Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-01-10
STILL A MYSTERY.
A TRAGEDY OF TWENTY-FIVE YEARS
AGO is YET UNSOLvED.

Beautiful Young Lady Myste-iously
Murdered In Atlanta. Gu. During the
war-Found Dead on Her Bed. Arrayed
in Gay Attire.
During the Sher nan siege of Atlanta in
1854 q tragedy occurred which has ever since
been enveloped in mystery, and which at the
time almost caused the besieged people to
forget the great army which was pressing
into the city. The population of the city
was reduced to less han 5000 civilians, who
lived in bomb proofs frequently and who,
being cut off from I lie world formed com
munity of its own. This community for the
most part was formed of women and chill
dren, the men being absent in the army The
officers and soldiers of the garrison, between
the general engagements, would enjoy social
reunion with the citizens, and many dances
We're given BY the young Indies for the
amusement of their military admirers.
Before the circle round the city was com
plete there came into Atlanta by the West
Point road young lady giving her name as
Miss Jane Mooreh cad, from Mobile, Ala
Her arrival was somewhat mysterious, as
we'll rs her stay il the city She at once
sought occupation III the hospitals, where she
came To be regarded as an angel of mercy.
ANGEL OF THE HOSPITAL.
Her beauty is described as having been
great, and she had many accomplishments
and was evidently OF geatle breeding She
would never refer to her past life, but it
came to be believed that her love had died
on one of the battletields OF Virginia, and
that she had simply resolved 20 devote her
life to the alienation of the sutferings of the
soldiers i'll the hospitals
Later on AMI nearing tie end of the siegea
ball was announced To take place in one of
The houses on Wa-ton street Miss Moore
head, who never went To II place of amuse-
ment, was urged by captain whom she had
met in the hospital To so to the ball The
ladies. OF her acquaintance also joined i'll and
urged her TO take this recreation She finally
consented. When The captain called for her
he found her in full bridal costume with
valuable and brilliant jewelry 1t was the
first time she had ever SO appeared At the
ball she was one of the gayest and seemed
so unlike the sad hospital visltant that it at
tracted general remark. At , in the morn
ing the ball ended and the guests scattered
for their homes.
When Miss Moorehead failed to arise by S
a. m it did not surprise the lady with whom
she boarded, but wlen 10 O'Clock came with
no sign of her the door was opened There
Miss Moorehead was found fully dressed as
she lay across the bed her face toward the
wall
STABBED TO THE HEART
A call did not arouse hex, and touch told
that she was dead. Two stabs had pierced
her heart, and we're so closely made as
scarcely to make a crease i'll her dress The
sensation which followed was intense Her
fidelity to the wounded soldiers made every
one OF them feel that she was a sister The
fears of the ladies were aroused at the mys-
terious assassination.
Who could have been her murderer. and
what was his motivel The captain who had
been her escort the night before had left her
safely at home, and no one thought of sus-
pecting him at the time The chamber win.
dow opened upon tho garden. Footsteps lead
ing up thereto showed that it was through
this window that lie murderer made his way.
The fact that not jewel had been misplaced
showed that it could not have been a robber
who had done the deed There were those
who invented all manner of theories The
one most generally accepted was that some
one, struck by her beauty while at the ball,
had entered the chamber in the manner de-
scrlbed with improper motive, and, finding
himself repulsed, quickly dispatched her.
Others believed that the captain. who had
urged her to marry him, and finding her OBJ
durate, had committed the deed to prevent
her from falling nto other hands. While
the sensation among the beleaguered people
was at its height Sheriuan's forces entered
the city, scattered the people and prevented
investigation; but when the people year
later returned to their homes the talk of the
tragedy was renewed The captain had been
killed meantime in the battle of Jonesboro,
and the tragedy p; ssed into memory, and to
this day is frequently spoken of.-Atlanta
tGa.l Cor. Chicago Tribune.