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THE WEEKLY CONSTITUTION. ATLANTA. GA.. TUESDAY FEBRUARY 23, 1886.
WHOSE HUSBAND?
'SENSATION OVER THE REMAINS
OF A TEXAN.
t, of Indianapolis, 8ays She la
-In. J. W. Piero a, of Texas, Says
i a* Widow—A Talk With Mrs.
«m owl Mr. XL W. Flores.
W« give Mow the details of & most rernark-
mfcle caae of Mistaken identity.
In the late Georgia Pacific accident a mm
ha.wa as J. W. Fierce, a Texas stock drover,
' Ja killed. He ia buried in Westview cemetery.
Shortly afterwards ilrs. J. 1*. Weaver, of In-
disnapoUa, claims Pierce’s body os that of bor
husband. Sbe exhibits h letter he wrote her
firm Atlanta the d»jr before he was killed,
telling her to address him as J. W. Pierce.
She identifies the body as Weaver. A well
hnewn Atlanta lady swears the body 13 that
ef Weaver, whom she knew. An Indianapolis
physician, who treated Weaver when he was
shot in the neck, swears to the bullet hole
fonxd in the neck of the corpse. The proof is
so crashing that the cemetery authorities aro
mhfVt to deliver the body to Mrs. Weaver.
Them the I^croes, of Texrs, come to the
. front and offer proof showing that the body is
that ofPievce. Scores of w i tn esses swear that they
saw Pierce in Atlanta, and Belton, who was
with him when he was killed, swears it was
Pierce, and the judge decides for the time that
tie body must not be movejr.
The first theory suggested is that the man
lived double live*—as Weaver in Indianapolis
s.x.d Tierce in Texas—had two families and
two homes. Mrs. Weaver swears that Weaver
did run away to Texas with Mrs. Eden, and at
port Worth lived under the name of Pierce.
Both sides agree, however, that Weaver could
r.ct have been Wood Pierce,, and that Piereo
could not have been Weaver. Each of theso
men lived steadily in his home for twenty
' years, and w as never absent a year at a time.
WeavcT could write and Pierce could not. The
coTpee is that of one or the other. If it is
Weaver, Fierce is still living. If it is Pierce,
Weaver is still living. A large fortune de
pends on the proof of either.
The Constitution is going to the bottom
ef the matter. The first chapters it prints this
Week. The others will follow.
Mrs. James Tierce Weaver is here trying to have
the remains shipped to Indianapolis, Ind., for in-
teiment, and Mrs. Joseph Warren Pierce, of Fort
McCa\ett, Texas, i< hero to contest the clanns
of Mrs. Weaver. Mrs. Weaver mourns tiic death
of her husband, and wants his grave to be where
•he con keep It green with her own hand-*. Mrs,
Tierce object* to ullowing another to bike into care
ar.d keeping the remains of Mr. Pierce.
Ilfa a mange question of identity.
MR.-. JAXrs PIERCE WEAVER.
Yefterday a lady of middle age, quite good look
ing, neatly attired in black and wearing -omo jew
elry, sat in the office of Loclirnnc A Lochrane.
A Co»titi Tiojf reporter had been detailed to
snake a thorough Investigation of the case, and
was looking for Mrs. Weaver. Mrs. Weaver con
sented toan interview, although her lawyers said
they had no desire to try her case in the news
papers.
WJTAT MRS. WEAVER r.\ID.
Mr-. Weaver was Asked when she had first met
Mr. Weaver. She answered:
“J met him first at his mother’s house. He was
bor if and raised in ludianajrffii.3 and I wet him
just after Isis return from the war, in which he had
terved for'four years. My name was Louisa E. Sigler
i.i.d I was horn and raised in Jacksonville, Illi
nois. We w ere married in Chicago while I was on
a visit 10 my sister there. The ceremony took
plate at the house of a minister and here is the
certificate.”
“Where did y
reporter.
“Wc went to Indianapolis in 1-f.O and lived tin
ihaf!~^;y hr-Lf *J/ya<i « n the paper box
ess. At ofic time he had a livery stable and
Saturday. It was postponed on motion of Mrs.
fierce's counsel, because she could not get
here. Mrs. Pierce is to he here tonight or tomor
row, however, and the case will come up next Sat*
today.
At the Piedmont house there is a young man of
? pier did physique, about six feet three, with dark
Lair and muatache, tlorid face and dark eyes. Ho
is as cool as a cucumber, ay d looks like he would
fight a buzz-saw if necessary.
"Yes,” he said, in answer to a question, **I am ■
A SON OF J. W. PIERCE.
I know nothing of J. W. Weaver, nor of the J. W.
Pierce who ran the hotel business in Fort Worth.
I know that iny father, when very young, went to
Texas. His father had lived in Georgia, Alabama
and Mississippi, and my father was born in one of
those states. 1 am not sure, but I think he was
born in Georgia, possibly near Atlanta. In Novem
ber, ISM, be was married 10 Mis* Margaret Y. Thur
man—my mother. I uin twenty-seven years old.
When the war broke out mv father was elected first
lieutenant under Captain Jim Taylor, of Larissa,
Cherokee county, Texas. He served through the
war and in the fall of 1805 he removed from Chero
kee to Johnson county with his family, which con
sisted of himself, wife, three children and my
aunt. He bought a farm a few miles east of Cle
burne, and dming the year 1866 was
NOT OUT OF JOHN.‘ON COUNTY,"
except one trip to Ellis county, Texas. lie lived
on bla farm there until the winter of 1870. He sold
out and moved to Cleburne, where he resided two
years. He then bought a farm in Sommervell
county, cm the llrrzoa. He lived there three
yeais, and while there his wife died. He
then removed with his children to Brown
ccuoty, and from there to McCulloch county; and
and in December, 1879, he was married to a lady
living at Mount Calm, Limestone county. Her
maiden name was Adams, but she was a widow
when he married her, and her name was Mrs. Bell
Harden. They lived at Mount Calm until Febru
ary, I8f:5, when they removed to San Angelo, Texas.
He never made his home in Fort Worth a day in
his life, nor ever run a hotel anywhere. His name
was Josei-h Warren Pierce, son of David Pierce;
l ut Mimehmv, when a child, got the pet name of
Woodic. whirl), when he grew to manhood, was
f-hortened to Wood, and nc was known all over
Texas as Wood Pierce, and there are hundreds of
people in Texas that will testify in any court to
to the truth of what I say.”
THE LASTTIIP.
“When did he leave for Georgia on his last
trip?”
*1 don't remember the exact date, but I saw him
the day before he started. He was at Starkwethers
n urture, in Coleman county, getting out his stock.
c had selected about eighty head of horses. Part
were branded D. O. I). on the left thigh and S. O
N. on the right. Some were branded with a single
I). on the left hip. Others had VII on the left
•boulder. I have seen some of the ho*ses since. I
have been here and recognize them as having been
my father's. My father started to ship to Florida,
but changed his mind and from Shreveport wrote
my step-mother that if she needed anything to let
him know at Atlanta.”
“How did you hear of the accident in which
your father was killed?”
“I think it was Mr. W. O. Jones who tclgraphed
about it 10 John Nasworthy, my father’s partner at
San Angelo. My step-mother lived fifty-live miles
fuithcr on at Fort McCavctt. A telegram was sent
to Manardville and was then sent by hand twcu
ty-two miles to her. I had charge of a
t ow OUTFIT IN CONCIIO COUNTY,
and she t cl eg raj bed me. That telegram had to l>e
taken back by band to Manardville and was sent
l»y wire to Coleman City. It then came by hand to
me seventy-five miles. I went to see my step
mother, and found that before I had received the
news of the accident my father liad been buried.
As scon as I could make my arrangements to leave
1 came on, ar.d my step-mother iscoming, and will
be here in a day or two. Although t lie government
telegraph lines to the forts go near her home, she
ia along distance from a railroad. She had to
travel a hundred and fifty-five miles bv private
conveyance before she could take the train.'’
“How far was your father’s home from Fort
Worth ?”
“Three hundred miles.”
Mr. Pierce said further.
“My father was never in Indiana that I know of
ar.d was never shot in hi* life. I know nothing of
any fear on his neck, but il there is any there it
was made by a boil. As to his writing letters I
may fay lie was not educated at all. He could not
write his own name and could not read ii after it
was written. The mare Gipsy, was sent to his
partner as also was the saddle that he always used,
and that hi.s acquaintances all knew. There can
be 10 mistake ncout his identity. My mother had
four children, who arc living, my step-mother had
one after her marriage to my father and two by
was wide open, showing a full set of beautiful
teeth. Decomposition had not destroyed the
features, and the instant the lid was removed Mr.
Nasworthy said:
THE IDKNTir.CATON.
“That’s Wood Pierce.”
Of courseit is, “said Mr. Lovelady.
“It ain’t any oue else” said Major Heath.
Then for a few minutes the crowd looked si
lent, y upon the* dead. The undertaker stooped
down and arranged the burial robe over the body
to as to leave the face alone visible. General Gar-
trel! stepped to Mr. Pierce’s side and spoke to him
in a fulfilled tone. The youn ir.an turned about,
walked up to the carriage and lifting his mother
out gavo her his arm. The lady laid her weight
upon her son and slowly the
TWO MOURNERS A Frit O ACHED THE COFFIN.
These about it stepped aside, and the wife
w alked up beside the husband and father. She
looked upon his face In silence. The young man’s
hat was pulled down over his face so as to hide hi3
eyes. The lady’s veil was down. For a minute
they looked at the dead man, and then the son
turned his head slightly and said:
“That’s him. ma. 1 ’
“Yes,” said Mrs. Pierre between her sobs.
Then silence prevailed again. No one present
could speak. Finally General Gartrell asked:
MRS. FIERCE’S VOICE.
Do you recognize that man as your husband, Mrs.
Pierce ?”
“Yes, sir,” she answered.
“How?”
“By his features, his teeth. Sec them. I would
know them anywhere, and then his forehead,too.”
“And you, Mr. Pierce, do you recognize him?”
“Yes, sir. that’s my father.”
“That’s him,” said Mr. ^ as worthy. “That fore
head is known by hundreds of Texans. No man
in the state was better known than he. Why, if
they were here now, there are hundreds of men in
Texas who would swear that that is Pierce, and
that he has passed ail his life in Texas.”
T have known that man lor over twenty year*,”
d Major Heath, “and it is
of people will swear to it.”
BAC K TO THE CAP.RIAC.E.
Mrs. riercc stood quietly by hearing tlieremarks.
Her son was beside her. Suddenly the young man,
as though unable to command his feelings further,
wheeled quickly about and led his mother back to
the carriage. The undertaker then replaced the
lid, the coffin was lowered into the grave, the dirt
was thrown on again, and then the party started
back to the city. Mrs. Pierce is large and fine
looking. She lias a round face, full of expression.
Her eyes are blue or gray and her hair, which she
combs hack from her forehead, is dark.
“Yes.” the said in response to a question, “that’s
my hut band. I married him in '79 and had no
trouble in recognizing him. Ills (forehead and his
teeth would he enough were it not fortlie general
impression one you love leaves on your mind,”
Mrs. Pierce could not talk much. She had been
crying and nearly every time her husband’s name
was mentioned she would cry again, llcr eyes
were red and swollen, and nut of feeling for the
ftfte
buslr.
an undertaking business there. lie accumulated
torni* property, end had at one time several houses
and lots. After some years 1:Is place of business
was burned out, and he grew "dissatisfied and
w anted to go w ol to seek a home. lit* went awav
in Ji r.c, ]#*3, and caine hack in August. JIc told
me he had found a hotel in I'fala, Indian territory,
and that he was going to move his family there
in 1.) out fix v otic*. He wanted me to let him -.■!!
aid not have t<
roi rented and w
I ick< d out furniti
and l.e had it *ct j
r hoir.t
'fld an
. ting. Wc then
r twenty rooms of the hotel
ns udd. I signed a deed to
him checks for all the
. in tank. It amounted to abt_. _
made him
A LITTLE! BELT Ot*T OF CANTON FLANNEL,
ft little better than a quarter of a yard long and
about r.s wide as a bank note and put strings to it,
and wc put j the* money in* it and he tied it
around his waist and went away that night about
11 o'clock. He went from there to St. Louis to see
his mother and to see if he could get a better bar
gain in furniture. He wrote to the Indianapolis
house that he could get furniture cheaper in rft.
Louis end he would not take theirs. In about four
weeks he wrote me that the wife of the proprietor
of the hotel
accessary papers anil he
Bom
:la
dred dollar*
The trial wa- ir
following I i< tu
not
u!d have to look
tr.cwi.erc else for an opening, lie next wrote
me that lie v\ as on a ranch eighty-five miles north-
weft of Fort Worth, Texas, ami to direct mv letters
to Fort Worth. On the second of February, 1S-U,
he came home, and two nights afterward wha
called out of the heme by a man named William
Eden, v% ho shot him through the back oi’thc neck.
It developed that he had been
LI VINO WITH EDEN’S WIFE
who nr.d disappeared about the time my husband
had left. My ini -band was in bed about a week.
In a few days he It ft for Fort Worth again, prom
ising me that he would give the woman up and
arrange for his family to go to Texas. I soon found
that he was at Fort Worth, and was there
known as J. \Y. Men e. lie wrote me letters to nrt-
drers him cm J. W. Pierce co as to avoid the possi
bility of trouble with Mr. Eden. After wailing
some time for him to keep his promise J wont to
lOTt Worth and found him living in the same ho
tel with Mrs.Kdcn and parsing her offashltfwife. I
hart warrants i^ued for both and my husband
was arrested, but Mrs, Eden avoided arrest and
left the place. On the trial my Imsbandtpleaded
fined a thousand dollars, five hun-
which was afterwards paid 10 me.
Augiift, j>* i and in the September
Tied to Indianapolis.”
THREE CHILDREN.
“How many children have you?”
“Three, two gil ls and a hoy. The oldest Is a girl
f ftcen, the next a boy thirteen and the next a girl
who is eleven.”
“How old was Mr. Weaver?”
“He would have been fifty-five had lie lived un
til the 7th of next September.”
•'Did you hear from him after the trial?”
*TUs letters ceased after the trial, but he wrote
•nt
BV. but flu* would rnmn hurt in l»l
and that hel
desert us.”
“Was lie a good husband before he left yon?”
“Hewn.-; there never was a better one. Every
thing we wanted, wc got. He neverdmnk.”
Mrs. Weaver has an envelope.mailed on the'West
ern and Atlantietraln. which she says brought to
her *n account of the killing.and enclosing a card,
which was u?td by Weaver when he was In the
undertakers’ bus Sues- in Indianapolis. The card
TV r.s Mack a* ink, cud on It wr.s printed:
J. I*. WEAVER,
UNDERTAKER.
. Indianapolis, Ind.
s:: Illinois, ft.
(Telephone).
Tlic envelope was addmsrd to Mrs. Weaver at
136 West First street, Indianapolis. There was
nothing in it except the account of the
ceoroxa pacific < ollimon
and the card. The envelope ar.d enclosures were
shown to the reporter. Mr. Weaver was in the
hotel business at Fort Worth, with a partner
named C. II. Murdock. Mrs. Weaver has many
letters from Wearer in Tex and in -om • of them
the is asked to address her lerrers to J. W. Fierce,
fior the reasons already stated. A part of th«-evi
dence of Mrs. Weaver’s >irtc will be an affidavit
made by Dr.Ia'roy S.IIer.lhorne.whoswears that he
came to Atlanta, examined tJn-’back of the nock .*f
.the corps, and that it is that of Weaver. He swears
that he dressed the wound when Weaver \va c shot
and that he identifies the sears.
Mrs. Weaver has other testimony of the same
character. She has letters c.f ihe'l e-t «ort
men of high character, showing tbit sue i Mr-.
Weaver? thut sbe Ib all right and thai her husband
was known in Texas nr j. w. Fierce.
. THE OTHER MDE.
Mr*. Weaver came to Atlanta to identifv the re
mains of her husband, and on f . cir.g the body
'Which was exhumed /.rid it was the liody of J.
fierce Weaver, film sought to have it delivered to
|mvbut “Mr*. Abbie Bell Fierce ” a3 lf ,e wife of
I- W. Fierce, of Fort McCavctt, Texas filed an Jn-
jiuwtion through her attorneys, Mc->rs, Gartell &
Lndaden, ind the betting was to have taken place
her first husband.’
A SON-IN-LAW.
There is nlfO in the c ity Mr. M. W. Thompson, of
Gordon, Texas. He Is a 'son-in-law of Mr. J. W.
Pierce, and is a brother-in-law of Mi. R. W. Pierce,
lie fays he knows people in Fort Worth who knew
both Weaver and Piexcc. He says that the Fort
I Worth pfcH w ■ -iy Wtavor disappeared i.om there
after the ‘caudal, end where he is Is iibt known
there. Meantime Mr. Lovelady Is still ready to bet
five to ouc that the body at Wcstvlew is not that oi
Weaver, Tbo body has been burled again. At the
banks here and wherever Mr. Pierce had occasion
to sign hi* name Le signed it with an “X.” lUs
partner, Mr. Nasworthy, will be here with Mrs.
llcice.
AN IMPORTANT WITNESS.
F. 31. llealls, vice-pre*ideiu of the national hank
at Cleveland, Texas, Is in the city on business.
T< orbing the identity of the corpse, he said: “I
\ new J. W. Hexce, or Wood Pierce, as we called
him, fur twenty years, and I believe that I have
f etn him every year in the twenty, Most of the
time I have seen him every month. It is simply
and literally impossible that he should have been
Weaver.”
“JIow do you know that the corpse buried is that
\ f Pierce?”
“Because 1 know that he came to Atlanta to sell
stock, that it was his ear load of stock that was
here, and because Mr. Lovelady,« Texas stock man
who is here now, saw Pierce in Atlanta just before
he was killed. Pierce had shipped his stock origi
nally to Shreveport, but hearing that Lovelady
hml shipped to Atlanta, he shipped hero also.
They were together in Atlanta constantly, and as
Lovelady said to me this morniug, suppose I was to
leave here now and go back to Texas, and you
were to get killed, could anybody convince me
that I had not seen you in Atlnutn? “Well, that Is
lust the way by my seeing Pierce here. I was with
him constantly. 31r. Lovelady is u man of charac
ter, and what be says may he relied on.”
“How do you account then for Mrs. Weaver’s
u
“J have seen Mrs. Weaver and she Is undoubtedly
a lady ef high character. 1 am sorry for her, but it
is tlmply a ease of mistaken identity. It is not
possible ll.itt J. W. Pierce was the man known ns
Weaver in Indianapolis. Wood Pierce was known
in Texas from one endof the state to thcolh t, and
his history for the past twenty years can be es
tablished by hundreds of witnesses. I have no in
terest in the matter at all except such interest as
any friend of his would have. Y’ou could not l>e
more- certain of the identity of your closest friend
than I am of Pierce’s.”
The body Rtf exhumed so that 3Irs. Tierce, Mr
R. W. Pierce, 3!i. W. W. Thompson and a half
dozen other Texans who knew the dead man
could look upon hisfiicc and say positively whether
il wls the man who traded the car load of ponies
for Glptcy and who passed his life ia the lone star
state.
WHEN Mr.5. FIERCE ARRIVED.
Mrs. Pierce, accompanied by her youngest child,
a bright, blue-eyed pretty girl of four years,reached
the city yesterday morning. She was accompanied
by Judge Milton Mays, one of the lc&dingattorncys
of western Texas. Mr. Walter Brown, 011c ofthc at
torneys for 3Its. Weaver, the Indiana claimant,
\\ as consulted and an agreement was made to take
up the body at 1 o’clock. At three General Gar
trell, 31r. Ladsden, Mrs. riercc and the little girl
and 3!r. Pierce entered a carriage at the National
hotel and were
DRIVEN TO THE CEMETERY.
There the party met Mr. Thompson, the son-in-
law, Mr. Lovelady, Mr. Nasworthy, Major Heath,
Mr. Belton, Judge Mays, all of Texas, and Mr. Wal
ter It. Brown. Every Texan present had known
Here c, and as the cemetery hands l>cga i throwing
the dirt from the grave 3Ir. Nasworthy said:
“If the Tsidy is at all preserved and everyone
here doesn't instantly recognize Pierce we will
leave tlic Mate at once.”
The grave hands worked hard. T'heir shovels
went deep into the ground, and as the loose dirt
was thrown out the crowd around the grave re
mained silent. 3Irs. Pierce
REMAINED IN THE CARRIAGE
with her child. She fully realized the trying or-
d< al 1 cfore her. She knew that she would Ik- call
ed upon to look into the face that was full of life
and jic-ulih when she Inst saw it. Slie-knew that her
husband had been killed in oue of the most terri
ble railroad accidents on record, and she natural
ly thought the sight would be a terrible one. The
haudswoikcd hard with their shovels and in a halt
hour the pine boards covering the coilin bcj_
►how up. One by one*these boards appeared to
those abont the grave until they were all exposed
to view. Then in a few minutes
THE COrFIN WAS LIFTED OUT
and placed on the ground. The undertaker at onec
began removing the lid. As he turned the screws
which Jield the lid over the dead body, an anxious
crowd Mood around. General Gartrell was at the
headof the coffin. Mr. Lodsrten was at the foot.
Judge 3Inys, Major Heath and Mr. Nasworthy stood
on one side: 3Ir. Lovelady, Mr. Belton. 3Ir. Thomp
son and Captain Ed Cox Mood on the other side.
3!rs. Pierce remained In the carriage, while the
son Meed a dozen feet away looking deep down
into the ground. The Inst screw- that held the lid
down was given its last turn, and then
THE UNDERTAKER LIFTED THE LID OFF.
The body was there, the face and feet alone were
uncovered. Tlic burial robe, which had been
placed carefully about him when he was first
muled, was thrown loosely and carelessly over the
bod v after it had been taken off when It was ex
humed before. The feet were bare. The socks
rhlrh l:nd 1 c^n taken oft’ to examine the feet
rkexi the l*)dy was fir t taken up, w- c crammed
nviuituniiu j-v.ujiitii. uuu uut ui
lady tho reporter quickly withdrew.
Judge Jlays, who camo on with Mrs. Herce said
WHAT HE SAYS.
“I have known Herce since ’63. lie was then In
the army. I knew where lie lives and a great deal
about him. I lmvc known him well since ’73 and
I nave no hesitancy in saying that the dead man is
Woods Fierce. In fact X never doubled It and had
only one fear of establishing It since I first
heard—”
"And what was that fear?’
“That his grave was opened and another body
substituted so that we could not swear that it was
Herce. We will hove no trouble in showing tliat
il is pierce, and not Weaver, and that he never was
an Indianapolis.”
"And you arc certain that it Is yourman?”
"Oh. 1 know it. Now, if I had l»ccn going
through the woods and happened to come across
'.lint body in its present condition, and did not
know that Herce w as dead. I don’t think I would
have recognized it; hut if I had known, lie was
der.d and had been looking fertile body and r.iu
on it. 1 would have known it In Us present condi
tion.”
Judge Mays will remain until next week.
Mr. Waller Brown said last night. "X am satis
fied w itli all that lias transpired mid am now more
sanguine of establishing my case than over.”
Judge Marshall J. Clarhe has decided that tho
much-fought over body at We.-lvieiv eenv-ti ry
belongs to Mrs. J. W. Pierce, and has issued an or
der restraining Mr. J. 1*. Weaver from removing or
otherwise Interfering with the corpse.
Tlic decision of - Judge Clarke, '.however, lias
not satisfied tlic mind of every .one as to whose
husband the dead man was.
When the superior court met yesterday morn
ing at nine o'clock the court room was well filled
with spectators. Mrs. Weaver entered tho room
with Mr.tElgiu lochrane, one of her counsel. She
was neatly dressed in black .’and wore a licavye
e-Uiik. She Is an intelligent looking la^fy, ligh"
*mtr >nd gray eyes. A few* moments nrs.;r Mrs.'
Weaver came in the room, Mrs. Pierce entered
with i cr son and son-in-law, J. N\ Thompson, who
cnrrrkd In ids arras a pretty little threc-ycar-old
girl, with light, curly liair. Mrs. Fierce
WAS IN DEEP HOCBSUTO, '
and for some time did not remove the veil Horn
her face.
At twenty-five minutes after nine o’clock Gartrell
and I.adsen counsel for Mrs. Herce, announced
ready to proceed. Tho bill praying for an injunc
tion was read by General Gartrell. It asked tho
court to restrain Mrs. J. P. Weaver from removing
or interfering with tho body of J. W. Fierce, now
interred in IWcstview cemetery. In reading the
bill General Gartrell mentioned the fact of J. F.
Weaver going to Tort Worth, Texas, mid living
with ono Mrs. Eden. This was too much for Mrs.
Weaver, mid she began to cry.
Mrs. Weaver’s answer to the bill for injunction
was rend by Judge Lochrauc. Tho answer asked
on mare, which Pierce hadbotght. Mo had found
him an honorable and agreeable gentleman.
II. A. Hirtcll, book keeper nt Lowry's bank, said
that in dealing With I’lcrce that X'leroo always
signed his name with a cross. John Lucky, clerk
county court from Green county,Tcxns.sald he had
known Hero? for the past five years. He had never
kept a hotel lit Fort Vi ortb. and could not read or
write.
Ey consent of counsel
THE TWO LADIES
were allowed to take the stand and testify.
Eut before doing this Mr. Lndsden read the
marriage license showing that J. W. Fierce and
Mis. A. B. Hardin were married in Lewiston coun
ty, Texas, December 10,1S79, by Rev. J. F. Mnssctt.
' Mrs. Fierce waa conducted to the stand and said:
1 was born in Tennessee, and moved to Texas in
lfv5. My first husband, Joe G. Hardy, died in
187-1, and I matrlcd J. w. I’icrco in December, '70.
We liavc cue child, Annie Lee Pierce. Mr. Fierce
could not write, and had to get some one to write
for him. The body out nt the cemetery is
that of my husband, J. Woods Pierce. He
was known in Texas as Woods Fierce. Ho was
born in Alabama in 1SS3. He never did live in
Fort Worth. I do not know J. W. Herce of Fort
Worth. 1 never heard of him till after the death of
my husband. Mr. Herce had four children when
lie married me.Onc daughter livcsinGordon county.
Texas, and ono son mid daughter lives with me.’’
Mrs. Fierce testified that her husband had light
gray eyes, and all the affidavits made him out to
have dark eycs.fel'pon
BEIHG CLOSELY QUESTIONED
by Mr. Ladscn, Mrs. Fierce said his eyes might
have been considered dark.
Court took a half hour’s recess and at one
o’clock Mrs, Weaver kissed the Bible and gave in
her evidence, which was substantially the same as
In her answer to the bill rortajunction. Her state
ment was straight forward, biic said that if she
had found the body that of anyone beside
her husband she would have left
tlic city on the nlghttrain. She knew the body was
that of Mr. Weaver.
In cross examining General Gartrell asked Mrs.
Wcavre if Mrs. Eden was as pretty as she.
“That is for others to judge.”
"Did you lovo him?”
"I did, sir.”
•■liid he love you?”
•■Hcsaidso.”
“And then ran away with another woman?”
'•Yes, sir.”
‘•Why didn’t you get a divorce?"
"Didn’t want one.”
“Why?"
• Because I didn't.”
"How old arc you?”
“Forty-three.”
And the general sat down apparently satisfied.
Mr. Walter Brown read affidavits from Dr.
C. L. Wilson, Mr. II. M. X’atterson, Mr. J. H. Clark,
Dr. LeKoy Hcnlbomc and others. All these went
to show that the hotly was that of J. P. Weaver.
Ill aboritthrccmimitcs Judge Clarkcreadan ordt
to the cfl'ect that Mrs. J. P. Weaver be enjoined
from removing or in any manner interfering with
'the body of J. W. Herce, now interred in the
Wcstvicw cemetery. He denied the injunction
in tlic answered Mrs. Weaver.
When the decision was announced Mrs. Herce
LOOKED VEHY HAPPY,
cud catching up her little girl walked out of the
court room with her son and son-in-law.
.Mrs. Weaver seemed deeply con
cerned, but did not utter
aword of complaint. She said to the reporter:
”1 don’t care for the money Mr. Weaver left, but
I do want his body."
It was five o’clock when the trial was finished.
When J. W. Pierce cr J. P, Weaver was
killed in the Georgia PuciSc railroad accident,
on the 14th day of December, a memorandum
hook,found on his person,which contains a pre
scription on tho front page, written with an
indelible pencil.
This recipe was in tlio same handwriting as
that of the letters written to Mrs. Woavor, as
was shown in tho affidavits read before tho
court Saturday.
Yesterday Mrs. Weaver’s attorneys, I.och-
rane & Lochrane and Mr. W’altcr Brown re
ceived from a leading physician of Indianapo
lis, a sworn statement to tho cflcct that tho
prescription was tho same as tho ouc ho had
given J. P. Weaver a few years ago, and which
Weaver copied in his hook at tho timo the pre
scription was filled.
DRJ8HH BULL’S
MsTflnic Syrup
FOR THE CURE OF
FEVER and AGUE
Or CHILLS and FEVER,
AND ALL MALARIAL DISEASES.
• The proprietor of this celebrated medicine
Justly claim* for it a superiority over all rem
edies ever offored to thopuhliojfoMheSAFE,
CERTAIN, SPEEDY and PERMANENT euro
of Ague and Favor,or Chilis and Fever,wheth
er of short or long standing. He refers to the
entire ’Western and Southern eountry to boar
him testimony to the truth of the aseertioji
that in no oase whatever will it tail to cure if
the directions aro strictly followedaD doamed
out. In a great many cases a tingle dose has
been iufilolent for a euro, and wltole families
have boon ourod by a single botUe, with aper
fect restoration of tho general health. It is,
however,prudent,and sn every case more cer
tain to cure, if ita nso is oontinued in smaUer
doses for a week or two after the disease has
boon cheeked,more especially in difficult and
long-standing oases. Usually this medicine
will not require any aid to keep the bowel* m
good order. Should the patient, however, re
quire a cathartic medicine, after having taken
three or four dotes of the Toaie, a single dose
of KENTS VEGETABLE FAMILY PILLS
will be sufficient. Use no other.
SB. JOHN BULL’S
SMITH’S TONIC SYRUP,
BULL’S SARSAPARILLA,
BULL’S WORM DESTROYER,
The Popular Remedies of the Day.
Principal ones, 831 Main St., LOUISVILLE,KT.
tUgl-.Om sat man thur & »ky top coin rm
ACME HARROW.
Tirl HAVE IN STORE A LARGE LOT THK31
Yf jurtly celebrated Harrows. No farmer should
‘ wfthouto.ie. Prices for one horse F. O. A. CM;
IAKK W. JOHNSON w CO.,
27 Marietta St., Atlanta. Ga.
two horse F .0. B. 827.50. Send for circulars.
MARK W. JOHNSON A CO.
SHORTHAND bv mail.
UIIUII I Good pay to writer*. Writ* tor
term*. ALLISON SHORTHAND
Institute, Nashville, Venn.
Mention this paper.feh»—wkyly
Harsh purgative remedies aro fast giving
way to the gentlo action and mild effects of
Carter's little liver pills. If you try them,
they will certainly pleaso yori.
f Notes About Farming.
One of the most successful planters in Geor
gia says the best preparation that can be mado
•brputting in guano or compost is done by using
v of the rigid and left hand Johnson wings with
< wide scooter or bulllougue which makes a
... 'able turn shovel that opens out ana does the
V. or k to perfection. Far opening furrows in bot
tom lands, for plnntingcorn, bursting out middies [
plowing up stalks, etc., these plows haven’t an
equal. The work of the fender and wing in
plowiug.young cotton is splendid. Flowing in
oats with a wing and scooter subsoils and turns
the land Just right. You can adjust them -to even
do the work or the heel scrape. In fact, there Is
no use any longer fur the common steel plows, as
there wings and the scooters ore taking their
places and arc ro much cheaper to Keep up. *
tlic marital relations alleged in the
swer denied every statement and averment in the
bitt. She claimed, the body most cin-
phLtlcally as that of liter husband,
the said there could he no doubt of tho Identity of *
tlic body, and she desired to have the body In
terred near the home of herself and children at
sr-niD future day, hut such waa fur from her desire
nt ti c present time. Hire desired tho court to give
direr Hon to’lhe administrator on the estate to have
the body properly Interred in Weatvicw cemetery,
to remain until
ALL AND EVERY LITIGATION
growing out of his decease and cause thereof shall
be fully ended and determined. She recited in tho
bill for injunction rcstraiuing all parries from hav
ing tho body removed without permission from
the court. When she first arrived in the
city sire visited the cemetery
ami recognized the body ns thut of her husband,
.-he first learned or the death of her husband by a
letter received mallet) on the Western and Atlantic
roarl. This letter simply Inclosed a clipping from
Tur. Constitution aim tlio business card of her
husband when he was in the undertakingbusiuess
in the city of Indianapolis. The party mailing
the clipping and card must have known all about
her husband. 8he came to Atlanta, feeling satis
fied that it was her husband who-lmd been killed,
ns she knew lie was in this part of tho country, at
on tire 13th of November he hud mailed a lctler to
her father, lie desired to kerp secret his where
abouts on account of the tremolo with Eden, anil
by liis request sbe addressed him
ns J. W. Fierce. She was married
to J. F. Weaver by John S. Gulliver, pastor of tho
New England Congregational church of Chicago,
Illinois, ill 1N57, February 25th. Weaver removed
to Texas in lMss, taking with lilm>bout *8,000. lie
returned in February, ISSi, and was
SHOT BY WILLIAM EDEN,
the hatband of the woman with whom
he lmd gone off. Tho wound
was in the hack of the neck. Dr. Leroy S. Hen-
theme dressed the wound, and tho samo doclorcx-
r,mined the body when it was exhumed at West
view, and recognized it as that of J. F. Weaver, her
husband, bhe referred to the ullidnvit of Mr.
Hedges, the undertaker witli whom Weaver was
in business with, and who said the body was that
of Weaver. Mrs. Weaver said that while her hus
band w ns sick she had suspicion of his fidelity and
kept watch upon bis correspondence. Stic suc
ceeded in gening hold of a letter to Mrs. Eden, and
handing tlic letter to him charged him
with bis infidelity. Ho acknowledged all
and promised to reform. Ho was In
copartnership with Colonel C. H. MurdockArun-
ning the Grand Central hotel nt Fort Worth.
When lie recovered sufficiently ho went to-. Fort
Worth, nr.d there she found him living wmi'-Mrs.
Eden. He was going under the narno of J. W.
Fierce. She had him arrested and be was lined
*1,000, of which amount she received 8500.
Mr. Ladseii, for Fierce, rendu number of affida
vits. C. W. Belton, who was with Fierco
THE NIGHT OP THE WRECK,
testified that he liad known deceased
some time and that tho body in tho cemetery it
that of J. W. Fierce, of Texas. Fierce could not
read or write.
Mr. Lovelady, of Texas, testified that he knew
J. W. J'ieree well. lie never kept hotel at
Fort Wurth, and could not read
or write. He went to the cemetery and recognized
tbo body of deceased as that of J. W. Fierce.
The affidavit of K. L. Jones showed -that ho had
written several letters for Fierce. Ha wrote to
John Answartby in reference to Gipsy, the Arab!-
between them. I he face was bfi
Send your orders for dry goods, carpets
nud all liouscfumishing goods to M. Itich &
Bros.,r>4 and Whitehall street, Atlanta, Ga.,
the leading hi.use in tlio south. They guaran
tee their price on everything in their lino to
ho as low as those of any house la New York,
Samples sent on application. Orders given tho
same attention as personal purchases. For
promptness and reliability address M. Rich &
Bros. Mention the Constitution.
A STANDARD MEDICAL WORK
FOR YOONS AND MIDDLE-AGED MEN.
ONLY 81 BY ."JAIL. 1’OSTPATD.
ILLUSTRATIVE SAMPI-E Fit EE TO ALL.
iMJHYSELF.
Great Medical Work on Manhood
Exhausted Vitality, Nervous and Physical De
bility, Premature Decline in Mon, Errors of Youth,
and the untold miseries resulting from indiscre
tion or excesses. A book for every man, young,
middle aged and old. It contains 125 prescrip
tions for all lacutc and chronic diseases, each one
of which is invaluable. So found by tho Author,
ase experience for 25; years Is such as probably
er berore fell to the lot or any physician. 800
pages, bound in beautiful French muslin, emboss
ed covers, full gilt, guaranteed to be a finer work
In every sense—than any other work sold In this
Gold medal awarded the author by the National
Medical Association, to the President of which tho
Hon. P. A. Bissell, and associate officers of the
Beard the reader is respectfully referred.
The Science of Life should be read by tho young
for instruction, and tby the afflicted for relict It
will benefit all.—London Lancet.
There is no member of society to whom tha
Science of Life will not bo nsclhl. whether youth,
parent, guardian, instructor or clergyman.—Argo
naut.
Address the Peabody Mc-dical Institute, or Dr.
W. H. rarker, No. 4 Bnlflnch street, Boston, Mass.,
who may be consulted on all diseases requiring
l-kill and experience. Chronic and obstinate discos-
an instance of failure. Men-
tion this paper.may4—dly mon wed frIAwky
THYSELF
Schenck’s Mandrake Pills
>”* v.l
GUARANTEED
SATISFACTION.
•-JDr.il ~i?lT
When ussd as directed for Bilious
ness, Vertigo, General Debility
Constipation, Sense of Fullness,
Flatulence, Sour Stomach, Liver
D ringemcnts, Headache, and all
Disorders caused by faulty secre
tions of the Stomach, Iaver and
Bowels
J. H. Schenck ft t-’on, Fl'.iln’le'pfiia, Pa.
Med f.i wky u : _i
Finest Rolled Gold Rings.
Half-round, price ..* 9C
Band, price £S
Sets, price 1 25
Stamps taken. Send slip
of paper for size. Dealers,
peddlers and agents sup-
plied with a full lino of
Jewelry and watches at
wholesale rates.
BADGES
Solid goldorplatcd. school,
society or military, Mason
ic,ftc, our specialiy.Badges
for graduating clas-es of
schools and colleges. Send
stamp for illustrated cata
logue. Special designs
|l free on applicafion. F. O.
Boxfi. Mention this paper.
HART JEWELRY CO,
Atlanta, Ga,
MARKHAM HOUSE.
For Fifteen Days Only.
NO CURE ! NO PAY 1
Knowing that the unfortunate have been ha-’
poced upon by unprincipled pretenders, whq
charge largely In advance
F
Bermuda Grass Roots,
IKOM PASTL’RE So YEARS' IN USE, ENOUGH
for 1 A. S3.00. Spanish m aunts S1.75 bushel.
G. ft L O. Tay—., —oarrs Station, Ga.
Mention this paper.
Established 1840k
Incorporated !8G«.
THE fZLSMUTKD
“BRADFORD"
PORTABLE ILL
C23K, WHUT i, f£S9.
FLOUU ILL Kicamst
EfcX’l for descriptive Circular.
Addreri plainly
Tho Thos. Bradford Co.
+3, 87, 29 A S3 Luck Sk
CZjKCUCKATL, o.
Oct27-wh7 2d 3d 4tUwk*
ENGINES,
SAW MILLS, VTATEK-WIIKELS, MILL
STONES, CKISUEU MILLS.
B E SURE TO GET OUK PRICES BEFORE YOU
buy. Send for circulars ofthe best tiling ever
invented for tbe fanner. Mention Constitution.
A. A. DnLOACII ft lino., Atlanta Ga.
Jnn. 5, wky.
THE
IN THE
LARGEST SEED HOUSE SOUTH.
ALL If if* os of’ 2
Bend for New Illustrated Catalojraqfo-1 flSO»
And prices of Field Seeds. Mailed FKJLia*
T. W. WOOD & SONS,
Wholesale end Retail SeeJsmin. Klchmund. Ya.
Mention this paper.
janio—wkySm
st.. Chicago. Ills. Mention this paper. IcbgZwS
I A^ooS: worth $10. on a <TRP»
S'?A K _ r W?!!ffi 8 !®f Lll B
Mention this paper.
by tho Union l*ub Co., m m:n
Newark,N.J. Scad stomps for post’#
fob33 —\vky5t
milE BEST GOODS ARE ALWAYS CHEAPEST.-
A If you want a good boggy, wagon or carriage
*°»unwky stoclc °*wagon company.
EXCELSIOR CARPET STRETCHER.
Sell, rapidly. Pay. l,; a . M.YO.OOO .old. Agcnti
wanted. 1-ocul or traveling, samplo free. It. tv
Moxtuoss, Galina, Mich., fiolo Manufacturer.
Mention this paper.Jcb23—wkyft
D ocs For. sale-four good settETwand
, two fine pointers; good hunters. Very chean
it taken now. Send stamp for price UsL Address,
Gate City kennel, Atlanta. Ga.d&wlt
CARDEN
Canr.Gt b« Surpassed. Ftew Seed Catalogue fer 18E6.
Free to of.’. Ben pnb!!.»brd. Over iS.nOD ccn!*a al
ready mailed. Voc oesht to>have it. Seudyoor
Adrln-s* at once on a postal card for a copy to
«. Heaiy Kaal3, 17oD FiiSsri Sliest, ttaeaua, Fa.
jau!2—wky tf c o w
OR. WILBUR
lias adopted this plan: That he will charge
nothing for advice, consultation or treatment, un
til the patient pronounces himself well. The only
charge being made is for
Medicines Used During Treatment.
Dr. Wilbur, Specialist,
Treats succcsEftiUv Chronic and long standing dis
eases, such as Diseases of the Head, Throat and
Lungs, Liver, Kidney and Heart Complaints. In-
vetcrate Diseases of uio Stomach (that have defied
nil other methods.) those ftarftil diseases of the
Nervous System, (arising from whatever cause)
Scrofula, Dropsy, Paralysis, Fits, Fever, Sores,
Contracted Cords, Enlarged and Stiff Joints, Rheu
matism, Neuralgia, Sciatica, Diseased Bone. De
formities, Salt Rheum, Erysipelas. Scalu Head,
Ill-conditioned Ulcers, Syphilis, Nasal Polypus,
Asthma, Hay Fever, Bote Cold, Winter Coughs,
Chronic Diarrhoea and Diabetes. All may bo
cun dby this wonderful system if not too far ad
vanced. Rone Diseases cured when all othet
methods have foiled.
LADIES who are suffering with complaints pe
culiar to their sex. can consult tho doctor with
every assurance of speedy relief and permanent
\irtoi particularly invites all casesthat have
„ -Tin up by other physicians. If you arc-doing
well under the care of your own physician do not
call on me, as our province is to treat those who
cannot tind relief elsewhere.
The doc tar will remove one Tape Worn free, of
harge; also, straighten the first case at
Eyes that presents itself at the Hotel, i*ei?r
Consultation and Examination
F.REE! r k
The Doctor can be Consulted from lO a.
m. to O p. m.
, TESTIMONIALS*
Mr. Henry Singleton, of Macon, was paralyzed
in both limbs for six months. He was carried to
Dr. Wilbur** office in a hack. lie took Dr. Wilbur's
treatment, and Is now all well and works on one
of his drays every day.
Mrs. 3Iarv Smith,* of Vcrora, Miss, was pro
nounced incurable and her disease w&t called con
sumption. She heard of Dr. Wilbur’s skill, and
went clear to Nashville, Tcnn., to have him treat
her. In four months she was a well woman.
Bertha A., daughter of Valentine Kahn, of 111
Cotton Avenue, Mason, was sick eight years, was
treated by eminent doctors of Macon, Atlanta and
New York without deriving any benefit. As a last
report she applied to Dr. Wilbur, and today is a
well girl.
Mr. Hunt, manager of Clarendon hotel, Mem-
pliis, lir.'j.a gi.T r.tiw in 1..- cv.pbiy ua::v d Ward,
who had not seen out of her right eye since l^TS,
and the left one was nearly gone. Dr. Wilbur re-
stored her sight, so now she works every day at tho
hotel
31 r. Thomas Long, Hall’s Cross Roads, Knox
county, Tcnn.. was as deaf as a po.-t for seven
years. Dr. Wilbur cured him.
3ir. c. L. Benson, of Lexington, Kv., was deaf for
fourteen years. His father was a physician, and
took him to see some very eminent 31.* R's, but did
him no good. Dr. Wilbur made him all right ia a
short time.
Mrs. F. A. Nichol. 8S2 South Summer street, Nash
ville, had backache, bearing down, all gone, tired
feelings, dizzy head and other female complaints
for several years, and was cured in four months by
Dr. Wilbur, without being subjected to the embar
rossing procedure of an examination.
3Iiss Lama Henderson, 103 Leonard street, Oliat-
tanc oga, had an ulcer ou hex arm si*: Inches long,
over three years. She went to eminent 31. D’s in
Cincinnati, Lynchburg. Atlanta, Rome and Chat
tanooga, and none of them could euro if, but ad-
vised cer to have her arm cut off as the only reme
dy to save her life. She ah;o had a terrible case of
catarrh, which rendered her breath offensive. She
heaid of Dr. Wilbur's great success, ar.d tried him
as a last resort before having her arm amputated.
1 he doctor cured her catarrh and healed her arm
entirely in two months.
The doctor invites correspondence from people
at n distance, but never answers any letters unless
they contain two 2-cent stamps.
Those above arc only a few of the many testimo
nials obtained by Dr. Wilbur all over Kentucky,
TfBBfMi and Georgia. dAwlm
S HE LARGEST STOCK CARRIAGES, BUG
gles and wagons in the south, will be found as
‘hum wagon company’s repository, Llbran
building, Atlanta.sun wky *
£ iTnv5li!i m *
H Will pay sood salary and all rxne.isea,
Writa for fc-rmt. «tatiug fcxpcrteace ao.l tv-ury *amcJL
SLOAN A CO.. Hasufaziarer*. 291 Ueorje St., CiaclLnaU, U
T HE "OLD RELIABLE” 1HLBDRN WAGON
has been on the market for thirty-seven yean
ask your neighbor, he will say buy tho Mill.urn.
d sun a wky tf
Tabor, Eliljay. Ga.
fubii.vkyl
. 3 MirTHO-JMLT.ENE,
i only niritsur.Ti.'Yi.oinl
! n Per-rnnwathr Jisj.lvM sn-
. . —. - u pern nous hair, root A brs*eh»
in five minute? patn, discoloration, or ini ary
Our patent I-Vmnlo Svrinar and iWdor
A-thi not only |,L 1* Is, »>ut poaitivuly l»K t.V ENT
diwsM. l or pealed particulars, senit <!«• in^tunrm
IIXIVI.IISITV ciIemr-ai, PUKPaUfr-re^Nl
t. OHI.N . 1. So. Witlh Slrf.-t,l’lilladclpbiiu F.
TITANTED—A SITUATION AS DRUG CLERK
IV by a young man who has hal two years oxpc
rlcnce. Good references Riven. Address j. «
Hunter, 1‘. O. Box -fitt, Litchfield, III. „ky
miDINGS OF COMFORT AND JOY."- V UO l
X cart for the small sum of SOS and s :.'i For
0CCU1 ’ aat **» **•
TPpPs nuEB^sfluni
MK&m -PORTABLE Kitts.
SELECT RiFUGK BilHRS.
JO K M * fzrz&xn-** 1
MPl'
* Straub Machinery C&,
curci2*:fkrr &
ATLANTA SAW
WORKS, i
Manufacturer* el
ivery variety of
S^fiu-WS ! I
rf’-' _ '<y - . And dealers In T
r.->VSAVi MILL ‘
p V Visk- 1 -
Meutiou tuLs paper.
3rontioa ihi-i paper.
febZi— w ky iut e o w 2
fcb2J —wky lot cow
^
SU?PL,ES .
ji '>-■;« Workmanship
> , Kunrc.fitetsd to
s > give fvrfe.-t
taUkfaction. "I
iSSS ^ SEr " Atlanta, Ga.
cctfl—ttVjOiu
RUNAWAY NEGRO!
A NEGRO CALLING 11IMJELI HENRY NEEL
.left my employ on the night of the t-lth Inst,
uuu stole my double case silver w.stch. I will giVQ
TEN DOLLARS REWARD
for Ills apprehension and the recovery of thQ
u atCii; or five dollars- for either of them, the negro
or the watch. Said Henry Noel is r. black negro,
medium size, about £0 years old. loft arm cut off
below the elbow, slightly bald, and when he left
me had on brown pants, black coat and wool hat.
Answers sometime:, to the name of Joliu Lee.’
HENRY SMITH. Cork. Butts county. Gft.
Guar an
Boltwr«Bond a
^ does not mob;
AOENoi^xi^IkhSHnffii^.T^k 1
Mention thh* nancr. I lan 12 tucs thur