The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1921-09-08
'HANNlBALSS
POPLAR
Marking Site OF Grue-
some Tragedy Is
Hewn Down

as Hannibafs poplar, has upreared
is huge form on an undulating pla.
;eau two miles ca-; Of this city. Yes.
,orday this aged monarch. the suvv.
ing king Of mighty forcs; whict
long since disappeared. was attacked
in coneer; by a crew Of lumberjaeks
armed with axes and saws, and j,
crashed TO earth with a deafening
roar.
For generations the local citizens
had cherished for those leviathan a
sentiment akin 10 reverence. since i
expressed 20 them a magnificent leg
acy Of nature preserved and trans
miited from n distant and gloomy
past.
Site Of Duel and Murder.
pcfying alike the hurricane and the
thunderbol'. Hanibals poplar stood
for more than century in stately
majesty on this tragic plain. for here
the kemper-Thompson duel was
fought in 1926: and mere also. only a
few PAGES away under a erumbling
slab. lies the mouldering dust Of Polly
Brown. a woman possessing the
slumbering instincts Of Lucre,ia
Borgia. and who melted by sendsh
jealousy. murdered her own sister a;
this spot in 1882. In point Of cold
and deadly cruelty this mons,rous
crime which gave rise 20 train q
other terrors. undoub;ly has but few
parallels in the criminal annals o.
this section.
These two sisters, amos; exactly
opposi;es az 20 type AZ well a tenn
peramer;ally. were daughters 81
George Brown. a wealthy slave
owner Of the neighborhood; and il
was through sinister trick Of des-
tiny ,ha, both should become enam-
ored q the same man, a young phys.
elan named Paving. resident Of
this city. which .; tina; time was only
a struggling village.
Or. Paving had at frs, paid some
attentions 20 Polly. but he was no
sooner enlightened a. 70 her dark and
cunning nature than he ignored her
almost completely for the more
charming companionship Of her SIS
Ter Fannie. a rollieking blond Of 10
and younger than the former by at
least FIVE years. Fannie was a pre-
Possessing girl with deep-blus eyes
and regular features. a voice subdued
and musical. and she possessed n
wealth Of golden hair which crowned
with splendor a brow Of singular
whiteness.
| Under the impeiuous attentions Of
the young physician the fewer Of
love slowly unfolded in the bosom o.
this charming girl. and they became
engaged. The date Of the wedding
was set two months in the future.
But such happiness was never 20 be.
for the enraged and discarded wo-
man. seeYe;ive, cold and crafty. and
in whose sunless and brooding soul
certain cruelty was apparen; from
childhood. saw with emotions Of a
savage. vengeful jealousy the sudden
eclipse Of her own matrimonial
dreams. and she ihereupon con-
ceived the resolution Of taking her
sisters life in order 10 prevent the
approaching marriage.
Pre- pared Hasehet for Chastly Deed.
Preparatory 10 executing this
frightful purpose she secured a
hatchet. which she carefully sharp
ened and concealed on her person,
and soon afterwards decoyed her
uns peeting sister 70 take a waN with
her into neighboring forest.
Proceeding TO the wood. they en-
tered the dense shadows o. paw
paw thieket. and at length sa, down
together on log near hannibaPs
poplar. Here Polly plucked a wild
flower. and under the pretense Of
decking her sisters hair with it, she
slowly twined her sinewy fingers into
Fannie's golden locks. thus eomplet-
ing a deadly ambush. She abruptly
ceased TO speak. Slowly her hand
closed rs with grasp Of steel,
causing the frightened girl to cry
out in pain as she elapped both hands
to her head. but too late, for Polly,
ferocious and terrible. leaped TO her
feet almost at the same instant with
a Ratchet flashing in her right hand,
and snatched Fannie backward by
the hair upon the log. The poor girl
uttered terrible screams AS her white
throat was barred to an uplifted blade
which the next instant was buried to
the hilt in her neck, seyering the
spinal column At the base Of the
brain. A torrent Of blood spurted
over her dress. The writing form
received another savage blow BE-
IL - 4 -.