The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-08-24

| trinkets among the children, leaving
with them handsome gold ring that
her father had given her and putting on
her finger plain black gutta pcrcha
ring. She then kissed them good bye,
saying she was going off to be married
and left. They made some attempt to
follow or detain her but were repulsed.
When Mr.. and Mrs. Cureton returned
OF night they were astonished and dis
tressed by finding their daughter gone,
and by ahc account,they received from
the children Of her departure. She
had no love affair that they knew of. but
they were forced to beleve that she had
run of to be married, although they
were at u loss TO imagine who she had
gone with. A messenger was seut to
the nearest preacher, but no information
was received and nothing more could be
done until yesterday morning. Then
the direction in which the missing girl
was going when last seen was obtained
from the children AID search was begun.
In path leading through a cotton field
to the river Miss Cureton's tracks were
found. They were followed easily i'm the
soft ground to
THE BRINK OF THE RIVER
where high and steep bank leads down
to the deepest part OF the mill pond,
the water being about ten feet deep
there. Down this bank there were dis
tinct marks Of the heels Of her shoes
where she had slid from the top to the
water, apparently standing straight with
her feet close together. The neighbo,s
were called, and with poles and hooks
made for-th occasion tho pond was
carefully dragged. After long and
trying Search. impeded much by logs
and bushes which have accumulated in
the pond,
THE BODY WAS FOUND
about 100 feet down the river from the
place on the bank described above. It
was brought to the surface by o pole
which had caught in the dress. The
The young lady had apparently died
peacefully and without pain. There was
no distoretion of the face and the arms
were crossed on the breast as if arranged
for the burial. Everthing about the body
was just as Miss Cureton had lett her
home for the last time
THE coRoNER's INQUEST.
Coroner McBee was notified by w.
l.enderman, who found the body, and
Immediately went to the scene Of the
tragedy. A jury of intelligent citizens
was summoned and the inquest was be-
gun. Dr. G. Tupper Swandale, Of this
city, made careful! examination of the
body. He found that death had been
caused by drowning and that there had
been no other injury, and his autopsy
and evidence based on it failed to give
the least clue to the mystery. The
facts already given were brought out by
the testimony. The closest examination
Of the place where Miss Cureton eyi-
IDENTIFY went into the water failed to dis
cover any track but hers or the least
evidence Of struggle. Her father and
mother testified that she had ut times
during her life been in condition of
mind in which she did not have the full
use of her faculties, although she had
never been violent or really insane 1t
would have been easy enough to con-
clnde from this that the unfortunate girl
had gone to the river while suffering
from slight attack of insanity and
fallen in accidently or purposely drown-
! ed herself. But the case was made
mysterious and the jury was perplcxcd
by the story Of
THE sTHANGE1MAN FROM THE CITY,
| the note and the2conyersation about the
meeting ut the river, told by the child.
Close and sharp examination failed to
tshake Ter evidence The statement she
had first made was stuck to every detail
so faithfully as to carry conviction Of its
truth, The grief stricken parents could
give no idea of who the man was or
| what was in the note, which could not
be found anywhere. No man had boon
particularly attentive to Miss ,Cureton
and it would have been almost impossi-
bic for her., living at home and AS quiet
~ as she did, TO have had friends who
| . y /.