A Virginia Tragedy

[From the Ciuciuuati Enqvtirer.] Among the numerous moss-grown old tombstones in the graveyard of Williamsburg, Va., is one which bears the following inseription: Sacred to the Memory of SARAH SEMPHILL, Who (Hol at the age of 25, slaiu, with lier two infant daugliters, by her own husbaiul. She was fair to look mmn, pure as ebow, and beloved by all who knew her. Divine Providence alone knows why she had to periöh so nriserably. The epitaph, sonie of the words of which are hardly legible auy longer, is the only record lelt of one of the most terrible tragedies that ever took place in the Old Dominion. It was in 1798 that John Semphill, a young man, who said he was from Santa Cruz, in the West Indies, arrived at Williamsburg and settled there as a tobáceo planter. He luid plenty of :tnoney, and was able to purchase about 1,000 acres of the flnest soil witiiin a short distanco of ttie old town. Being apparentlya gentleman in every sensc of the word, Mr. Semphill was admitted to the best society in his new home, and, a year later, he ww married to Sarah Jones, a beautiful heiress, the wedding festivities being celebrated with extraordinary pomp and splendor. Ia course of time two daughters wero bom to the young couple, and everybody predicted a long career of cloudless happiness for them. Alas ! How terribly these bright anticipations were to be disappointed. It was on Christmas eve, in 1801, that a strange-looking man, in a sort of military uniform, appeared at the house of Mr. Semphill, who was in Richmond at the time. Mrs. Semphill received the stranger in the parlor. "Do you speak French, madame ?" he said to her, in a very broken language. She replied in the afflrmative. "Then, madame, please send your two nurse-girls with the children out of the room." She did so, and looked iuterrogatively at her visitor. The latter hesitated a moment. Then he said, in a tone of deep ernotion : "Poor lady, I have terrible tidings for you." " Heavens !" she cried, turning very pale, "myhusband - " "Your husband is an infamous villain." " Sir !" she exolaimed, indignantly. ' ' He has basely deceivod you. He is an escaped galley slave, a thief and a murderer !" She uttered a heart-rending scream. " Do you teil the trnth ?" she gasped. " He is a Spanish thief, and was sent to the galleys of Barcelona for life. He made his escape from thonce, and sailed to Cuba, where he robbed and murdered a rich planter. I am here to take him to Cuba, where the scaffold surely awaits him. " The afflicted lady had become strangely calm. "Sir," she said to the tranger, " before you arrest him will you permit me to licld a private inteiview with - with - " "His truéname is Juan Cefirio. If you will let me remain in an adjoining room until he returns irom Bichmond, wliere he has gone, I understand, you may see him privately." " I expect him back every moment." Half an hour later Cefliio, alias Semphill, made his appearance. His wife briefly told him everything. He flew into a terrible rage. He shot her through the heart, and rushed out of the room to the nursery, where he stabbed his two little daughters. The next moment the Cuban ofíicer, who had rushed after him, grappled with him, and succeeded, after a desperate struggle, in shackling him. The news of the horrible tragedy spread like wildflre thiough the old town, and in twenty minutes a large concourse of people had gathered in front of Cefirio's house. Vociferous threats to lynch the murderer were made, and the Deputy Sheriffs, who were promptly on hand to arrest him. had the utmost dilïiculty in taking him to jail, where he was chained to the floor, having threatened to conimit suicide. The villain was hung on the 17th of May, 1803. The Laugh on Mark Twain. Dr. Riggs, a dentist of this city, is the man whc first administereá laughing gas when the discovery of that anesthetic was made by the late Dr. Horace Welle. A public exhibition was given at which Dr. Wells was present, and the gas was taken flrst by Sam Cooley, who had a tooth pulled by Riggs. Several weeks ago the Rev. Joseph H. Twichell, pastor of the AsylumHill Congregational Church in this city, sat for a good part of two days in Dr. Riggs' dental chair having his teeth repaired. Biggs is ehatty, and while at work gave Mr. Twicheil a detailed and interesting account of Dr. Wells' discovery and of the Cooley exhibition. There were so many rare and funny things in the narrative that Mr. Twichell repeated them from memory to Mark Twain, who thought it would be well to see Riggs himself, and get the yarn first-handed, as he niight work it up with some embellishments for publication. A few days afterward the distinguished humorist appeared in Riggs' oilioe, saying that, as he was going abroad, he would like to have his teeth overhauled somewhat, thoxigh hc really liad no idea that very much tinkeriug would bo necessary. Wliat he wanted was the story. After being well soated in thcoperating chair he succeeded in getting the doctor startod, and, between the story nnd the work performed two days wero occupied. Mark rejoiced over bis good luck, and took the earliest opportunity to inform his clerical friend that he had succeeded in getting just what he wanted, The day he sailed for Europe, however, he was astonished to get a bilí for services from Dr. Riggs amounting to $200. He did not know but it might be a joke, a greater charge being made on account of anesthesia than for actual professional work. He soon satisñed himself, ho wever, that the doctor intended the bill to cover mechanical services oniy, and then he was mad, pnrticularly as all he wanted from the doctor was the story. He passed the bill over to Mr. Charles E. Perkins, attorney, who still has it. Mark, meanwhile, will not probably prepare his version of the discovery of laughing gas until he knows precisely what he has got to pay