Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-07-11
VAS IT CRIMINAL?
An Imposition With a Tragic
Ending.
THE TWO ROBERTSON COUSINS.
1t Recalls the Touching Story of Enoch
Arden and Possesses the Merit OF Abso-
lutte Truth-A Record Of Love and Its
Fatal Consequences.

The old residents along the rich and !
beautiful Bayou Teche, in southern Loui- |
siana, delight to remind the stranger that |
this is the new Acadia made immortal by |
Longfcllow in his exquisite poem of |
"Evangcline.
Longfellow claimed that his story was |!
founded in fact, and that every incident Of |,
| it, from the cruel banishment of the French |
| settlers in Nova Scotia by the English to |
| the meeting Of the lovers Gabriel and
Evangelino in the hospital near the old
Swcdcs' church in Philadelphia, is his
toric, and we must believe him.
But mere startling than the story Of
| Evangcline, and with the added advantage
of its absolute truthfulncss, is that of the
| Robertson cousins, ''onc born and both
raised between New Siberia and Vernil-
| ion, in the western Teche country.
| This story, in addition TO reminding tie
reader Ct Evansciinc, will recall the touch
ing story of Euocil Arden. The pity of it is
| that it remains for az inferior pen 10 de-
| scribe this strange record OF love and i'm
position.
Eariy in the century a handsome young
| man came to the Tcchc country and cstab
lishcd = school at New Iberia. He was ret
| iccnt as to his past. 1t was said that he
was an Englishman Of noble family, but
his diploma showed that he had taken de-
gree at Harvard.
| Professor" Robertson. as he was called,
soon made friends, and being active and
handsome IS well as cultured he soon be-
came a great favorite among the French
and English speaking people CT that rich
and beautiful land.
| After three wears Of successful .eachir-.
during which time he had read Law aEd
| was admitted u the bar, Professor Robert
| son, then % years Of age, was married to
| Louise .5Gbal, the only daughter OF n. Sal
bal, Il widowcr, and one of the richest sUg-
ar planters and largest slave owncrs III
| that Part of the state.
| NJ Sahai was an invalid. but the cares
OF the large estate that had broken him
down We're assumed by his son-il-law,
who worked with an energy and ;Etelli
gcncc that delighted the older man and
surprised all the reighborS, who in that
land of the lotus caters delight in what
the Italians call dolce far nicEte, or the
joy of doing nothing.
HcriIosilla, or THE beautiful place, s"
was the Spanish name of NJ. sia'jals cs-
tate, and, no matter The original reason
for the naming, it soon deserved it under
| the energetic control OF Professor Robert
| son.
NJ. Sal,ai. while keeping the title to the
estate sti.l il l.is own name, tooki!is son
in-laT into partnership ANA from his earn
ings the latter secured an interest in the
great salt islands and az one time owned
much OF the land purchased after the war
by the popular actor Joseph jefferson Us
| q winter residence
NJ Sahal, cascd OF all care. grew youn-
ger and stronger. Professor Robertson had
| not GEly taken his iathcr-in-law ; place rs
u tirelcss executive, but he soon became al
invalid, as tic senior had been, for he
lacked the experience to harmonic his CT
forts with the climatic contiitions--G mis-
take many northern men make in southern
la:itudes When Professor Robertson died
il 1917, he LETT IL son, George, an only
child. on whom ". Sahal dotted. Tho boy
was born April Is, 1910, and the mother
ard grandfather insisted that lie should
take the fathers name, George.
But hero comes in the complication
Professor Robcrtsons only living relatiy,
was /. twin brother, Henry. who had bee,
q lecturer ut Harvard. Henry died il
1912 at Woburn rear Boston. He was
wiiowcr. his wife having died in child
birth, ard he named his only child George
>. after lis brother
Before his marriage Henry Robertson
had visited his brother on the Techc; $,
.' when he died NJ. Sabal insisted that hi
orphaned son should be brought down ant
!. made orc of the family
~ =, There is enough for all, - e-plaincd TIL
=. =, old man. II have but lew relatives ant
~ it will be lar better that our Georgia Shout,
40 have boy of his OWE kin for a compan
~ ion.
Ills was agreed to- And The little boy
George Robertson was brought down from
> Woburn, Mass, To become the brother O
= his cousin rear New Iberia.
~ The new conner was u lovely child an
~ soon won his way into the hearts of al
who met him. There was only fou
months difference in the ages OF the cous
ms, ard they looked as much alike as dit
their fathers, who. as has been said, wer
twins. In order that the children NIGH
be distinguished when talking of them,
was agreed that the Louisiana cousil
should be called Georgy and the one froI
Massachusetts George an arrangement
that worked very well.
The boys were taught by the best privat
tutors till 1850, when together they wer
sent to the State Military school, of whic
William TccuBseh Sherman, aftcrward til
famous Union general, was sapcrintent
ent.
About this time n. Sabal, full Of year,
rich and honored, died. He provided hant
somcly for the nephew Of his dead son-ir
law, but the bulk of his property was LEI
to his grandson, the will providing thu
his daughter should have life interest i
the estate
Early in 1861, when Louisiana seeded
Superintendent Sherman resigned his pc!
and went north. This broke up ii
school and the cadets FASTENED home
join regiments which were then beir
to raised for the Confederacy all over II
rs south
cd Although southern in her sympatlies,
ia were all her slaveholding neiglibors, Mr.
Robertson was bitterly opposed to lGavin
is. her son go into tine army. But there VI;
let no resisting the earncstness of the your
th man or the fcrvid enthusiasm of the hou
As it transpircd afterwar,l Mrs. Rober
IL son was quite willing that her nephe
should go tn the war The cousins h
been like brothers up to their return fro
ui- the military school. Now they kept a;sar