The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-08-18
A SENSATION
Follows the Elopement of Stonewal
Jackson's Granddaughter

New York. Aug. 15.-The Ameri@ar,
says; Remarkable developments yester-
day followed the elopement of the beau
tifu Miss Julia Jackson Christian the
granddaughter of Stoncwall Jackson,
who ran away from her home in Atyan-
ia, Ga, to be married to Edmond Ran
dolph Preston, grandson of General
Preston and descendant of two of the
oldest families in Virginia. w +, Chris
Itlan, father of the bride, telegraphcd 70
the New York American declaring the
young bridegroom not fit person to
marry any girl, inasmuch as he has in
sane blood IN his veins Mr. Christian s
message, probably one of the most pain
full and extraordinary ever penned by a
parent, was telegraphed after he had
chased the young clippers III a special
tram across two states and had arrived
at Salisbury, N. c., just ten minutes
too late to stop their wedding.
The text of Mr.. Christians telegram
u tItt -AltiSl iNdll Itflo"S
Atlanta, Ga, Aug. 13-New York
American, New York: Referring to
your story i'll the issue Of August u Of
the marriage of my daughter, Miss Julia
Jackson Christian. to Mr. Edmond Ran
dOlph Preston, | desire to say in behalf
of my son, who is now a cadet at West
Point, and in behalf of myself that the
cause of this runaway match was an OBJ
lection by my son and myself. based
upon the fact that Mr., Preston's mother
died insane of epileptic fits at santa
riun and that his grandfather had cpl
leptic fits My son and | did not desire
her, with strong blood on both sides of
her family, to be sacrificed to a iuan with
degenerate blood. We have pleaded with
her for over twelve months to prevent
her from throwing herself away, but
she has been cunningly tricked and
trapped by this man. And friends of
mine throughout the South who know
the circumstances are deeply gricved
that this splendid, innocent girl should
have been practically ruined as far as
her descendants are concerned. by this
probable epieptic. As her father, | feel
so deeply in this subject that t will ask
you to kindly print this carl,
Nv. T. CHRISTIAN
When the message was teleeraphed
back by the American to its. correspond
ent in Atlanta for verihcation and was
there made public, among friends OF the
Christians, it caused te greatest sensa-
ton. B. S. Preston a brother OF the
bridegroom, was quick to take up the
cudgels in behalf of his brother. Ran
dolph. and, secondly, of his own family.
The statement made by Mr.. Chris
tan that my mother died insane. he
said. is without foundation in fact. 1t
is not true that either of my grand
fathers was subject to epilepsy. Both
were prominent in Virginia. Colonel J.
T. Preston was lifelong friend of
Stonewall Jackson DR. B. NJ Smith. my
mothers father was for forty years pro-
lessor in Union Theological Seminary.
DR.. John A. Preston, my father, was a
widely known Presbyterian minister. be-
ng pastor of the First Presbyterian
church of Charlotte at the time of his
death Mrs. Stonewall Jackson has
}DDroved of the match of nv brother |
and Miss Christian, and the marriage
would have taken place at her home i'll
Charlotte S. c., this autumn but for |
parental objections on the part of Miss
Preston's family
Mr. Preston is preparing a farther
md longer statement to the press in de-
lial of the charges brought against his
ancestry. i