THE CLAN GROVELLINGLY PENETRATES PRIVATE TRANSACTIONS.
The defendant, at the time of his arrest, was engaged to be married on the 22d of March following, to Miss Julia Pauline Bowen, daughter of Rev. P. P. Bowen, of Ocean Springs, Miss., but having become entangled in severe law difficulties, the appointed time for the consummation of this engagement was, from necessity, indefinitely prolonged. During this time, and more especially while confined in prison, the fact of such engagement became generally known. Malicious propensities could not be gratified enough by what had already been done, and by the little persecution then enduring, but the baneful malignity even extended to private and domestic arrangements. Some one in Mobile, over the signature of Amogene Colfax, addressed quite a lengthy communication to Miss Bowen. This communication pretended to have emanated from a female friend, the real object of which was evidently to poison and prejudice the mind to an extent sufficient to mar the existing engagement, and finally to break up all further considerations of the matter with a view to bring on a reaction of public prejudice to take the place of public sympathy, which was then running in favor of the defendant. But few have any adequate conception of the heights and depths of infamy which the clan could reach for the accomplishment of its infernal designs. But in this instance all such designs proved signally abortive, as will be satisfactorily understood by reading Miss Bowen’s reply to a communication from the defendant while in prison.
It is very much to be regretted that the letter with the fictitious signature of Amogene Colfax has been misplaced or lost. Its appearance in this work would be valuable by the way of giving some idea of the clan’s complicated machinations; however, Miss Bowen’s reply will afford information enough to satisfy that she was far beyond the reach of influences which contemplated the ruin of both. Piety, firmness and devoted sincerity are conspicuous in every line of the reply. Let the reader now judge for himself: