Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-03-11
NOT a XEGREss.
Denial u the story About the Wife d
the Late Representatiye Maekey.

F4c Torr C1ryssI-yscenes Lstrost pet
asked Judge T. J. Mackey. IL south
Carolina. What was the true story.
Judge. n tie marriage n your nephew
tne late Con gresham Z. ". y. Mackey.
Of the Beaufort s. q. district-to a lady
II c9lor.7
The truth about the matter T.. that the
story is a zTC-s and cruel falsehCCd. and
] want ~ bury the scandal with him.
The facts are these: Years ago Young
Col. sumter. n south Carolina a scion n
the famous Revolutionary family, fell
deeply in love with a handsome woman
whose position socially was below his own.
He was anxious and willing U make her
his wife. but be knew that bis proud old
father would cut him OE with a shilling the
moment such an alliance was known.
Accordingly, for prudential reasons, the
bride consented foT time u keep the
marriage a secret. The only child born
n them was a girl. The Colonel died sud-
denly before his father before the secret
had been revealed, and was shortly fol-
loved n the grave by his heart broken
wife. The child. a mere infant then.
was cOnlded Dy the mother % the
care II faithful old octoro0n
nurse. who proved the traditional
Southern nanny 70 her charge. she
lost 10 time il trying u carry out the
mothers request by proving the property
rights u the child. The marriage certin-
cate had unfortunately been lost. and
nothing remained but the C0lOneFs letters
n mis- wife ~ prove the legal relation
ship " the child's legitimate title.
The sumter family were not satisfied
with this, but the grandfather relented Gar
I enough n provide modestiy for the child,
taking care, however, u leave her in
charge 81 the nurse, and u make no men,
ton VI her 10 his viii. i wouldn't have
mattered much, though, Tor the estate was
completely wrecked BY the war.
You see. therefore, that the child
PASSED her infancy and Childhood among
her cOl0red protectors. Naturally. she
was supposed tO belong n them. When
nv 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 wOmanhOod, he
I made her his wife. There is not drop OF
cOlOred blood ia her veins, and il j. the re-
fnement Of cruelty II revive that old ru-
NOR over his grave.
There is no possible ground for doubt
on the subject when race signs can be in
falliblv detected. The moment ] saw her
first. with her flaZen bair. deep blue eyes
and clear-cut Caucasian features, ! was
satisfied 0f the purity Of her blood, but
there viii al times be the same battling race
tokens in OctOrOOns, and even seXarOOns.
One sign. however, never fails. In the
negro, even to the sixteenth admiXture,
YOU find a pink instead Of white cTes-
cent at the base Of the finger nails. The
crescent was white.
Through long generations" continued
the Judge, "this races mixture becomes
rather perplexing at times. / remember
a curious circumstance that happened
during one Of my judgeship campaigns.
] don't believe much in eleyating negroes
10 office. Republican though ! am, and
was abiding, by way Of pleasantly, and
without a thought Of any personal applI-
cation. 10 the political ambition Of men
with purple nails. Ny antagonist,
whose blood ] never dreamed Of calling
into question, took this as a personal
afront, 10 my great surprise. But
learned, on consulting with an old gossip,
that be was actually a descendant Of the
poet Timrod, who, although the most gifted
poet our state ever produced, and re-
ceived into the first social relations, was
well known to be an 0ctOr0On."