The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-01-01

amid the blue-capped peaks OF the Blue
Ridge i'm Rutherford county. When
supper was taken to Baynard he was
lying down and would not eat. Next
morning when breakfast was brought
he still would not eat. When it became
time to prepare for the execution Taylor
and minister went into the cell and
found Mrs Baynard dressed and await
ing them. The clothes of her husband
were hanging on the wall. Baynard
had dressed in the clothes of his wife
and had been permitted to pass out by
Taylor as he had agreed with Mrs.
Baynard to do. Hue and cry was
raised and a heavy reward was offered
for Baynard's arrest, but he was never
heard from. The wife was permitted
to go, and while many believed that
Taylor had let Baynard escape there
was no proof of the fact. The two
Adairs were hanged and lie in one
grave beside the public road about ten
miles from the town of Rutherfordton.
Baynard made good his escape and he
and his family disappeared as COM
pletely from the public eye as if the
earth had opened and swallowed them.
The scene now turns from the Bay
uuTuS 10 IGIItIl w 1dN lux. @AIlCI DC'
ing sheriff for some years Taylor was
elected State Senator for several terms
in the Legislature, but somehow it
seemed to be n hard struggle for him
to get along, and gradually his business
and property slipped away from him I'M
til he was in actual wait. During these
years his wife had died and his children
had married and left him, and like the
king of the forest now in the evening
of his life, he stood alone. Now and
then there were questionable transac-
tons charged to him, until finally he
was charged with a serious crime and
then he left the State This seemed to
close up this chapter, but after the expi-
ration of six years there comes a story
from the Lone Star State" that again
brings the Baynards and Taylors before
the public.
When Baynard escaped from Hender-
son Jail, dressed as q woman, he made
straight for Texas. As soon as his wife
could settle up her affairs and turn her
property into money, she and her chill
dren quietly slipped out of the country
and were soon forgotten. They landed
in Texas, near Waco, here the husband
they made another start in life. But
what had become of Terrell w. Taylor?
No friend or relative had heard from
him since he left the State. 1t appears
that now and then he received a letter
from Mrs. Baynard, so that when he left
North Carolina he made his way to
Texas. He was now free and longed for
the sight of the sweetheart OF his young
manhood days. He finally reached
Waco and found out where the Bay
nards lived. Taylor was now sixty
years old. His head and beard were
frosty and his troubles and exile had
changed him until his most intimate
friend would not have known him. Be
ieving that Sallie would not recognize
him he made excuse to call at her
house. She did not recognize him. He
ascertained that Martin Baynard had
made every effort to atone for the muir
ders he had committed. His life had
been one continual atonement since he
left jail. He had prospered as a farmer,
and had died two years before Taylor
reached Texas, leaving property valued
ut fifty thousand dollars. all of which
he willed to his wife. One boy and one
girl of the children were married and
living not far from the homestead. The
other girl was with her mother Taylor
asked where Baynard was buried and
the widow walked with him a short dis
lance to beautiful grove of trees where
stood an imposing marble shaft with
these words inscribed thereon: Martin
Baynard: faithful husband and loving
father-lies here" SO here was the
dust of one Of the men whose soul was
stained with the murder of four innocent
human beings As Taylor stood by this
mound he thought of the day when he
had forgotten his duty to his State-his
oath of Official because Of his first love
for Sallie Morgan, and had saved the
husband of the woman he loved from
an Infamous DEATH As she stood be-
side him he gazed into her face
and with her fifty years she looked as if
she was but forty. That black hair of
former days did not show a single line
of grey; the cheeks were yet rosy, and
the eyes were as black and brilliant as
they were the day she caused Terrell
Taylor to give up the world as we'll lost
for Il smile from Sallie Baynard And so
he took her hand and held it in both
of his and looked her in the eyes and
said, "Sallie, is it possible that you do
not know me?' She knew him in
stantly and exclaimed: Terrell Tay-
Ior!' And he said by the grave of this
man whom they saved from an awful
fate, II tell you that have never ceased
to love you. Like yourself, / am free.
have nothing but myself. My prop
arty is all gone. | came out here to be
near you, but as you are free also,
ask you to take me for your husband"
And by the~dust of Martin Baynard they
again plighted their troths and passed
hand in hand into the house-happy in
the never-dying passion Of each other
md there we leave them, with. the re-
mark that the sun which Terrell W.
Taylor had seen hundreds of times from
the mountain tops of the smoky peaks
Of the Blue Ridge when he lived in Hen
lerson county. rise from the horizon and
animate all the world that came under
his vision for miles and miles around
aim with light and life, had again en-
yeloped him. His declining years were to
be the paradise of his existence on this |
earth. 1t is surprising that he counted |
his failure to do his duty-the commits |
sion of a great crime-excusable because |
t was done for woman, and that |