AN AMERICAN ROMANCE AND TRAGEDY.

Tuapeka Times, Volume II, Issue 77, 31 July 1869, Page 6

AN AMERICAN ROMANCE AND TRAGEDY.

The " Memphis Avalanche " of a recent date has the following : — In the country, at some distance from Grand G-ulf, reside two respectable families — those of Cushing and Andrews. Miss Andrews was a lovely girl of seventeen, well accomplished, and of unusually fascinating manners. Mr. Cushing's son, a youth of twenty, had been attached to her from their early childhood, and as he grew older his affection became an ardent, absorbing passion. A short time ago he made a formal offer of his hand, when, to his intense disappointment and mortification, his offer was firmly though courteously refused. He brooded over his ill-rewarded passion, and became a prey to jealousy, and at length left the neighbourhood, vowing madly that he would come back and take his revenge. On Sunday last he returned, and riding up to Mr. Andrews' house, he begged to see Miss Andrews at the door without alighting. She came out, when he suddenly produced a pistol, fired, shooting her through the body, and she fell on her face, and died without a struggle. The murderer rode frantically away ; but Miss Andrews' brother, breathing vengeance on the murderer of his sister, sprang on a horse and followed. He came up with Cushing as the latter was crossing a creek, and fired at him. Cushing jumped off his horse and took shelter in a bush. Andrews did the same. A parley ensued, and the two young men agreed to fight according to the code — to leave the cover, fire, advance and fire, and again advance, firing until one of them should fall. At the first fire Cushing received a mortal wound in the left shoulder; but the men continued to near each other and fire until their revolvers were empty. When assistance arrived Cushing lay dead, with four bullets in his body. Andrews had received three shots in his breast,