Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1884-09-27
AFTER MANY YEARS.

AFTER MANY YEARS.
On the 10Th of September, 1865,
James Baxter left Tennessee with
his wife, intending to emigrate to
Louisiana. Some place along the
border he fell i'm with "a man who
gave his name as Young, and who
obtained permission to join the
Baxters, as he claimed to be travel
F. ing in the same direction they were
going. Young was about thirty,
very pIausive, and quickly ingra
tiated himself in the good graces
of Baxter and his wife. He conf
ded to his companions everything
regarding his financial resources
and future plans, and Baxter, in
return, made similar revelation.
Among other things, he informed
the young man that he had sold
his farm for 81 ,000,a that he carried
the money in $40 gold pieces, In
belt strapped around his waist.
Some time after this, the emigrants
canped one night at a point be-
tween Dykes Mill, La, and Mag
nolia, Ark. The spot selected for
camp was at the head of lonely
glen. which was shaded on either
Side v tall pines, and thickly car
peted with luxcriOus grass. A
spring of clear, cold water gushed
from a ledge of rock half way
dawn the gIen. and q number OF
fallen pine logs furnished ample
material for fuel. When simple
repast was prepared and eaten,
Baxter lit his pipe, and saying he
would return soon strolled down
the glen. Young and Mrs. Baxter
remained seated by the blazing fire
talking about the incidents Of the
davis travel. An hour passed.
Baxter did not return. His wife
grew uneasy, and Young, to quiet
her fears, as he expressed ii, started
down the glen, saying he would
bring him back. The woman
waited impatiently. One, two,
three hours went by, yet neither
appeared. Mrs. Baxter was now
thoroughly frightened. She called
loudly for her husband, but receiY-
ed no response. Only the echo OF
her own voice came back to her,
borne on the night wind, which
swept through the tops OF the sway
ing trees. She ventured down the
glen. trembling, calling, listening;
but she neither heard nor saw any
thing. Both her husband and his
companion had disappeared as COM
pletely as if the earth had suddenly
opened and swallowed them up.
Almost distracted, she returned to
the camp, where she paced to and
fro until morning came; then
mounting one of the horses, she
FASTENED to the nearest house and
soon had a body OF men securing
the country in search OF the miss.
ing men. The search was cOntin-
ued nearly q week without so much
as finding trace OF either Young
or Baxter, when 1t was abandoned.
The men told Mrs. Baxter bluntly
that the affair was preconeerted be-
tween the two men, and that her
husband had heartlessly deserted
her. The wife so strangely bereit !
would not accept this theory. She
insisted that her husband had been
murdered by Isaac Young, and
that time would show that she was
not mistaken.
Acting on this superstition, she
returned to her former home, and,
gathering all her available means,
Instituted thorough search. She
advertised, employed detectives,
and scattered handbillS with accu-
rate descriptions of her husband 1
and Young but all to no purpose.
Years went by and still she remain
ed i'm her mountain home, hoping
and praying for tidings of her miss
ing husband-Or even a clew that
would point TO his fate. The sus-
pense in all these years has been
trying. Since that memorable
night she has become an old
woman. By the sale of nearly all
the effects which remained to her
after her husbands disappearance,
she has been able to buy a little
cabin and q few acres of ground
and have enough money TO keep
her, with close economy, from ac-
tual want. And alone in that little
hut she waited for tidings of the
man to whom she had linked her
fate.
In September, 1881 startling news
reached that solitary woman in her
mountain retreat. 1t came In the
shape OF a letter, dated at Mel |
bourne, Australia. The writer said |
that he had that day assisted to |
bury a man by the name OF Sanders; |
but whose papers, which the writer |
had been charged to examine, show.
ed he was Isaac Young, an Amer |
lean, and who confessed to hOrri- |
Bile crime. Then followed detail |
ed account of the night in the glen |
sixteen years ago. 1t seems Young |
had made up his mind to rob and |
murder Baxter from the time he |
learned that Baxter had $1,000. He
followed him quietly down the glen,
stole upon him unawares, and struck
him a blow with Il stick OF wood /
which killed him Instantly. To Sc
cure the money and bury the body |
under some loose earth and stone,
was the work OF very few mo-
ments, and before Mrs. Baxter had
started down the glen Young was
miles away. He fastened to New
Orleans, took passage to Australia,
changed his name and specialized
with his ill-gotten gains. He pros
murderer, died undetec-
ted and wealthy. He directed that
Mrs. Baxter be found, if living, and
paid 81 900 and interest from the
date of the murder, and he begged
her to forgive him. That was all
the letter contained. But suisse
quent investigation proved it to be
true. BaXter's bones were found
at the foot of the glen and decently
buried, and the Australian party
turned out to be Isaac Young, the
murderer. The story is as strange
as il is true.
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