When someone disappears in the 19th Century or earlier, we shrug and attribute it to the loss of records. When they disappear in the 20th century, when documents and traces should exist, it makes you want to pull your hair out.
This is the story of an interesting love story, followed by a complete disappearance of one party. They were there, somewhere, we just have an absence of light.
I recently posted on the story of Mary Annis Springer, who had sadly been fused with another Mary, Mary Ann Tucker Springer Potts, wife of her first cousin, Aaron Springer and also a Mr. Alexander Dunbar Potts. Both were born in Stanly County about the same time, give or take, and neither lived to see the turn of the Century. Mary A. Springer, unmarried, was the daughter of Lewis Springer, while Mary A. Tucker Springer, was the daughter of Lewis Tucker. Both women had children out of wedlock, at some point, but they were two very different and very separate women.
James Cephus Springer was the youngest son of Mary Springer her last lover, Allen Ledbetter.
He first appears in the 1880 census. His family is divided between two pages. They were living in Burnsville Township, in Anson County. His father, 63 year old Allen A. Ledbetter, was living alone in Household # 30. His mother, 36 year old Mary A. Springer, was living in #31. Turn the page and you find the list of children in household #31: Andrew J Springer, 16, Eva, 12, Jane (Rebecca Jane) 7, Lindy (Malinda) 4, and James "A", aged two, followed by an Andrew J. Ledbetter, 10.
This list doesn't include all of her children, and Allen Ledbetter was only the father of the youngest three, Rebecca, Malinda and James, below.
James is shown with the middle initial A, but it was actually C. He is also marked as being blind, idiotic and crippled, but he was only two, and I don't believe that was the case.
Allen lived until 1909, but Mary died sometime before James was married, in 1899. He was probably in his teens when he lost his mother. James C Springer appears to have moved to the Bridgeport Community of Stanly County when his mother died. His sister, Rebecca Jane Springer, had married John David Burris, and they were living there. He was probably living with them, as his wedding took place at their house.
On March 3rd, 1899, James C. Springer, 18, of Bridgeport, son of Allen Ledbetter, living, and Mary Springer, deceased, marries Ida Tucker, 16, of Bridgeport, daughter of L.T Tucker and Margaret Tucker, both living. She was a niece of Duncan T Tucker and Mary Ann Tucker Springer, subjects of recent posts.
The marriage ceremony was held at the John Burris home and performed by J. A. Barber, a Justice of the Peace. Witnesses were W A. Harwood and M. S. Barber.
I will get back to the marriage in a moment, first, to discuss the discovery of James C. Springers middle name.
The Permanent Voters lists were concocted around the turn of the century for racist reasons. Having made it illegal for illiterate men to vote, they brought voters they wanted to retain, back into the fold if their father's or grandfather's were Voters. If I am not mistaken, this is where the term "Grandfathered In" ' came from. Above, in 1902, J. Cepheus Springer, 22, gave his voting ancestor as Allen Ledbetter.
The above is the 1904 version. Remember that year.
So, J. C. Springer married Ida Tucker in March of 1899. Events went awry almost immediately.
| Name | Cleophaes Springer |
|---|---|
| Age | 20 |
| Birth Date | 1880 |
| Birthplace | North Carolina, USA |
| Home in 1900 | Wadesboro, Anson, North Carolina |
| House Number | 6 |
| Sheet Number | 7 |
| Number of Dwelling in Order of Visitation | 125 |
| Family Number | 126 |
| Race | White |
| Gender | Male |
| Relation to Head of House | Convict (Prisoner) |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Father's Birthplace | North Carolina, USA |
| Mother's Birthplace | North Carolina, USA |
| Can Read | N |
| Can Write | N |
| Can Speak English | Y |
| Neighbors | View others on page |
In the 1900 census, James Cephus Springer, 20, is in jail in Wadesboro. I've not found any information on what got him there. He was no longer declared blind, insane and crippled.
By 1902, JC was a free man and filing for divorce against his wife, Ida, incorrectly spelled 'Ada', above.The highlights of his Petition for Divorce are below:
"The Plaintiff JC Springer being duly sworn says .... That in the month of March 1899...were duly married and are still husband and wife.
1) That in the fall of the same year, the def. abandoned the plantiff and ran away with one William Hartsell. He believes they went to South Carolina together.....
3) That on or about said date in the town of Concord the said defendant committed adultery with said Hartsell.
4)....she committed adultery with Hartsell diverse times.
5) Since Plaintiff is informed and believes that the defendant is an inmate of a house of ill fame in the City of Charlotte. "
Filed on November 19th, 1902. There was more, but nothing informative, just the required legalese. There were multiple William Hartsells in the area, in the possible age range, so which one Ida ran off with can not be wisely determined. Her residence in Charlotte, however, could.
J C Springer was fortunate enough to be in the employ of Mr. A J. Eudy, of Big Lick, whom I believe, may have been A. I Eudy. He, with a company of friends, engaged the local Constable, on an excursion to Charlotte, to attempt to locate Ida Tucker Springer. Mrs. Springer was not found, but what was found was evidence of her having either lived at or frequented a place in Charlotte Called "Spring's Alley".
What was Spring's Alley? It was a depraved and dangerous part of Charlotte. Articles abound concerning the fighting, stabbings and debauchery that took place there on a regular basis. The above article clipping, which followed the story of a dying young girl, Emma Reese, who had eaten broken glass after arriving at that treacherous place where young girls lived in dire peril, summons it up fittingly.
 |
| The Stanly News and Press September 1902, November 11th Edition. |
The divorce was scheduled.
The Charlotte paper would report of an unusual jury that heard the case, just days before Christmas, 1902. Every member of the jury was an attorney. Ida never had a chance.
After the divorce, JC Springer stayed in Bridgeport, near his sister and brother-in-law, Rebecca Jane and John David Burris.
It was reported on June 18, 1903 that James Cepheus had the best cotton crop, on 9 acres. He must have been renting it, as I have not found a deed in his name.
In January of 1904, it was reported under Bridgeport news that J C Springer had quit trapping there and went trapping down in Anson County for the remainder of the season.
That's the last I can find of JC Springer.
Unless...
In June of 1916, William A. Harwood, a Bridgeport neighbor, paid some kind of fees for a State vs JC Springer case. I may have thought it another JC, however, the mention of W A Harwood in two clippings makes me think it was the same one. Had he mysteriously disappeared, leaving money owing, or died while trapping, his body never found? I can't say. It's as if he disappeared and fell off the face of the earth. Did he change his name? I can't find him under Ledbetter either.
As for Ida, she would remarry, to a George Lefler, have an abundance of children, and leave him before death did they part. I followed her as she bounced all over the map, but not too far away
Where did James Cepheus Springer go? He disappeared into the darkness. Perhaps somewhere, somebody knows, and can bring this mystery to light. J
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