Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1888-11-01

WV LlCu-lb WIS VI course assumed
that man had been his assailant-had
fought all over it before the fatal
ARRAY had ended.
The news was quickly circulated from
neighbor to neighbor, and before the
coroner, who had to be summoned
from the county seat twelve miles dis
tant, had arrived, the male population
OF the entire settlement were present,
and in little groups sat around and
discussed in subdued tones the terrible
tragedy.
Various were the theories advanced
to account for the crime which had
evidently been committed. Some said
that they had always believed old Cor
bin was fugitive from justice; that
he had done something for which he
was in hiding, and which accounted
for his strange disposition and his I'M
sociable ways.
"Tenny rate" said old Squire Chit
tick, "l'll bet hame-string that the
feller who killed old Corbin has bin a
huntin' of him all these years. To my
mind" the old fellow continued, as he
climbed up on the top of the rail fence
and seated himself as comfortably as
the nature of the seat he had chosen
would admit, ''to my mind it's the
settlin of an old grudge; and when
that's said it's all said. That's my
ideer."
To the little group that stood about
him this view of the case seemed con-
elusive enough, and was received with
approval. The old Squire, however,
was something of a Hawkshaw in his
way, besides being a man looked up
to in the community, was bound to
preserve the reputation he had so long
held for his depth of judgment and
soundness of opinion on matters gen.
orally. So, after his first views had
been unhesitatingly acquiesced in, he
hedgingly added: "Course he might
been robbed-he might had money
in there, " jerking his thumb over to-
ward the cabin, "but faint hardly
likely. Still, it might be. But" he
added, conclusively, its either one or
tother, an know it as well as if old
Corbin itself had told me just how 1t
happened"
Finally the coroner, himself ply
stefan, arrived, and soon impaneling
a jury from those present, entered into
an investigation of the mystery. With
the meager facts bearing upon the
tragedy and which have already been
stated, the jury was not long in reach
ing the only verdict possible under the
circumstances, which was that the man
had been killed or came to his death
by wounds inflicted by a person or per-
sons to the jury unknown. tFI
Uncle Archibald Wilson, by virtue Of
his acquaintance with the deceased
was given charge of the remains, and
; with the assistance of his neighbors
had them conveyed to his own home
and in due time decently inferred il
the neighborhood burying ground. Hi
was also made, or appointed by the
l court, administrator of the estate. As
the murdered man had no legal heirs
in that country it became the duty O
4 Mr.. Wilson to advertise, so as to, |
4 possible, find any who might be living
4 in other parts of the United States. IL
: this end he inserted the usual notices
in the leading papers, and a month o.
so afterward received the following
4 letter. The epistle bore the post-marl
i of small village in Western New
York, and was dated July 5, 1854. 1
g ran as follows:
y MIR WILsoN-Dedr Sir: | hav
just seen your ad in New York pa
per, and replying thereto think Cal
J give you the information you desir
: as to the heirs of James Corbin; an,
also throw some light on the mys
u terious manner in which he met hi
g death. 1t is a long story and l mus
begin at the beginning.
IL Thirty years ago James Corbi
u and myself were friends and school
u mates. His fathers farm joined ours
He was an only child, while | was tn
( youngest of family of five. In tn
n village where we both attended schoo
n in the winter, and where we went t
IS church every Sabbath with our par
u ents for years, lived Mary Dean,
% beautiful girl and the only daughter {
/ Rev. Mr.. Dean, pastor of the littl
; church where our families both wor
9 shipped, Mary, as | have said. wa
beautiful girl, and as good as sh
was beautiful.
z flames and |, both then enterin
E upon manhood, became rivals fc
u Mary's hand and affections.
q ut was not long until it became az
q parent that | was the favorite one, an
n from that time the intimacy which ha
4 existed between us from our earle.
n boyhood ceased. James never mad
y any threats either toward Mary or m,
self. He simply cut our acquaintanc,
. refusing to speak to either Of us whe
chance threw us together; beyond tn;
: he showed no evidences OF the hatre
he bore us.
). "a year later we were married, an
: happy in the love of one OF the true
s and best wives, l began life in earnes
4 One night (would to God had nevt
survived iD my wife and l were r
turning from her parents in the vi
lage, where we had been to spend til
IN day, to our own home on my little far
lie in the neighborhood of my father
I'd The country was rather new, and
lie goodly portion of our road Ia
OF through the woods. We were drivir
or slowly along, trusting mainly to Oh
be good horse to pilot us safely in Il
Is road when. of n sudden. n man {