The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-05-18
A STORY OF LOVE And BLOOD
THE HANDSOME STRANGER OF FINE AD-
DRESS WEEDS A RICH BRIDE.

THE HANDSOME STRANGER OF PINE AD-
DRESS wEDs A RICH BRIDE.
Theft of MOney-DesertfOn OF His
Young Wife-The Young Wife's
Grief-The Sons MelanchOly-Tne
Absconding Husbands Murderous
Act-His Own Death by Violence.
The following thrilling narrative was writ
ten for the Press and Banner by Rev. K. La
than, d. D., and the story, which Is stronger
than fiction, is true story of a good womans
mistake, and a bad mans death:
In the latter part OF the year 1851 1 took
charge Of q large and fourishing ACADEMY ID
the Southeastern section of -- county,
Then District. 1t was at that time
one of the most prosperous regions o. OF conn-
try In the State OF South Carolina. The peo-
ple were industrious, Intelligent ana surety
moral. perhaps had better say rengl0ns: g
majority of them, been properly trained at
home by their parents. The result was that
the government Of the school was ATTENDED
to say that in an experience of more than for.
ty years as u teacher 1 have ever found II
that those children who are not properly
mary school, high school and college; and
those who are we'll governed at home need no
government when in school, no matter what
The grade or the institution.
During the second week OF the scnooi, as is
generally the case with country schools. there
WAS n large increase in the numbers of the
paplls. Among these new arrivals was q lad
fifteen e years old. There was something strk.
Ing about the boy, and yet IT, is not easy TO de-
scribe what that something wGs. ne had a
peculiar downcast look which excited feei'
iot o.,lyf in, IN
cion So faI as his behavior was concerned
he might have been classed with gooo boys,
but I'm his association with the oIner boys ne
was always reserve, never taking fuiI part IN
ed sad, but 1t was strange klnd OF sadness.
He seemed to be unwell, and yet he was
physically strong and vigorous. de was IN
the community In which he was born, ana
| had gone to school several years with The
same children, hence his peculiar appearance
could not be attributed to the fact that he was
in u strange community and among stran'
For some time studied with diligence the
boy. inquired, as prudently as knew now.
about him Of the other school children, out
oil that was able TO learn was that ne was
| the son of widow lady by the name OF Brun,
| who was living with her father, whose resi-.
dence was within two miles of the Academy.
For perhaps month the boy, whose naine
was James Brun, per2lexed me. Be was dill.
gent, well behaved. recited his lesson well and
was making good progress. Still there was
something about the boy that puzzled meIln
fact it made me absolutely miserable. had
learned nothing from the pupils of the school
but what had learned from jim bruh MIN
self on the first morning he came to school.
There was one fact in The case that created o
suspicion that there was something IN me
Mr. Bruins father's name was Brun. He was
u man OF some prominence In the communi'
| ty. He WAS practiclng physician OF some
note and possessed Of u large landed estate,
q ah0nL
| as any man In the neighborhood. The dwell
| Ing in which he lived WAS stately mansion
situated in q magnificent grove OF oaks. Ev.
cry thing about the premises was indicative
OF wealth. The question How did IL occur
| that the daughter, the only daughter OF Dr.
Brun. was the mother OF q son and stlll her
name be Brun,' suggested Itself 10 me oil
short intervals.
Did she marry Brun, or had she been mis-.
led &? had 10 be guarded in my Inquiry.
felt that was not at liberty to ask the BOY
for O solution Of the difficulty. Often came
TO the conclusion that was worrying myself
about q matter OF no importance TO me, and
would determine to Danish the whole matter
| from my thoughts. Strange to say this ap'
from my mind, seemed to have the directly
opposite effect. The desire to know some.
thing definitely about Jim Brun pressed upon
me continually. 1t was foolish In me 10 trou'
BILE myself about the matter. ! was con.
vinced at the time that 1t was foolish, but
there seems tn be In all of Adams race de-
sire To know what can not be known, and an
anxiety to do what can not be done, and al
| the same time an aversion 10 use The means
to learn what can be learned. and to do what
they are capable of doing.
| Many silly mortal has worried himself In
attempting 10 find out whether the planets
moment how he could increase the happiness
of his neighbor who lived on the other side ol
the creek. Hundreds of persons have spent
years In vain effort TO secure the construc-
tion OF Il railroad from their little village to q
distant large city, who never removed the
stones and roofs from the pavement In front
Of their own dwelling. The human family, al
least the majority Of us. never. IN 81 some me re, re
experience, and the most OF grown persons
never learn anything profitable from expert.
ence. But to proceed with my story.
| was boarding with Captain Dillson, a we'll
munity higher social position than my host
| He had received q fair education, was man
OF good natural endowments. and mad, from
his early manhood, occupied some public po-
sitIon OF honor. He was living on the same
house seat, but not in the same house, on
which his father built q dwelling previous 10
the Revolutionary war He had not accumu.
lated modern fortune, but he bad gathered
around him an abundance OF all the comforts
OF life. Since he had spent all his life 10 the
neighborhood and had been public man he
knew the history OF every event aud of every
individual in that region for many miles
around.
One Friday afternoon, perhaps In the latter
part OF February, the old Captain. as he was
called In the community, asked me TO accom-.
pany him TO the bottoms. AS we walked
along the narrow path, which led through .
large pasture field, l concluded that would
linterrogate the Captain with reference to- Jim
Brun began by inqIiring wi with ps some mes hesi,
such depressed look? He replied, THAT
poor boy has enough TO mako hin, look sad,
and there he stopped: was no wiser than
Why, what has he done, inquired. He re-
piled, "Oh, nothing. The boy never did any
thing to make him look sad. but the ncts OF
his father has filled his poor mothers heart
which his mother has spent has caused The
sad appearance Of his son." Why, what did
his father do? inquired. "Dld yon never
hea: what his father did?" he inquired. In q
No. ! never heard OF Mrs. Brun-did not
know until lately that such being existed.
have, for many years, known by reputation
DR.. Brun ana his son, but had never heard
that he had a daughter.
"Well," said the Captain, "let rs go to that
log and sit down and Will tell you the whole
story
which had been turned out OF root by recent
storm. So soon as we were seated the Cap
tain began and related the following tragical
affair in the Identical language 10 which IL IN
here recorded. as we'll AZ can be remember af-
ter u lapse OF forty years
about fifteen years ago." the Captain be.
gan, "there came into this neighborhood u
young man apparently about twenty-five
years old. He said that he was q Vlrginian
by birth, but do not remember that ever
heard from what part of the State. suppose
IL was from the vicinity of either Richmond
Or Petersburg. as he frequently spoke Of these
cities His name as given by himself wah
John V. Watt, but no one knows whether that
was his right name or not He was young
man OF fine education, and conducted him
al at a occasions
proper decOrum.
ain annea "a nee he Was q model for paint-