The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-02-03

This is the story of little mountain
girl, in love with a man who stands
in the shadow of death. Parts OF IL
have been told, but most OF II will
never be written. 1t has for its setting
a wild and rugged country. ard for its
characters a primitive people The
story is tinted with the red Of trag
edy that is an old tale, and hinges for
it's fateful climax upon the stroke OF
a pen in the hands OF virginia's Gov
ernor.
Miss Nellie Wissler--one has only
to see her to know-bclongs not to the
type of newspaper heroine that some
how springs into life in the chroni-
cling of every big national crime. She
shrinks from the gaze Of the thousands
who regard her as an interesting link
in the fate of the Aliens. She speaks
slowly, with the hating speech pecu-
liar TO the mountain country, and she
seldom smiles. When she does. there
is a decidedly attractive dimple.
Seated by the railing on the mezza-
nine floor of the Richmond Hotel. a
slight figure dressed in deepest mourn
ing. she impressed one as rnournfully
pale and fragile Reporters have been
part of her daily life for weeks and
months. and she regarded the intru-
sion of the latest one with little more
than indifference.
Unsaaken Faith In Claude.
If she looked upon the intruder with
indifference at first, the manner soon
left her. From a hating exchange
of views on the latest appeal 20 the
Governor and formal talk about the
case in general the conversation pro-
ceeded by easy stages to the life IN
the Carroll County hills before the
coming OF the big shadow.
Here again there was little new TO
tell The story OF the Aliens IS
twice-told tale. For nine months and
more-since the Slstarred day last
March. when the single strand of wire
running out OF the little mountain
hamlet began sending TO startled
nation the broken account OF the
Hillsville horror-the public search
light has played necessarily upon the
clansmsn. and the country's cleverest
news writer's have seen 10 II that
nothing was left untold
To Miss Wissler-Nellie Wissler
playmate, school fellow. sweetheart OF
Claude-these news-writers. clever as
they are. have never once told the
tale as IL should have been told. None
Of them knows Claude, as she knows
him. All of their accounts have been
biased. She related incident after in
cident OF the young clansman's early
life. his generous nature, his devotion
to her, his fortuitous presence In
Hillsville on the morning OF the trag-
edy.
why. Claude" she caught her
fully for a sign Of sympathy. Claude
could not do murder I have known
him ever since l can remember. We
were raised within q hslf-mile OF each
other. He is not that kind OF boy.
But nobody. nobody believes ne. and
now-now he's here. and-oh, it's IN
beljevable." She turned aside while
the reporter waited.
started at Corn-Shuckins.
One hitherto untold chapter of the
incidents which led up to the court
house shooting Miss Wissler related.
She thought everybody knew II long
ago and was surprised when she was
told that the papers had not printed
it
About three weeks before the court
house tragedy the Carroll County
neighborhood gathered at corn
shocking, which attracted all the
:
Among others there were present
Wesley Edwards and a youth named
VIII Thomas. Corn stockings. as
every one who has lived in the country
knows, affords young love opportunity
to try its wings. and this one was
no exception.
II appears. from Miss Wissler's ac-
count that Wesley Edwards contrived
during the evening to win to his favor
the girl who had accompanied VIII
Thomas to the shocking. He did so.
IL was charged, by surreptitiously
bringing to the party number OF
red ears of corn, each one OF which
entitled him TO a kiss from the girl
he thought the prettiest
Fought ut Church.
Finding himself deserted by his fair
companion. Thomas. 1t is said. who
possesses considerable powers of MIN
icr,- began to mock Wesley Edwardss
gait and manner of speech, with the
result that Edwards promised that
night 70 get even with him. The feud
was renewed a week later at a box
supper in the neighborhood school