Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1889-12-20
NELLIE CAWLINR,
Died Of Broken Heart, June 4, 1880.
Aged ~ Years.

The secret Of this strange inscription pans
out to be romance Of the frst water.
Joseph Martin, the occupant OF tho claim
whereon the grave is located, purchased
the claim from the husband Of the woman
whose remains lie beneath that marble
slab, and entered into an agreement with
the former owner Of the claim that the
slab should not be molested by him, and the
following story Is from Martins lips;
sWhen struck the Territory hve years
ago looked around for q good place to To-
cate. I started overland from Big Stone
City to Watsrtown, ana when reached this
point came across a homesteader who had
turned sod on this claim; I found him
alone, apparently broken down from some
cause or another. I told him was looking
for place to locate, and he offered me his
claim. He insisted that take it for moth.
ing. He'd been on it for two years and
wanted to 60 back East. He was Virgin
ian, and wanted to return to the Old Domin-
ion. finally agreed to take tho claim, pro-
viding he'd accept small amount in re-
turn. He took me out to that grave on yon.
der rise and told me his secret
''In 1879 he married q Virginia girl born
near Roanoke: The wedding took place
at Philadelphia during the centennial, and
the summer was spent In sightseeing and
pleasant honeymoon. She was the daugt&
ter Of South Oarolinian, who subsequent
to tbs war, located 'in Maryland poorer by
for than he was before the stars and
stripes were fired on at Fort Sumter. Her
maiden name was NelJie T. Pell, and the
death Of her father the year following her
marriage wiped out the entire lot Of her kin
ship.
"Cowlins and hts bride came to the North
west and located here. While plowing one
sprin6 he turned up some human bones.
No particular attention was paid to them,
as he thought they wsre probably the
benes Of some Indian, but with due rever-
enoe for humanity, Cowlins picked up tho
bones from the fur1ow and reinterred them
below the plowshars's searohing point. In
removing tho bones hs noticed finger
ring which had evidently baen worn by the
person whose bones he had discovered
After cleaning ths Dirt from the ring he
noticed marks and letters thereon. The
sing was slipped on one Of his fingers, and
he resumed his plowing. At the dinner
table his wife noticed the ring, and he
handed it to her for examination. She took
1t, and In an instant turned dead
ly pale and tainted. When she be-
had got the piece Of jewelry, and
he related the circumstances connected
with its discovery. She gave way again
and on recovering she explained the cause
Of her illness. The ring was one presented
by her to another suitor, young college
student to whom she had been betrothed.
The symbols Of a secret society to which he
belonged were on the exterior Of the ring,
and N. T. P.,' her initials, to j, N. g. the
initials of his name, John NJ Hhafer, were
on the inside, engraved there by her order
when she purchased 1t for Christmas
present for him.
"Cawlins argued with her that probably
the ring had passed into the hands Of some
one else, but she believed otherwise.
shafer had gone to the Northwest and had
never been heard from, and the bones un.
earthed by Cawlins were, IN her opinion,
! undoubtedly his. Her old love for her first
suitor returned. She became i'll through
constantly having her mind on tho ring
| matter, and her death followed. She had
requested before her death that her re.
mains be inferred at the spot where the
ring was found, and that her grave be
marked by stone bearing the words you've
| read.
| "After Cawlins went East" said Martin,
che sent that slab, and placed it on the
grave. Idon't know what became Of him
or whether he is alive yet, but the way in
which he brooded over this affair led me to
believe that 1t wouldn't be many years be.
fore he'd need a gravestone, and one with
an inscription similar to that ono Out
| there"