Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-12-24
THE FLORIDA SENSATION.
L Merchant Forced to Marry Against
His VILLA Remarkable story.


A Merchant Forced to Marry Against
His VILLA Remarkable story.
The MORNING NEWS a week or more
ago contained a special from Mariana,
Fla, giving an account of a forced mar
rage between young merchant of that
place named j. ID. Smith, and a young
woman living few miles from that town.
A day or two ago Mr.. Smith was at Thom-
asville, Ga, and told the following re-
markable story about the affair to cor
respondent of the Atlanta Constitution:
TOWNSVILLE, Dec. 21.-Mr. j. d.
Smith, the victim of the forced marriage
in NJ lriauna, Fla, is here, and tells re-
markable story concerning that event.
He says:
WARNED OF DANGER.
On Monday or Tuesday about Nov. %, 1884,
soon after my return from Thomasvllle to
Mariana, Fla, J. II. McKinnie sent for me
10 come 20 his office. On approaching him he
remarked in a disgusting way: Heirs 10
play. JeN." did not understand him, think
ing that he was speaking of a suit had
brought a few days before in certain Logan
matter. l demanded an explanation OF him:
he stated that John Long had approached
him 10 prosecute me for having injured MS
girl Being 50 Mortified aud disguised, know
ing / had nos met his daughter but twice IN
Two wears, | did not believe a word aud con
sidered % some of his jokes, but he swore to
me as a friend, he said, that 1t was true, and
proceeded to state that il would pay $50 or
SlOU he would get me Il receipt IN full OF all
dam ages and stop the trouble. l did not be-
iicvC word MChlnnle said, ana thought IL
some Joke and would not say ANYTHING more.
Mckinne then told me he would make other
ARRANGEMENTS. Some few days afterwards -
irienQ came with message, stating that Long
I was going to kill me. l uId not make myself
uneasy about the matter, for knew that II
Long thought such a thing he would come to
me and would prove TO HIM that on y met
his daughter twice in long time. rms was
a trap some outrageous fellow had lald lOr
me to only clear his own skirts. Soon after
| Long died.
CARRIED OFF BY FORCE.
On Saturday evening, Dec. 8, when my clerk
was absent, Mckenzie came to my front door
aud called me. / went out and found Nc
| Kinuie on his horse and Finalyson in buggy.
| tiEalyson asked me to take seat. L ala so;
| lie drove off. / objected to his going as had
no one to take charge of my store. He sald
| Mckinnic would look after 1t; that he had
| told McKinnie to keep store for me. l sus-
piciOned some thing, knowing tins Fellow was
an uncle of the girl, but thought he wanted to
carry me to face some of his relations, Little
did | think he intended any violence until he
drew his pistol under his coat and cursed me,
stating that if opened my mouth or
moved he would kill me on the spot,
and before l could realize the situation l
saw Bolds and several hOthers with shotguns
4 ana DlsIOlS ali hIOuul mt lhNy buih nv
had 10 20 and marry this woman or die.
| refused 10 go and BOlds and Finalyson laid
| hands on me. | threw them both from the
buggy, and fell to the ground myself; the
buggy ran over one. l ATTEMPTED to get
away, but was seized around the waist ana
held fast. y struggle took place and they
FINALLY lgot me in the buggy the second time, and
i succeeded IN getting out. IN Inc meantime
Miller and some others guarded back the
crowd, and told them that If anyone came TO
my rescue that they would kill them. TINS
kept back the crowd, as none seemed armed.
l saw I. W. Hentz coming to my rescue, ana
Miller halted him with his gun HenZ drew
pistol and WOu d have come, but L. W. Con-
ley and Mr. Shep Phillip caught Hentz and
carried him inside gate, telling him his life
would be taken in such crowd. L became
overcome by the struggle with these men;
was thrown in the buggy again anu on we
were drawn. l grasped the lines and stopped
the buggy; BOlds halloOed for some of their
party to come forward and ride the mule out
Ol town. and one of the party Immediately
mounted the mule and cut the lines from my
grasp. At this moment Senator Mchtnnie
rode up and gave them his stick TO get the
mule OF. was cramped in the buggy, with
these fellows holding me down, and was thus
carried to Fin2lysOn's house, where l was
taken in a room and shut in, guarded by BOlds
and TinalysOn, both swearing that If moved
they would Kill ne.
AT THE LADY'S SIDE.
Then the raving woman was brought IN to
me. She knew was going to prove my innO-
cence, and she would not allow me to say
much but talked so rapidly, and seemed to be
so terribly excited, that l became disgusted
giving her plenty Of time to say all she wanted
to- They sWOre that / had to marry the girl
and they intended to kill me or make me
marry her. was held in the buggy and car
RED through the woods, these parties fearing
If they Travelled the road some OF my friends
would follow and oYertake US. | became very
weak, having had such q terrible struggle |
with those fellows and riding in the cold air.
/ was taken with shaking ague, and was
ms carried in a bUgpV logs thFpu oh
rough places, until we reached Mr.. Grifiin's. |
(the Justice of the Peace house, over ten miles
from Mariana. l told them would never
marry. They might kill me, but 1t Hould do
no good. Finalyson went forward and called |
out Griffin. | did not hear what he told
Griffin, but Griffin afterwards said that
perform the ceremony. and he had
refused, knowing l was not will
ing. 1 was then taken from the buggy and
carried in the house in a condition that few
men have ever experienced. Being wild with
grief | knew nothing, but on seeing big fire
in the chimney l was gratitied to even be
warm again. | was placed before the fire,
and the girl brought to my left side. The
parties ali stood around. L did not look at
any one. | was determined to ignore the
whole business. Griffin tried tor read the cere-
mOny. | said not word, and when they said |
- Join hands" did nothing. They forced my
right hand to left side, and she took the |
ends Of my fingers. asked the vagabOnds if
they were through with me. They said yes. |
One of them asked me if | would not like to
take ride with my wife. / told them this |
woman was not my wife. Here FinalysOu |
and Coles joined hands and swOre that by the |
heavens above that they would kill me If did |
not live with her. and that / should not live |
in this or any other county unless lived with !
this woman.
The affair seemed to be a dreadful dream. |
l could not realize what was doing; | knew |
not where 10 go nor what to DO. was crazy, |
as it seems. / was given some country rum |
by Mr.. Griffin. horse was furnished me at |
rQUUQSt and | returned to town thinking |
| had not a friend in the world. Nothing |
could convey to the minds of men my feelings; |
death would have been preferable. passed |
some of my friends in the road, but they told |
me afterwards that l was riding so rapidly |
that they could not attract my attention. On |
reaching home l found all the boys excited |
and armed to come to my rescue, but as it /
was too late they could only try to console me. |
THE SCENE WITH SENATOR M'KINNIE.
The next morning I went to Senator Nc
Kinnie, and in the presence of so men, l |
slapped his face and made him acknowledge |
what / have stated. told him he was the |
instigatOr Of this whole matter, trying to ruin |
me by fastening me his own guilt with this |
young lady. | caught HIM by his whiskers
and intended to hold him out and frail him
good with his buggy whip. He did not resist
or deny single thing | had charged him with
l would have given him good horse-whp-
ping, but some of my friends seemed to think
wanted to kill him, and pulled me off. l
pulled out his whlskers, which disfGured his
face somewhat. | do not wish to do Mr.. Nc |
klnnle any injustice, but am persuaded that
he was at the bottom OF the whole matter and |
he and all his crowd must be brought to JUS
tice. 1t is a consolation to me to know that |
everywhere have received nothing but ex-
presslons OF sympathy. All parties concerned |
In that conspiracy to ruin me for the guilt of |
another have been put under bond and the |
case is now in the hands of the law. No other |
step VIII be taken unless this should prove
fruitlcss. have received warning that these |
llOWE Manning n | |