Evening star., 1902-04-24
RECALLS A TRAGEDY
Marriage of Lou Paris and
Ralph Redmond.
KILLED HER DEFAMER
WAITED YEARS FOR THE ONE
SHE TRULY LOVED.
"A Story of the North Carolina Noun
tains That Read More Like
Fiction.
KILLED HER DEFAMER
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
SPARTANSBURG, s. C.. April % 100.


SPARTANSBURG. S. c., April -. 1902.
mond and Miss Lou Paris The happy couple left
immediately for the city Of Baltimore. where the
Electric Car Company, and where be and his bride
Will make their home.
A tragedy replete with romance and
heartfelt devotion Is recalled by the above
notice, which appeared In a local paper to-
day. In the town of Tryon City, in the year
1894 there lived Mrs. Paris a widow with
several children. A daughter Lou. the eld-
est of the children. was noted for her
beauty. The Parrises moved to Tryon City
from the country a year before and opened
boarding house for summer tourists, for
which this little town Is noted. Adjoining
the Paris farm was the home of a family
by the name Of Redmond. relatives of the
famed outlaw and moonshiner of that
name. Ralph Redmond. a boy, was a few
years Older than Lou Paris, and they saw
much of each other as they grew up. The
little schooling received by Miss Lou was
at the log cabin with Ralph As they be-
came older their friendship ripened into a
warmer affection. and when the Paris
FAMILY changed their residence to Tryon
City Ralph and Lou were engaged to be
married.
Ralph was moonshiner. The scene of
his operations was in the mountains around
Tryon City, and SO securely had he hidden
the place Of his distillery that he had
escaped detection and arrest up to the year
1894. He had many hairbreadth escapes
and was among the number who aided in
breaking into the jail at Asheville and re-
leasing the noted Anderson who had killed
man in Mitchell county: and was then
part of his life a secret from his sweet
heart.
Was Belle Of the Town.
AS soon as the Paris family took up
their residence in Tryon City Lou blossom
ed into the acknowledged belle of the town.
and young man. William Johnston. became
desperately smitten. The attention of the
town beaus was something new and novel
to Miss Louise. She led the Tryon City
young men merry dance for a few
months but remained true to RaIph Red
mond.
Johnston pushed his suit and was quietly
but firmly rejected. He became fearfully
Jealous OF any young man whom Miss
Farris permitted to pay her attention but
as one after another was politely refused
1t began to be suspected that Ralph Red
mond. who came now and then to see Miss
Lou, might be the happy man.
Johnston investigated the rumor and sat-
isfied himself that 1t was true. He knew
1t was reported that Redmond was a moon
sinner. and a special effort brought forth
positive evidence that Ralph had been rum
years. Information was furnished Special
Agent Vanderford, and this officer laid his
plans so we'll that he caught Redmond and
several of his helpers. They were all tried
and bound over to the federal court at
Asheville.
At this juncture the other and older Red
mond came upon the scene of action. He
knew 1t would not do to permit his kinsma n
and friends to be convicted and sentenced
to the penitentiary because they We're all
linked together in the business and for
fear that some one of the others might
turn traitor and tell the whole story that
would involve probably one hundred men
and women in the violation of the law.
One dark, rainy night Redmond, senior.
and twenty of his friends, armed and
equipped for a battle. entered Columbus
and surrounded the Jail. - In few minutes
Ralph Redmond and his friends We're max
ing tracks for the crags and Businesses of
the Tryon mountains
Ralph Redmond was now marked man
and a reward was offered for his capture.
He was no more seen in Tryon City. Now
and then in the darkness he came to see
Miss Paris, and then returned to his den
in the mountains. His enforced absence
gave Johnston clear field, and the latter
renewed his suit. Miss Paris was indiffer-
ent.
In the meantime the friends of Redmond
had not been idle. They had satisfied
themselves that Johnston had turned in
former and had furnished the information
to Vanderford on which Redmond and his
the distiliery broken up.
Miss Paris was wrought up when she
heard Of It. When Johnston made his next
visit he was charged with treachery to Red
mond and was shown the door and ad-
vised not to return unless he was sent for.
Killed Defamer of Her Name.
Johnston became desperate. His love
turned to hate, and he endeavored to de-
stroy the character of Miss Paris by SLAM
dering her to the other young men of the
town. Miss Paris sent him a note to call
on her. She met him on the front porch.
and after telling him of the lies he had
told plunged penknife into his bosom and
Johnston died at her feet.
Miss Paris did not show any emotion.
She expressed no regret She was COM
mitted to jail without bail and was sent to
her rescue by Ralph Redmond and his
friends.
At the next term Of the superior court
Miss Paris was indicted for murder. She
pleaded guilty Of murder in the second de-
gree and was sentenced to the penitentiary
at Raleigh for fifteen years. The accept
ance OF this plea was an act of mercy on
the part of the prosecuting attorney. be-
cause the state could easily have proven
premedtation and delberation to COM
NIT the murder. and If she had gone to
trial she would have been convicted of
murder in the first degree and the pardon
from death by the hangman.
She was taken to the penitentiary. With
short hair and coarse striped clothes she
presented quite different appearance to
what she did as the belle of Tyron City.
She was exceedingly cheerful all the while
and said she did not regret what she had
done; that her reputation as a virtuous
and honest woman was more than life To
her, and that under the same circum-
stances she would take the life of any
man who attempted by slander to destroy
her good name and make her an outcast
on society.
In the meantime Ralph Redmond kept
in hiding in the craggy cliffs of old Tyron.
and his relatives and friends brought him
the news of the murder of Johnston and
of the punishment Of his sweetheart. Had
she been confined in the jail of Polk county
Redmond and one hundred of his friends
would have destroyed the jail house in
their efforts to liberate Miss Lou.
Love Found a Way.
AS soon as Miss Lou was removed to the
prison near Raleigh, Redmond left the
mountains and went to Raleigh, where he
had never been before and was entirely
unknown. He was recommended to a
lawyer, who kept his secret, and through
whom he found work. This lawyer was
a friend of Miss Paris and was engaged
-