasons, The bride consented for time to keep the
was a girl The colonel died suddenly before
MS 1ather before the secret had been revealed and
was shortly followed to the grave by his heart
broken VIE The child, a mere infant then, was
con1lded by the mother to the of faithful old
octoroon nurse. who proved the traditional south
eIn nanny to her charge.
She lost no time In trying to carry out the
mothers request by proving the property rights OF
the child: The marriage certificate had, unfor-
tunately, been lost and nothing remained but the
letters to his wife to prove the legal rel-
tlonshlp and the child's legitimate title. The
sumpter family were not satisfied with this. but
the grandfather relented far enough to provide
modestly for the child, taking care, however, to
ieave her In charge OF the nurse and to make no
tered much, though, for the estate was completely
wrecked by the war.
you see. therefore, that the child passed her In
FANCY and girlhOod among her cOlOred protectors.
Naturally She was supposed to belong to them.
when my nephew met her she was twelve years old.
He became interested in her history undertook the
taSk OF her education, and when that was over and
her character had developed into charming woman
nooo, ne made her his WIFE, There's not n drop OF
coiored blood In her veins and it is the refinement
VI cruelty 70 revive that Old rumOr over his grave.
INFALLIBI.E RACE SIGNS.
"There IS no possible ground for doubt on the
subject When the race signs can be infaby de-
tected. The moment saw her first with her naxen
hair, deep blue eyes, and clear cut Caucasian feat
ures, was satisfied Of the purity OF her blood but
tnere Will at times be the same battling tokens
III octoroons and even seXtaroonS. One sign, how
ever, never fails. In the negro. even To the six
teenth admlNture, you find purple instead OF a
White crescent at the base OF the finger nails The
crescent was white.
Through long generations" continued the
Judge, this race admlxture becomes rather per-
picking at times ] remember a curious circunl-
stance that happened during one OF my 1udgcship
campaigns. don't believe much In eevating ne
groes to Office. republican though am, and was
audlng. by way OF pleasantly and without IA
thought OF any personal application, to the polti-
cal ambition or men with purple nails. My antag-
onist. whose blood never dreamed Of calling in
question, took this as personal arront. to my
great surprise. But learned. on consulting with
an o!d gossip, that he was actually descendant of
the poet TfInrod. VINO, although the most gifted
poet our state ever produced, and received into the
nrst social relations, was well known TO be an Oc-
tOrOCn."