Arizona republican., 1901-11-24
A REAL STORY BOOK WIDOW.

quilted man named Crumley of the charge of murdering Sam Strong, d mine owner. Back of this trial is q TO- nance that sounds almost as improb- able as those of Laura Jean in the Family Herald.
 Sam Strong was one of the richest men in Colorado. He was the discov- erer and chief owner of the famous Bonanza Strong mine at Victor. Colo. from which millions of dollars worth or ore has been taken. Like most men of his class he was somewhat rough and was engaged in many fatal broils. . in none of which. however. was he the aggressor. Hegina Neville lived with her father but a stones throw from 1 the mine. MT. Neville was poor. i'll for tune having steadily pursued him. At fifteen Regina was known throughout all the Cripple Creek section as a beauty. There was not a miner who would not take the longest route to his work If he could get glimpse of Reg ina Neville on the way. The shy, quiet girl was as unconscious of this adora- ton as of her own beauty. She had never dreamed of having sweetheart Her only thought was of continuing l her interrupted schooling. The noun taineer's daughter had ambition.
 One day the owner of the Strong mine was making his lonely way from Midway to the Free Coinage mine. On
 the trail he met a sixteen-year-old girl in a shabby short dress, barefooted and carrying a bundle of books under her arm. These details Samuel Strong | passed over. What he saw was that the girl had a sweet. merry face. with long-lashed brown eyes. and that her heavy brown hair rippled brightly down from her bare head over her mod acf nd Samuel Strong did not know that this was Regina Neville, the prettiest girl in the mountains. whose father was a poor miner and whose home was in a l log cabin But he looked at her long and hard till she passed from sight.
 Sam Strong was an ardent and i'm
 pulsive wooer. The day after his
 chance meeting with Regina he went | to the little log cabin where the Ne villes lived and told John Neville. with
 no more circumlocution than miners generally do. that he wanted to marry | his daughter. There was not much of
 entreaty in Strong's request He was perfectly aware that he had millions
 and Neville nothing. In fact. he de-
 manded Regina. Neville objected. but
 agreed to leave the decision to his
 daughter. Strong urged his suit upon l the fair girl with such ardor that she 
 wedding. which soon followed, was in
 the log cabin on the hill and the cere-
 mony was of the briefest. Strong looked ten years younger for the occa- 1 sion. Regina wore a white muslin gown she had made herself. Her feet were rather uncomfortably buttoned
 into neat little shoes and her hair was
 bound tightly with a white ribbon In | a weeks time she was on her way to | ,.I ] They stopped in New York on the way
 and the clothes and jewels that the | bride was coaxed into accepting would have lasted her for years had they not
 been supplanted by still finer ones as
 soon as the millionaire and his bride
 reached Paris. Their tour ended, the
 Strongs returned to Denver They had
 never been separated since their mar riage until August 20, when Strong i left to go to Cripple Creek for a few
 days to look after his mining interests.
 His wife. who had not been well for a
 year past. grieved over the parting and
 clung to her husband as he left beg
 ging him to telephone her every day. Arriving at Cripple Creek Strong met
 his father-in-law, John Neville, with a
 group of other men and went into sa-
 loon to drink with them. A quarrel
 started between Crumley, the owner of
 the saloon. and Neville. This Strong 1 interrupted by warning Crumley not to | interfere with his daddy as he called
 him. The heated words continued until
 finally. to shield Neville, Strong pulled
 out his revolver and the two men fired.
 The next morning Mrs. Strong re- ceived a telephone message calling her
 to Cripple Creek. With no suspicion of calamity In her mind she made the
 journey and. did not know of the trag l adV haf had hafa har he
 her husbands dead body.
 l The eighteen-year-o widow is said
 in addition to her beauty to possess
 dignity and good sense far beyond her
 age. Her fortune is said by good
 judges to be s10 1000, 900.
 Japanese florists have succeeded in