Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-12-28
\ STRANGE CASE.
A Young Woman Found Wandering
In Louisiana Thicket

| bOrhoud. Two prominent planters OF
| tie northern part Of the county We're
out Il few days ago on Il hunting eX-
something fiuttering i'll Il bush some
distance of, fired at it under the impress
sion that it WIS Il bird. But the next
moment the dog, which had run on to
| bring the game to the gentlemen. be
gan TO act in q very singular manner
and, not understanding his actions,
| the sportSmcn went forward to see
what he had found.
At first only q trail of blood WAS dis
covered, but presently the rusty blade
Of IL knife was found sticking in the
| freshly turned earth, thus indicating
| the recent presence OF Il human being.
| In the meantime the dog had followed
| the bloody trail and was now barking
and running about some object i'll the
| wood near by. Going at ii run to the
spot, the gentlemen We're shocked 10
| find what they at first took to be the
dead body of a woman bleeding from
II new wound in the foot. She had
evidently been struck by the shot
! fired at the supposed bird. but had
managed To get this far, wishing from
some reason to hide herself After
some little trouble the gentlemen sue
| ceeded in resuscitating the poor Great
| ure, who was worn to u shadow and
was clothed only in Il couple Of thin
cotton garments, bearing also the
marks of hard treatment.
They questioned her closely, but she
evinced Il singular dislike to answering
their inquiries and begged them to go
and leave her, declaring that she was
not i'll need of help. But convinced
that some sad story lay beneath this
suggestive appearance, the hunters
persisted i'll requiring her to give an
account of herself, and noticing that
She seemed to be i'll mortal terror OF
any stir being made about her, as
if she dreaded some ones vengeance
or displeasure, the gentlemen told her
that she could fully confide in them,
that no harm would be allowed to come
to her, and represented that she would
die in the woods of starvation and pri
vatiOn, rs her wounded foot precluded
all idea of her moving about to supply
her needs.
At last the woman, or girl, for the
fOrlOrn creature was only about 1G,
though aged by suffering and exposure,
told her pitiful story. 1t seems that Il
few months ago she ran away from
her fathers farm in southern TenneS-
see with Il man who taught dancing
and singing to the country people, and
WAS married to him at the nearest
town. For some weeks they had lived
Oh the few dollars the girl had taken
with her when she left home and
whatever her husband could pick W
by his varied accomplishments. But
ut last bringing her to this section,
he told her that the ceremony she had
been led to believe was marriage was
not legal. and that he was tired OF her.
He brought her to these woods by
night, and left her, threatening that
if she allowed herself to be found and
questioned by any one concerning him
he would return and kill her. He told
her to give as her story one that he
invented for her, a1ld that il she ever
met him in after life to hold her
tongue about what she knew of him,
or he would murder her. The girl
had III idea from something he let
drop that he had plan for marrying
u rich widow in the northern part of
the state, but that he would change
his name again, as he had done several
times since she had been with him.
She was taken home by one of the
gentlemen and provided with warm
clothing. though her story was so eX-
traortlinary that its truth was doubted.
But in case it should be true one OF
the planters made some inquiries as
to What was going on in the vicinity
of the town for which the girl had
imagine the villain bound.
At last he heard Of confederation
oft he story from a wholly unlocked
for cource He received letter from his
brothers widow, who lives near the
state line, asking him for his accounts
us her agent in managing her property,
which is considerable. She gave no
reason for wishing to take it out OF
his hands, but he made inquiries at
once and learned that the foolish Wo-
man was soon to be married to
stranger whom she had known but Il
week or two, but who had completely
gained an unusual power over her.
From the description given OF this
man Mr.. t concluded that he could
be none other than the hero Of the
girls story, and getting Il friend to
accompany him, he set out at once
with the girl for the home Of his sister
in-law.
He found that the stranger was
actually staying in the house and that
the marriage would take place that
night He went at once to his sister
in-law and told her the girls account
of the future bridegroom but she refus-
ed to believe it and charged the
PLANTER with designs on her property
himself. However, It appears that
the advcnturer had seen the brother
in-law come in and had cleaned enough
of the purpose Of his visit to see that
his game was up, and was just III tile
act of lcaping from a window about
ten feet from the ground when the
planter caught sight of him. Drawing
the weapon he had brought with him
in case the fellow proved ugly, the
gentleman halted his man and, calling
Il servant succeeded in binding the
man securely. He was then locked in
tho ,yn1vnr of tho boIISa and n Guard