The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1886-07-29

she never dreamed l was owner OF Indian
Creek farm, and the richest man in this
end of Ontario, and had wealth and posi-
tion higher than Nh. Lotus, the young
squire at home. The people she was with
had all gone down on that awful night
she had no one in the world but me. We
were married at Montreal-the captain oil
the Antarctic gave her away-and then
brought her home to Indian Greek. TIC
see her face when she saw the rocking
chair, and the work-basket, and the Thin
BILE. Heaven bless her!
There she comes, with her baby on her
shoulder. Come in to dinner, friend, and
you shall see the sweetest wife in the new
country or the old-the girl won amid
the oceans surges.-Me Neo Noon.
Birmingham Iron Age, July 1871
THE ALABAMA JESSE JAMES.
Steve Renfroe, the notorious outlaw and
thief, who was lynched at Livingston last
Tuesday evening, has history worthy
the basis of ellow-backed novel.
He was born in the mountains of Geor-
gia, where his father was a highly re-
spected citizen, and one financially well
to do. Very little can be ascertained as
to his sons character, habits and disposi-
tion during his boyhood, except that he
was foremost in all boyish sports, and was
always good one in fight.
When about twenty-one years of age
he married the daughter of prosperous
farmer of North Georgia, who proved
to be most estimable little lady, and did
much to restrain her husbands reckless
disposition.
In 1868 Steve arrived in Sumter county,
Ala, and lived for good many months
in almost hidden seclusion with an uncle,
an ex.Probate Judge Of Sumter. 1t was
reported, and circumstancial evidence
was strong against him, that he was flee
ing from justice in Georgia-that he had
killed man in his native section, and was
hiding to escape the clutches of the law.
{" shall never forget the first time that
| saw him, said the reporters informant.
1T was just about three months after
he arrived at his uncle's, and having been
confined for secrecy he was as fair and
delicate looking as girl. He was Just
about twentythree years old and was
dressed in what l thought at the time
the prettiest suit of clothes | had ever
seen, a homemade check, handsomely
worked and bound with silk braid. He
was a handsome, tidy young fellow, and
his delicate features, fair face and neat at
tire contrasted strikingly with tawny,
coarsely dressed ex-soldiers of the dark
days after the war. After he had re-
mained with his uncle several months,
his wife joined him and they lived in
Sumter, apparently happily until her
death, which occurred in snort time af-
ter her arrival. Her remains were inferred
in the burial ground of the Baptist
church Of that place.
About year after the death of his
wife, Renfroe became marked in his at
tentiOns to a daughter of DIR. Sledge, a
highly respectable citizen of that county,
and gaining her affection, married her
They lived together five or six years, at
the end of which time she died and was
buried in the Methodist church yard. A
year or two afterwards Reniroe had her
remains removed and placed beside those
of his first wife. in the Primitive Baptist
cemetery, and erected handsome mar
BILE monument to the memory of the
two.
Afterwards kenfroe married Miss
Stone, Of Livingston, and lived with her
until after he was charged with EN-
bezzlement, after which she left him and
is now living in Meridian, Miss.
Renfroe was always looked on as a
leader in all kuklux or other desperate or
daring undertakings, and there is no
doubt as to his having had a great
amount of reckless courage and being a
quick man on the trigger.
In 1874, when the republicans came
into power in that county, he was ar
rested on the charge of the murder of a
man named Billings, and lay in prison
five months. He proved an alibi, how
ever, and was discharged
He was elected sheriff in about the
year 1880, developed into quite politi-
clan, and it is said that he aided much
toward relieving that county from repub-
lican domination.
Later on he was accused of embezzle-
ment and put in Jail, but broke out and
went out west. After painting the
western countries red he again returned
and lived around Livingston, occasionally
stealing in and taking off horse with
him. At last he was caught and jailed,
but Mr.. Little went his bond and the
next day the rascal stole Mr. Little's horse
and left again. He was recaptured after
a while, and jailed, but tried to break out
again, and was taken to the Tuscaloosa
Jail for safe keeping. Here he bored a
hole through the floor of his cell and cs-
capped through it. He was recaptured,
tried for grand larceny and sent, during
last October, to Pratt mines for five years
He remained there five weeks, and escaped
by climbing the side of the shaft. Blood
hounds were put on his track, but he put
them off his track by wading in creek
for five or six miles.
Near Eutaw he met tramp and
chummed with him; but one day the
tramp gave him away, and large crowd
of citizens came up with him and one hun
dred shots were fired at him, but he
lodged away in the swamps unhurt.
A few days since a mule was stolen in
Lauderdale county, Mississippi, and the
next day three farmers saw man riding
on the lost mule. They demanded that
he yield to them, but he resisted and at
tempted to shoot, when one of his pursu-
ers unhorsed him with load of squirrel
shot. When the latter was asked why he
didn't use buckshot he replied, "That
una a sLoor rnu. I wos uofp, to rv;t hin,