The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-02-21
Her Life and Romance Ended.

ange, N. j., on Saturday. She vas
shot in the head in early life, and car
ried the bullet in her skull to her
deathbed. Her life was eventful and
marked by determination and un-
faltering endeavor that made her
in many respects an exceptional char
acter.
She was Miss Frances Dayton, of
Virginia, and she boasted she was one
of the "F. F. VS." Her parents
were wealthy. When only five years
old her mother died and few years
later her father married again. The
stepmother did not take kindly to the
child, and after short time Frances
was sent north to be educated at the
"Gunnery," then, as now, celebrated
school in Washington, Conn. Here
she grew to be radiantly beautiful
girl.
Admirers were not waHting, and
among them was Thomas Smales.
Vows were exchanged, and the young
folks vowed to be faithful until death
One of Frances ardent admirers was a
young southern lad. She yepulsed him
over and over again, but he wasn't
discouraged.
He invited her out for walk one
afternoon, and when they reached a
secluded spot he once more asked her
to become his wife. She again rejected
his suit.
eff you do not accept me you shall
die," he cried. ''No other man shall
call you bride.
He drew a revolver. The young
girl screamed and started to fee, but
he fired. She fell to the ground. The
young mans desperation turned to
fright, and he brought aid. The bull
ct had struck Frances just behind and
above the left ear. All attempts to
locate and extract it were futile. For
weeks she lay between life and death,
and at last slowly came back to safety
once more. Her left side, however,
remained partly paralyzed. Full of
pluck, she resolved to finish her course
at the school, and did SO, graduating
with high honors.
Then. she went to pay visit to
Mrs. Amelia 9. Bird, Of Orange, N
j., a lifetime friend. While there
she determined to study medicine in
order to treat herself. The bul.
let in her head still gave her great
trouble.
Her physicians discouraged her.
bu5 she insisted. Then the thought
occurred to her that perhaps the elec'
trioal sparks that telegraph operators
constantly receive might be utilized
as curative agents. She said to hel
physician eff I work for a year in
telegraph Office will you then
believe I can study medicine success
full7"
The reply was "Yes." According
ly she entered the Western Union of.
fee at Orange and worked at the key
for year. She then matriculated
at the Woman's Medical College Of
the New York Infrmary, and took the
full course, graduating with honors in
| 1876. During her examinations she
broke down physically and some Of
them she passed through while lying
in her bed.
Again the plucky woman determin'
ed to 60 still onward. She went to
Berlin, Germany, where she passed q
-graduation examination, and then
went to London, England, to practice.
All this time her early love had
been true to her. His family remo7.
ed to Australia, but he kept up a con,
slant correspondence with her. AT
last, with. small capital, he returned
to the United States and established
himseHsin the Photographic business in
Bruns%ick, Ca Here he prospered
| SO that in few years he was in po.
sition to claim his bride. A loving
message crossed the ocean, the young
doctor sailed for this country and the
two were married in 1882.
Taking up life in Brunswick, Ga,
Mrs. Smales threw herself heart and
soul into charitable work. 1t was
through her efforts that the first hos
pital was built there and the first
training schol for nurses established
in all the south. About 81 year ago
her health failed and she came north
to board with her old friend, Mrs:
Bird. She failed steadily and last
week was taken with convulsions. DR..
T. u. Gray was called in and he could
do nothing to relieve her. The old
bullet in her head troubled her and it
is supposed that this aggravated her
paralytic symptoms and caused heart
failure. She died suddenly on
Saturday afternoon. Her husband
reached her bedside some time before
the end.
All her life long she had horror Of
being buried alive and when she died
her husband refused to believe that
she was dead and insisted that she
was in a trance. County Physician
t Elliott was summoned and wanted to
perform an autopsy, but the bereaved
husband refused to allow it.
The funeral will be held in Mrs.
Birds house in Centre street, Orange,