The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-10-31
THE DISAPPEARANCE.

Thursday night in the neighborhood of
Creedmore, country store and post
Office distant from the. city
about ea SEVENTEEN &c ml WS,,sheads the the
daughter, Miss Della, aged rs, was heard
merrily singing as she attended TO her
household duties. 1t was about 7oclock
and the sombre shadows ofnight had fallen
athwart the prairies, over which brooded
the hushed stiffness of country night.
The singing of the light hearted young lady
ceased, but 1t attracted no special attention,
and not until the usual hour for retiring
was she missed or even thought OF, the
family supposing she was in her room.
AT that hour, however, she was missed,
and her sudden disappearance was mysti-
flying as well as astonishing 10 her family,
who made repeated calls and then insti-
premises to ascertain her Whereabouts.
and the distressed family
hastily alarmed the neighbors, who
promptly turned out and rapidly organized
a seaching party, which at once began to
scour the prairies and search
in the darkness along creek banks
and in fields. Tireless they rode through
the long night searching everywhere. The
gray of the dawn flushed the eastern
heavens and then the sun mounted up
above the horizon, and yet no tidings OF
the missing young lady.
MYSTERY.
Her sudden disappearance was a great
mystery to her parents. She was not think
/ ing of marrying Certain 1t was no elope-
ment. She was familiar with the whole
| neighborhood and could not have strayed
off in the darkness and lost herself
She had no idea of leaving home that
night p so far as her Immediate family
knew. She was happy and contented, or
| why her merry melody early in the evening Z
These facts intensified the mystery and
added greatly to the uneasiness Of all over
her disappearance.
THE LOST is FOUND.
The searching party continued the search
| until along in the afternoon Of Friday,
when some of its members observed the me-
gro man, Jesse Jefferson, now under arrest,
coming from the direction of great thick
et 1t was q locality where he would least
likely be at that hour, and the thought
flashed through the minds OF the
searchers to examine the thicket. Nc
sooner was the suggestion made than, all
proceeded to the thicket, where, in shori
While, to their great joy, they discovered
the young lady.
THE TERRIBLE CRIME.
She was found some distance inside tn,
dense underground with most of he
clothing torn off and in very sad ant
pitiful plight. 1t was evident she had beer
brutally assaulted, but the condition OF he
mind prevented her giving an intelligen
account of the abduction and subsequen
outrage, and the whole affair, so far a
known, is as closely locked up as the Sc
crets of a prison house.
: Somehow, from all that can be learned
there hangs mystifying shadow over tn
affair.
In short,I there appears to be myster
within a mystery-an inexplicable back
J ground which is screened from view.
! JESSIE JEFFERsoN.
The negro Jesse Jefferson was permit
2 ted to proceed on his way, and not unit
) the finding of Miss Whitehead was he sus
pected Coming from the direction of tn
, place where the young lady was found
was natural he would be suspected, and dc
tail Of the searching party was ser
to capture him and they succeeded.
+ DEPUTY SHERIFF PECK.
{ News of the arrest was sent TO tow
Friday night about 9o'clock and Deput
Sheriff Peck Immediately started for Greed
more, reaching there about2 o'clock yestel
Y day morning. He found Jefferson in
e house which was surrounded by yer
= angry crowd of Texans and in that Grove
: it is limited, a stout rope was very cor
: spicuous object. The crowd, however, wa
very quiet and orderly-it was the quiet jul
, before the storm. Nothing was said, how
: ever, and Mr.. Peck was permitte
{ whom he handcuffed and placed O
a led horse. He was too old an officer
remain in that neighborhood long and b
started to town.
:" A few miles from Craedmore he heard III
/: clatter Of horses feet following lin. Il
: knew what it meant and so did his prison
. err. 1t meant grim death should he
= overtaken.
,, 1t was his sworn duty to protect his pri
y oner and he determined TO do so. He pl
spurs to his horse and, followed by II
>, frightened negro made wild dash throug
Q the darkness TO a point where he knew
a road turned off TO the right. He took tn
road passed dto through, pasture s SurggI e.
Is ing along the Lockhart road in the dire
! ton of town. Mr.. Peck took his prison.
, to Mr.. Standefer's and, putting up ther
l hid the negro in the peach orchard an
r yesterday morning brought him into tow
b SOME CIRCUMSTANCES.
There are some circumstances connects
with the affair which may show that Jefie
q son is innocent. At any rate there a
some very queer things connected with u
affair.
TOOK POISON.
It was reported last night at the sheriff
a a Office that Miss Whitehead had not To-
e anything about the affair and that duriI
Il the day yesterday she attempted suici'
!. twice by taking poison.
n Farmers pr1ng your cotton to Au
t; tin and get the highest prices.