Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1888-10-19

Every acre of Manhattan Island, saws
the New York Telegram, is haunted with
mystery and romance. In Harlem, close
to the curb on the west side of Third
avenue, between 10Th and nth streets,
stands little marble monument that for
n century has marked the distance from
the City Hall. The storms of so many
winters and the knives Of the mischicv.
Gus boys have left little of the once
smooth marble, yet the original inscrip-
ton remains.
Few persons know when the stone was
erected and few know Of the horrible
deed that led to Its erection. The cold
marble bears only the namc Jeanette
Ward" and the indistinct date of her
death.
Jeanette Ward was daughter of n
wealthy farmer, whose land extended
from what is now 10th street almost a
mile south and west. The adjoining
farm belonged to Thomas Harris, whose
only son, Harry, had n ways been looked
upon as the probable Husband of pretty
Jcanncttc. That she was pretty there
is no doubt. While listening to this
story the reporter saw n picture Of the
girl which had descended to the narrator
from his grandfather.
Jeanette had mlny admirers, and
among the favored ones besides young
Harris was an officer in the Continental
army, dashing young lieutenant named
Davis. TO the latter Jeanette made no
secret of her admiration for him, but ms
she was rs good ms engaged to Harris,
their love making had to be carried on
unknown to her parents, and the spot
now marked by the little white stone
was the trysting place. There the lovers
used to meet, and it was there young
Harris came upon them one night.
lie apparently accepted the situation,
renowned Jeanette and gave himself
up entirely to the care of his fathers
farm, and soon the engagement of the
faithlcss Jeanette and the dashine lieu
tenant was announced. Only one week
before the nuptials the country was star
tied by the news of the murder of Jean
ncttc Ward and the terrible mutilation
of Lieutenant Davis. Tie news created
the greatest excitement, and the country
for miles around was secured for the
cruel murdcrc:s. No ono took more
active part than the disappointed lover,
Henry Harris.
Lieutenant Davis, it was found, had
had both hands cut Off at the wrists and
had also lost his tongue. Davis died from
his injuries and was buried without
leaving clew. Years passed and still
no clew to the murdcrers had been dis
covered when farm hand in the employ
Of Henry Harris brought 10 light a
blood-staincd bundle which he had found
concealed in an old we'll on the Harris
farm. The clothes and knife were idcn-
titled rs those of Henry Harris. A posse
was collected and the sheriff startc:l for
the Harris farm. Young Henry must
have seen them coming and realized that
his end was near, for when the sheriff
reached there he WINS found hanging dead
in the barn, AMI servant who had
helped commit the murder lay Mt his feet
with his brains blown out.
The crime and its Sc uel created n
great sensation, bat was finally forgotten,
nc all such things are, hut Jeannette's
father placed the white marble stone
there and no one has since disturbed it.
1t evidently became trysting place after
that, rs even now the faint tracing of a
heart enclosing the initials j. II. and NJ.
G. remain. a little lower down j. and
part of another letter with 1902 remain
in fairly good condition, while n little
above j. H., 1862, has almost entirely
disappeared. Thousands pass it every
day and thousands have done so during
the past 100 years. but of all the number
probably not one knows the story it so
cloquently tells.