The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1889-12-03
HER THREAT.
The Story of Ellen Goodwin,
Which Mrs. SOuthw0rth
Repeated.

"What Mary Gilp;n was to John
Throckmorion, so | viii he 20 you. 1t
It takes lie twenty-seven yeats 10 en-
iov NV revenge. You know that
terrible sto-y Of Kentucky life. She
kept her word, poor girl"
This terrible threat made by Mrs.
Southworth to Stephen l.. Peitus and
quoted by her 5r .iher, recalls the
famous kentucky tragedy, which is
herewith reproduced
The death of Maurice b. Throck-
morton, killed at Birmingham, Ala.
on Saturday night while euireating
the mob not to attack the jail, recalls
a storyas strange as anything IN iic-
tion-a story us full of dramatic
scenes and incidents as anything that
was ever prsduced upon the stage
and which has been four times brought
by a tragedy to TIE mem"ry OF those
who disliked most to hear IT.
Ii was nearly forty years ago mat
Major John Throckmorton. son OF
Arts Throckmoriou and uncle of the
Young man killed at Birmingham,
was one of the leaders In the brillisnt
society ofthe old south. He was rich,
witty. handsome. Ill. was the finest
type of the southern gentleman, I'M
pulsive, generous; kind OF heart aud
open of hand. He WAS connected by
blood and marriage with every prom
inent southern family from New Or
leans to Louisville, and when ne came
back from college to live among his
people the fairest prospect was spread
out before him. He went in to enjoy
life. and as he had ample means snd
was a welcome guest wherever he
chose to 60, time slipped by pleasantly
enough.
Just when pretty Ellen Goodwin,
sometimes enormously called Mary
Gilpin in after liie, came into his life
no one ever knew. In ali the fierce
light that afterwards beat upon them,
their earlier intimacy remained forever
buried In mystery, aud both carried
the secret to their graves. Ellen God
win lived near Louisville, aud was re-
markable for her beauty and the gen
tfeness of her disposition. She was
well connected aud had small for
tune in her own name. Friends of
Throckm0rton saw them together for
a time, and then suddenly their in
timacy was discontinued. Throck-
morton lett Louisville ON pleasure
trim and did not return for several
months.
One stormy, clustering night in
January, when the snow was beating
against the window panes and the
people were hurrying in to blazing
fires, Throckmorton returned TO Louis
vile and went direct TO the Calf
House, hotel owned by his father.
When he entered his room he hap
pened to look a cross the street. He
saw a woman standing mctionless be-
side a gas-lamp directly opposite. She
was dressed in black, aud although be
could not see the face he recognized
the outlines of her figure. She stood
there so silent and specter-like that he
became fasinated and watched her for
hours That was the first night that
"Throckmorton's Ghoss' was seen.
1t was the beginning of what was
to last without interru ption tor twenty
years. The dark shadow he saw from
his hotel window that night was 10
follow him all over the world; it was
to be with him In the blaze of noon
and in darkest hours of the night; ne
was TO see it in every capital IN Eu-
rope; it was to be close behind him in
his most secret moments; it was 10
mingle with his own shadow so that IN
a delirium of terror be would wander
if his mind were not deserving him,
and if both shadows were not one and
the same. Il was in vain that he
tried to put oceans between him and
has awful, phantom like pursuer: in
vain that every resource of money was
tried; from that first stormy January
night John Throckmorton was never
for one moment alone.
1t was wonderful how she appeared
20 know of his movements, If he
would suddenly decide to go to a
party she would be standing On the
opposite side of the street when he got
,oat of his carriage. IF he remained
IN his hotel for days, and if then, in
the dead of night, he slipped out by a
side entrance. she would be close be-
hind him. Her appearance on the
streets became so common in Louis
vile that people merely glanced at
Ter carelessly as she fitted by. AS
the years passed her very name was
forgotten, and she was only known as
'Throckmorton's Ghost" Sometimes,
xrbox, che uould ho uaitinp for him