The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1897-03-17

The general then made no light
against Mrs. Clay, and the petition
for absolute divorce was granted.
In tie meantime the Russian wom
an had died shortly after return
lug to her native country.
| General CIay's home place may
revert to the children of his first
wife when he dies. Under olt,iua.
ry conditions the wife has a life
tine interest in her husbands prop
erty in Kentucky, but it appears.
that in the generals case his pres
ent wife cannot legally hold an in
tercst in his estate, should he die
first. 1t is to guard against her
being unproyidea for that the in
dependent old soldier has finally
agreed to apply for a pension.
The marriage Of the "Sage Of
White Hali' to his Il year old
house gill occurred on the 18th day
Of December, 1891. There were
many peculiar features which
marked the wedding and made il
one of the most remarkable Maria.
ges that ever occurred in Ken
lucky. About two years before
the wedding Dora Richardson. &C
companied by her mother and lit
tie brother, were caught iii the
railroad bridge which spans the
Kentucky river at Valley View by
a freight train. Dora pushed her
brother Off the track and saved
him. She then chung to the trestle
and saved herself, but her mother
was killed before her eyes. The
story Of the tragedy and the hero.
ism Of Dora touched th:. heart OF
| General Clay and he determined
to give the motherless girl u home.
| At that time he had ia his employ
a giant shephcraess, Mary Toomey,
whom he had imported from Scot
land to care for his Suutlit!uwh
sheep. Mrs. Thomey at first was
very kind to Dora, but within a
year after she was taken into the
household the child had TO submit
to severe treatment at the hands
of the shepher,:ess. When Gtner-
al Clay heard Ut this he WAS wild
with anger and summarily dis.
charged Mrs. Tunmey ard employ
I'd Dora's elder brother to cara fol-
his sheep.
! When General Clay first pro.
posed marriage to Dora, she ran
away from him and went TO the
. home of married sister, crying.
, She did not want to return to
White Hall, but when the General
, explained to her brother that he
was i'll earnest; that he had chosen
his iigst wife from an aristonratie
f family aud had found that mar.
riage a failure; that he wished tt
marry again aud take his blidt
from the humble walks of life, AZ
. he believed that such wife would
| give him that love aud affection,
, which he had sought for III vain
among those OF nobier birth, hel
brother went tn her aud toll hel
that the General WAS actually ii
, earnest and advised her that a,
| she was an orphan it would bs
best for her to marry General Clay
Notwithstanding he was SO higl
above her in social rank and that
, there was such a disparity in tleil
!. ages. Tho child having ..always
been treated kindly by the Gene
/ raj. finally consented to become his
\ wife, and few months afterwards
; it became generally known in th.
neighboiLood that General Clay
/ would marry Dora Richardson
within two years.
f The Generals son, Brutus j
/. Clay, heard of his fathers engage
inent aud tried to break it oft. III,
t called on his father and urged hin
!. not to take such foolish step
3 The interview ended in the Gene
d raj driving his sou from the hous
S aud telling him never to set foo
Il on the place again as long as h
). lived. The General says that Bru
5 Jus then offered a reward of 800
to anybody who would steal Dor
l. away SO that his father could no
e marry her. When the genera
e heard this his old-time figLtin;
u blood was soon at boiling heat. Il