Ned Peene’s Murder Solved?

Thanks to all who read the tale of Ned Peene, and especially to those who offered an opinion as to the murderer. Allow me to recap.

Suspects:

Nathaniel Peene, Ned’s cousin, an abolitionist, foreman of the labor force

Charlotte Beale, Ned’s wife and the youngest daughter of Stephen and Mary Beale

Obadiah Lee, an African-American horse trainer of great repute

John Hunt Morgan, a Confederate, leader of “Morgan’s Raiders”

Francis Morris, the owner of Ruthless (the first winner of the Belmont Stakes)

Dr. John Holton, Jr., second husband of Charlotte Beale Peene

Several respondents posited Morgan; a few accused Charlotte; one each for Obadiah and Morris, but the most compelling came from my dear friend, Margaret Mack Copprue. I am delighted to share her tale.

Although Nathaniel was an abolitionist, he still believed that the races should not mix. Ned and Ruby’s relationship was an abomination in his mind. He had eyes on young Charlotte Beale. Nathaniel had spotted the wealthy young filly at a local dance and was besotted by the buck-toothed girl. Having been born with a stutter, he had dutifully worked throughout his childhood to eliminate the stutter but he still spoke with a dreadful stammer which left him with many first dances but nary a second. He practiced his dance patter all the while he trotted along to the party. He was relieved when Charlotte waited patiently for his practiced tale to end. She arched her back, tilted her head and let out a cry of laughter. Upon hearing this, Mary Beale became furious for young Charlotte’s whinny raised high above the chatter and the music. She and her married daughters had spent many hours coaching Charlotte to stifle her whinny to a delicate guffaw. Nathaniel hardly heard it for his focus was so absorbed keeping his two left feet moving in time. He thought his chances were good to propose marriage to Charlotte for she was Stephen Beale’s sixth daughter. Unfortunately for Charlotte, all her mother’s beauty was drained and dispersed to her older sisters leaving her with few prospects by the time Nathaniel came a calling. So in a few short weeks, Nathaniel came to her home with a proposal in mind. He brought Ned to the Beale’s house in hopes that his prosperous fast talking cousin would up his chances of Stephen Beale accepting his offer. Upon seeing the stately property, brash Ned had turned the tables on Nathaniel. Instead of assisting his cousin in his quest of a bride, he set his own eyes on lassoing Charlotte for himself. Dejected, Nathaniel had forever kept a small wedding photo that he’d snatched off Charlotte’s piano of her sweet toothy grin with Ned’s head scratched from the photo. Nathaniel would often stare longingly at the equine-faced girl as he drowned his sorrows at various Ohio pubs. This was how a young destitute doctor, John Holton, met Nathaniel. He was seated next to Nathaniel and listened to the painfully slow mumblings of lost love to a dastardly cousin. He told Nathaniel that he could help him squire his lost love for a small price. So Nathaniel hired young Doc Holton explaining to Ned that they needed a doctor to tend the many injured laborers at the Beauregard Farm and lumberyard thus providing time and place to plan Ned’s demise. All seemed to go to plan except that after the ambitious penniless doc arrived and added up the potential windfall from the lumber yard and stable, he questioned why all this wealth would now go to the sad sap foreman. He himself had the hardest task to complete, which he did so the very first chance he got. He jumped Ned and skillfully cut off his head just as the former Kentuckian whistled Dixie while relieving himself in Bradford creek. Ol’ Ned showed surprising strength as he desperately tried to keep his head affixed upon his shoulders. The ensuing battle angered the Doc so much that he took the time to throw a rope over a low hanging sycamore branch and strung up Ned. Upon his return to the farm, he gazed at the 45-year-old widow… who as yet did not know her husband’s fate. He imagined a life of bounty with her vast inherited riches. Surely this would outweigh her advanced age and lack of bearing or beauty. He stayed at the farm just long enough to win Charlotte’s heart over Nathaniel’s pathetic attempts to woo his cousin’s widow. Soon he’d convinced Charlotte and her overbearing sisters that they should leave the sad memories of Beauregard Farm and travel south to Portsmouth Ohio. For it was just far enough away that there would be no whispers when the widow Peene clambered by the General store on her way to church to sing or in Charlotte’s case whinny beside the other sopranos of the choir. What Charlotte lacked in vocalism she more than made up in fortune. She established a large music endowment that would many years later provide funds to a young dulcimer toned Portsmouth soprano…Kathleen Battle.

Here ends the tale of a headless Ned who unfortunately did not survive his battle.

Thanks Marg!

CPW