The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-10-19
THE MITCHELL-LEEs TRAGEDY
Some Misstatemo MIS- Corrected and an

Some Misstateme nts Corrected and an
Analysis Of Certain Facts.
Editor Of The Times:
Sir-In the pu bliShed accounts Of the de-
plorable Mitcheil-Lee ira gedy there have
1 ask you to permit me. as matter OF
justice, both to the living and the dead.
to correct some Of these mis-statements
SO that the mind Of the public may be
dsabused so far as 10 possible. OF any
erroneous ideas, which have resulted in
unkindly and unwarrantable criticism.
% In the first instance, 4 wish to say
that the circumstances under which Miss
Lee and Mr.. r. 3. Mitchell left Stony
Creek on that fateful Tuesday morning
were such as to preclude the idea that
Miss Lee had any thought Of clipping
with Mitchell at that particular time II
at all. The engagement which had ex-
listed between the two. as her letters to
Mitchell plainly show, had been broken.
and some Of Mltchel's letters, which have
been brought to light. give evidence that
he had about abandoned all hope of per-
suading her to renew the enga cement
Under date OF August 29th. he wrote her
that he had determined to leave Stony
Creek. II am going" he says. ''to leave
home friends, property-my ail-every-
tillllS dllu every ouy.4E.s lCoe VINO kNUW
me now will see me no more. i can't
wait later than September 22d.
Letters which passed between them
show also that he had been urging Miss
Lee to grant him a final Interview so
that he might unfold to her his plans
concerning his future life. She agreed
to do So and 1t is clearly apparent to
my mind that the drive she consented to
take with him on the day they were last
seen alive was SO far as she at least was
concerned intended to furnish that OPP
portunity
In support OF the statement that she
had no thought of elopement in her mind
I adduce the following facts: On Sep
TENDER ed and 23d Mitchell had fast
horse hitcned up and kept during the
morning IN readiness near his store On
the latter date meeting Miss Lee on the
village street, after some conversation.
he handed her In the buggy. got in him
self, and then drove Off. But, an eye
witness declares thaa before getting into
the buggy Miss Lee remained In what
seemed to be a state OF indecision FOR
fifteen or twenty minutes. several times
even turning away from the buggy and
starting off as though to return home.
Again. the dress Miss Lee wore at the
time was an old one which she was in
the habit Of wearing only at home. She
could have atttred herself in better
clothes without exciting comment or Gu
rtosity nad she wished to do so. as In
few hours time after meeting Mitchell
she was expected to be ready to start
to the Gwathney-Peters wedding at Co
mans Well. Finally, had she wished to
elope with Mitchell, there was no obsta-
Gle in the way OF her doing so.
No one started In pursuit when 1t be-
tba$ joFk
Creek together and no difficulty so far
as known interposed itself after their
departure So then we have these facts
established:
~. That Miss Lee had discarded
ID. that Mitchell sought what
he termed a final interview with her:
3rd that when she started driving with
him on the morning Of the Sd CT Sep
TENDER 1t was with some degree Of reluo.
suitably for any kind OF trip among
strangers; 5th. that had both had the de-
sire to go awaw to get married. they
could have done SO: 9Th. that Mitchell
certainly did expect to leave home for
some kind of trip, as he was carefully
dressed and had upon his person large
sum Of money which had been made up
by taking all his available cash from
the store and some from the bank.
daughters marriage with Mitchell were
rot due to the causes which the papers
have stated, nor were they. urged In the |
manner in which the papers have been |
They had absolutely nothing
to do with either NIitchells social or !
business standing. and the statement
that he refused to regard mitchell as an
eligible sutton for his daughters hand
because he had once been his clerk, Is
absurd.
Miss Mabel Lee, after she had learned
what her fathers objections to her mar
rage with Mitchell were. regarded them |
as valid and sufficient. in letter from /
ter which was found in Mitchell's peck
Il she saws: Ills reasons (for opposing
-ha maria gc> are fair true and un-
,hangea bic. There is no use my Wflting
INV more It must all end now: he tner
'athero didn't say anything MARSH or
,nkind but in a loving way ne stated
he facts to me. He had reasons Tor my
-. marrying YOU OF which I was en-
irely ignorant.
n onnosing his daughters marriage to
,:tcha,I Mr.. Lee but sought to guard her
anniness 1t was not with him matter
/ mere personal dislike or prejudice or
ride. He had informed his daughter ana
,itchell of his objection to the marriage.
~ told them that Il they intended to
,arrv5onyhow he desired that they should
married at his house. On the Tues
az morr7'ng when they drove away to-
ether ou, Of Story Creek. although he
.ard not long after they left that they
al eloped, notwithstanding the fact tina:
E was greatly disturbed by the news
: made n oeffort to follow and ove1tshe
ZEN.
ts) wish in conclusion to bear en-
ha tic testimony that there has been abb
,lutely nothing to develop In all that
,lates to this most awful affair which
ars in any way the lovely Christian
laracter and touching filial devotion of
label Lee. In her letters found upon
itchell,s persons. as well as in her en-
re conduct from TIE moment when she
Mitchell until that wretched
orning when they drove together out of
tony Creek-never to return-she gave
ear evidence that no matter at what
,st to herself in the way Of suffering.
,ss was determined to be governed by the ]
Dice OF duty rather than by the prompt
gs Of what at the last she believed to
) nisGsrected affection Probably no
,unE lady in this section Of Virginia was
ore universally respected and loved than