Year: 1860

The New Orleans Delta gives an anu
sing account Of the arrest and comnittal
for trial OF a man in that city, named
Dean, who came down from Red River
country and swindled some of the Cres
cent City merchants out OF money in a cot
;oa speculation. He is represented as a
"spIendid son OF a gun, y a villain to the
very marrow of every bone in his body,
and OF Jack Sheppardish GOODNESS, and
Dick Turpinish genlility.


1t appears that among Deans goods
and chattles vas a young and pretty wife,
the wIfe's twin sister. and little brother
of tho two sisters. The wife, Mary Dean,
is no. more than sixteen years Of age; the
sister, Martha, being twin, is Of course
the same age; and the brother is little
boy eight or ten years old. Whilst the
sisters are pretty and interesting, and the
boy intelligent they are as innocent and
uusoPhisticated trio as ever any disaster
put in the path Of a villain, or threw into
the distress Of a strange city. The sisters
are not only green but even soft to hu-
initiation having been reared by poor pa
rents in comparatively barren and desti-
tute part Of the country, and having never
been taught much more than to keep their
faces clean and their hair tied mp


After Deans arrest the sisters hired q
room with q cooking stove, and were sup
piled with food by the daily donation from
the police and others, who could not help
sympathizng with them in their utter for
Ioln condition. After Dean was taken to
prison, the young and unso histicated wife
told her story with unaffected simplicity,
which was a. follows: She said that the
family had lived in poverty on a small
patch OF ground, on one Of the upper par
ishes Of this State, bordering on Red Riy-
81, lhat her father died. They went to
liye with with a brother who lived in the
vicinity and was married. This brothers
wife treated them with such severity that
they decide! upon seeking the protection
Of an older brother. WHO lived somewhere
near Marshall, IN Texas. Their only val
liable properly was horse and wagon,
and a lot Of bedding and some cooking
utensils with which and some money and
a lot of provisions, they started off for
Texas, tie boy driving. On the fourth
day Of their foolish pilgrimage, they en-
countered their evil genius.


AS they proceeded across the prairie,
not a grest distance west of Shreveport,
they met a mau on horseback, who stop
ped them and a.ksl them where they were
going. They tod lin, with all the hon
esty Of innocent country children, that
their parents were dead, aud they were
now on their way to Marshall, in Texas,
where they expected to find their big
brother and to put themselves under his
care. The man drew a revolver, and cock
ing it said that il they were looking for a
brother be was looking for wife, aud was
bound to have one out of that very wagon
Tue sisters and brother, terrified, incspa
bic Of resistance, and far from any human
aid, did not know what to do, and had
nothing to. say. When Dean (for it WAS
40 other man than he) told the girls that
one of them must be his wife, he added
that it didn't matter which of them lie
should take, and left it to them to decide
which should have him. Thoroughly
frightened, they were incapable of deci-
ding, or giving him answer one way OF
lie other. lie then settled the matter By
making the sisters pull straws" for hirn
He stated that which ever drew the short
straw should be his wife. He prepared
the strawo, and held them between his
thumb and finger, with the inner ends con
cea.ed, otfereli the outer ends to the girls.
His look and manner, and the pistol III his
hand, had put the girls completely in his
power. Speechless and trembling, the
sisters drew the straws Martha drew the
long straw and Mary the short one.


Dean them annouced to Mary that she
was bis wife, and that they should be law
fully married rs soon as they reached
Shreveport. Politely informing the party
that thew were to turn back and accompa-
ny him to Shreveport, they did so without
hesitation. On the way be treated them
with the greatest care and polietsness told
them what he would do for them when he
60. to New Orleans; his wife and her sis
ter ndould live ike ladies', and the brother
should be sent to school and brought up 3
gentleman and scholar.


The girls and the boy at first terrified
and helpless, now began to look upon him
as a husband and brother in perhaps
better than The brother they had started
to seek in Texas. The villains injuuc.
tions TO all not to biab about the manner
OF their becoming acquainted and their
travelling together was fully obeyel--
all three being afraid of offending him by
any word or act of theirs


When they reached Shreveport, Dean
sold his horse, and the horse aud wagon OF
the children; pocketed the money, as a
protector Of the party, ami also kindly took
charge Of the cash the children happened
TO have with them. lie was lawfully
married to Mary, before witnesses; and
taking passage on steamer, brought them
all into New Orleans. 1t was for the pur-
pose of providing decent qusrters fer the
girls, aud ultimately efectlng the ruin Of
the unmarried sister, that he swindlad one
of the New Orleans merchants ont Of SIS
600, on the pretence Of having brought
cotton down the river with him.


As Dean was proceeding TO prison he
had final conversation with Lis wife, who