Year: 1879

the quadroon woman, Lucy Shep.


herd, heretofore referred to, was


taken i'll, and when it became .appa-


rent that she could live but q few


days, she secretly requested DR.


Blackman, the physician attending


her, to inform Mark Horton thai


she had something of Importance to


communicate to him, and desired


him to call and see her at once. Mr.


Horton, In response to this request


called about an hour after the re


quest was made. The woman be


gan by telling him that she had


kept a secret locked in her breast


for years, and now that she was 90


ing to die she could no longer re


main silent. She did not wish to


go 20 her grave as the partner in q


great fraud. She then informed


Mr.. Horton that his wife Jessie was


her daughter, that she was the lille


gitimate child of Reynolds, and that


the secret which had so long been


kept was the cause OF the death of


Mr.. Reynolds wife, who grieved


herself into an early grave on ac


count of the fraud which Reynolds


was practicing in palming off Jessie
as his legitimate daughter. The
woman informed Mr.. Horton that
Jessie knew nothing of these facts;
that she was perfectly innocent and
believed herself the legitimate
daughter of Reynolds. She stated
that Jessie was born in Whining
ton, N. c., after Reynolds had mar
ried, and he notified his wife that
she must adopt the child as her own
and rear 1T as such. He threatened
both his wife and the mother of the
child with death should they di
vulge the facts. Mrs. REYNOLDS
died broken hearted after years OF
grief and shame.


Mark Horton, after hearing the
story of the quadroon woman, at
once went to Reynolds and con
tronted him with the facts. The
latter did not deny the statement OF
the woman, but told Horton that he
had better remain silent, as any ex-
posure would bring shame on both |
families. But Horton belonged to |
an old-fashioned, high-bred family, |
and pride was his most striking |
characteristic. He notified Rey-
nolds that he would send Jessie
back to him, with their child, and |
that he would at once apply for a |
divorce. He then went back TO his |
home, called Jessie into a private
apartment, and there told her the |
story of the quadroon woman, who |
was then dying as he repeated the
wol dis she had spoken to him.


The wife was struck with terror |
and could not utter a word. She
acted for while as if she were be-
reft of her senses. When she be-
came composed she found herself
and child in her fathers house. She
at once became an object of pity
and sympathy. She will see no
one, and passes her time in her
room with her child.


This exposure broke up the Hor-
ton family, the old maA selling out
and returning to North Carolina,
and Mark having left a few days
since for California-after the court |
had declared the marriage void be-
cause of fraud. Reynolds is en-
deavoring to dispose of his prop
erty, intending also to leave the
country. He is blamed by every
body for the misery he has brought
upon his unhappy daughter and the
Horizons. He attempted to induce
his daughter to contest the divorce
suit, but she was not in a condition
TO appear in court. The case
brought together the largest crowd
ever gathered in Walker county.