The sunny South. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1875-1907, March 27, 1880, Image 1
I; >. J'MII V Tlf< »i: NTOS ( 'll A I! l.KS, t KM II V
IIAWTHOKN.I
I ivn< hf*«1 the rolling ’n ights 'f Arlinjrton.
A w in tin- west, tin* < l<>u«ls l«nv liun^,
Wore golden, radiant .u cams forth flung
In slanting spears of light,
Which evening sun
Delights to east afar ami wide.
In shimmering waves of the shade, to hide
Their sunny depths from sight.
The home of Lfi o’erlooking Washington !
1 ii silence stood those aiieicnt hills.
Where erstwhile startling lmgle rails
Woke echoes in resound.
Now battles done.
The «}Urtint old house a relie stands.
Of scenes gone by, where spectre bands,
idiudes of the past, are found.
It stands deserted, lit by sinking sun,
I.ik* gate through which old feuds have 1'
Kesouuds no more to heavy martial tread,
Thy well-worn oaken Hoot :
Nor booming gun.
The cannon's deep-mouthed \ *ire is dumb.
Is heard no more the roll of drum :
Death wins—the conflict's o’er.
For now thy height, old peaceful Arlington
W here roar of cannon did resound.
Is peopled thick, bui t tip with many a mo
And silence, deep and dread,
Through death is w on •
A nation’s dead filled soldier’s graves,
Above our country’s standard waves
< >'»_t city of the dead.
Long may you stand, old house at Arlington!
When loftier structures pass away, grey.
May still thy walls loom upward, aged and
guarding death’s city well.
Like veteran son
Keeping a faithful watch and ward.
O'er all who sleep beneath thy sward—
A silent sentinel.
The Dance of Death
— OR —
Crime Its Own Avenger
By Or. W E. Fully.
Note. — 'Ike until) incidents in this na f entire
an' facts—Lvealityand names atone art
.fictitious.
mil<~
in nri
old whit.
■ stallioi
, he rod
thing t'-
ri iblc h,-
id ha p|
he had 1.
i-CIl t . si-
■11 hi- ci
The st-
n v was
soon t'
been an
rested b
•r the
mon-v, '
•i >nfincd
in .'in i*
trial, wi
i- taken
r'll. I’
ll-. I
(“lied at X
otton.
[>ld. I’nor
rubbery ->t
thn
hi-
M-
“Crime is its own rotributor."
“Yes, Mr. Bartmoon the arlage is a very
time one: hut I do not altogether like the man
ner in which the idea is expressed. I would
rather see it written and understood thus:
‘(rod’s avenging hand punishes crime here
as well as in the dread’bereafter.' Crime in
itself is but a word, the vehicle that carries
a fearful thought through the brain of mail.
(rOD must be behind it to force the thought
with more terrible and realistic significance!
let me tell you a good story that will prove
most conclusively that the Almighty lets not
the guiltv and ferocious criminal escape, but
■visits him with condign and fearful temporal
punishments ere he calls him to the great
Judgin' nt Seat to hear his final doom."
“1 am by birth a German, bv hereditary
descent a prince. At an early age. in accord
ance with an old German custom ! was ap
prenticed to a horologist. or watchmaker as
you call them here. Even the heir apparent
to the throne in my country learns some 11-1-
ful practical calling—nor docs tlit pride that
alwavs goes with station and wealth consid
er the custom at all degrading. My father
held a high position near the throne, was a
favored and successful general, was wealthy
and honored—a prince, a courtier, a general.
Yet in one brief hour lie fell from his high
estate, was stripped of all his earthly posses
sions and confined a manacled prisoner in a
loathsome dungeon—oh, whv should thespirit j *_
of mortal feel proud. Affluence and w ealth
to-day—to-morrow degredation and woe.
My poor father was of a weak, yielding na
ture, humane, benevolent and charitable,
pitying the deplorable condition of the pool
er classes, lie endeavored to aid them in ole
rating themselves. Hennd other men oi rank
organized a "society lor ameliorating the
condition of the lower elasse- and without
■ s knowledge or con-ent. it endw -died itself
• ith a secret order of ‘communists.' When
•e jiolice ferreted out the meeting place of
e order my father's name was found on its
rolls, and his letters of sympathy to tin-
leaders and the members. They were miscon
strued, and he was found guiltv of high trea
son and condemned to twenty years’ impris
onment and the loss of his titles and estates.
Of course his family fell with him. My
mother, sisters and brothers, came to want,
and J - well I. in mv seventeenth year, came
to that grand land of refuge tor all the poor
and oppressed of other climes—America. 1
wandered over many stats--, finding a preca
rious existence by chopping wood, working
on farms or aught else that my hands could
do. I spoke English well, for it had lieen my
favorite- study before I dreamed of misfortune ! ”'. v OVVI j
urnl want. ’The knowledge of it aided me ' ' ainlerluiok,
greatly. 1 got a school ill Arkansas and in a
year or two saved enough money tnojieiia
little jewelry store in the town of X
Arkansas Shortly after the terminanou <>• i .- - -— —- , , . „ ,
the wur the country was infested by horse astie lmt rather timid nature .while Pauline
thieves and murderers: to rid the ]M*ople of i ' V!ls a beautiful and noble gul. with .1 ia<e -i
their presence an t give security to society. 1 [<>rm and a may.-sty oi manner that would
.1 . . , .1... 1 ...1 have graced a queen, instead of bung the
As CDtiilini- sluod on sEic |iiaz/.a, -lie i*«t llic rejected suiter say. “She shall regret it.*
the
•onstant sight of crime and law
lessness made them familiar with it harden
ed to it. From the puni.-hers of evil, they
caiin- to be evil doers themselves.
But 1 anticipate. Up to the time I speak of
now there had been no accusation against
them. Indeed In- were a bold mail who
would dan- whisper anything against the
autocrats of tin- community. I11 addition to
their wealth, they were in a certain way
liberal, and they had attractive, oil' hand
manners that made them popular. They
never liked me however. They looked ask
ance whenever I came into their presence,
and sometimes 1 overheard the muttei ed <x-
piession "damned foreign upstart!” But 1
onmimided him to
sc minion!'’ he ex-
iway. As lie was
: in his wrath, lie
•ril!'and hi-deputy.
the piazza in the
violent things that she
leave her. "It is my in
claimed ns he turned
striding away inutterir
met Bob. Mavhew—the si
Pauline as she st 1
std! evening, heard Mayhew ask Gravely
•vlnit was the matter, and heard the rejected
suitor say among oilier things. "She shall
pay for it. By tin- God above she and her
cursed family, yes and that Hatch tinker,
her lover as well."
The Dutch tinker was myself. When I
came to sec her half an hour afterwards,
Pauline, pale and excited recounted to me
hat had happened. 1 lelt indignant enough
know-now that it was not my foreign blood, j to have follow ed and chastised the tvrant,
or 111 \ natural reserve that made them dislike ■ l>u: reason told me it would not do. f reas
me. 1 was doing wjell in business. The | sured my betrothed, for Pauline lmd become
tow n was nourishing and 1 had besi les a | mv promised wife, but all the same did my
giMid country trade. 1 was welcomed in the heart i'orbode evil to us all.
iiest society of the place, hut 1 cared little j M V forebodings soon began to lie realized,
for general society. There was only one | Gravely turned Mrs. Yanderhook out of his
house that I visited intimately. They were 1 house, and brought uparrears of rent against
iinitry people—a widow named ] her, and also a bill which he said her husband
her son, Frederick, and her | had made with him and had never liquidated.
daughter, Pauline.. The widow was a pleas
ant, m.therly woman, full of cares but cheer
ful and fairly cultivated. Fred, who was
endowments of a poor girl. Fortin- Vaniler-
: books were poor. Their fat her had lost his
all during the war by tie burning ami saek-
- ing of his home and shop by Federal soldieri
As the widow could produce no receipt, he
stripped away all her propertv, and turned
her out on the cold charity of the world. I
itreated Pauline to
1 could offer her and her mother my protec
tion, and she consented to do so as soon a-
her brother returned. He had left town in a
rather mysterious manner two days before
these troubles came upon his mother. His
going a wax was unfortunate. His absence
tended to excite the suspicion of those who
wished to believe an accusation that Gravely
<»t>od*men joined together and. seeking out
the evil ones, hanged and shot them them on
sight In the town in which I had established
my business, lived four mem who wielded
T.»r kii-klux'tt^sonw Th ‘ hi>u *' th«\v occupied in X was the prop- j had just Drought against him. Fred ha<l lieen
1 * 1^1 1.1 r h* ntost pi’oin erfcy of < 'aDtam ( TiavH>'—the rich inen-liant ; in tin* employ ut the merchant. tor n year or
‘ < ' 1 ... 1 1 'more. Gravely trusted him implicitly and
paid him liberally enough, and Fred was
really attached to his employer and worked
for him faithfullv. A few day- after Pan
calltyl them) of the county,
inent man am mg th- lour was (. upturn Gra - -
lv. a well-to-do merchant, and the others
were BobMavt-.-u tin- -In nfl. Al.-x. lOlg.ue
his deputy, and Frank Satti rw mg. a gambler.
1 fa si man generally. The
i-puty. am
.salesin keeper am
four, with the r follower- irmii the -urroii
ing country. managed to k'-"P * \ ii d"<-i> '
Of the country. 'Veil I..r tli'-m would it h;
l«s-n had they stopped at that
But the tast" of P"!
the ac'iui-ii ion 01 nn -n
irred th'-mon:
them avari-
and most infliiential of the foni" leaders 1 have
spioken of who ruled X so absolutely Cap
tain (travel v fell violently in love with tin
beautiful German girl almost nt first sight.
He was so kind and obligin'’, that mother and
daughter felt bound to show him considera
tion: but ar length one afternoon on lus
pressing bis suit in a 1-olrl ami c
iiianm-r si e told him kindly but fin
sh>- Wi uld never b- 11 iwife. He w; s
and i-maged at her 1 ifusal. .-.ml said ■
mfid:
idv t!
line had rejected Mr. •travelv, however, it
was hinted through the town that Fred Van
d -rhook, who was lik'-d as an imlu-trious, ob
liging boy-. ami the >.,ul of boil
esty, hail’stolen a hundred doHnr- from his
employe)'. Mr. Gravely I-.d lo-t a pocket
book containing - - . and I red had found
a ml returned it minus the amount a hundred
uollurs. lie was arrested, but released on
bond, and immediately he went off, without
saving when-he was going. He came back
after a few days and learned all that had
happened. He came to me in my store. He
! inked fearfully haggard, his eyes bloodshot
and with a resth ss, haunted look. I11 answer
to my question, he said he had gone away
from a sense of duty for one thing, and in
the hope of obtaining something—for another
reason, in this hope he said he had been dis
appointed. He would give no explanation
of what he meant, and sat with his face
buried in his hands. Presently he looked up
and abruptly asked me if 1 remembered the
it welrv peddler that was about town here a
week or two ago. 1 said, yes. I recollected
hearing of him, but had never seen him, as
peddlers usually tight shy of those dealers
tiiat. have wares to sell similar to theirs. But
1 hud heard,however, that, this man had a re
markably valuable stock for a traveling ped
dler, and that he had once boasted in the sa
loon of Batter wing (while under the influence
of liquor) that his stock was worth $ 1 o,000, at
the same time showing a diamond studded
watch with a chain attached, which he said
was n orth $3,000. I said I had my doubts
and intended to hunt up the man and exam
ine his jewelry, but when 1 inquired for him
he ci mid not lie found, and seemed suddenly
to have disappeared from the town.”
“Yes,” repeated Fred in a hoarse kind of
way. “Suddenly disappeared from the
town.”
And when 1 inquired if he knew anything
of him, he dropped his head in his hands
again and was silent.
Suddenly he rose to his feet and said as he
stood tx-fore me:
"Mr. Van Stavera, l want you to do me a
favor if your please. If 1 should die some
time soon—die suddenly, you know—1 want
yni to rip out the double lining of mv old
gray i-oat.and"—speaking now in German,
.-nil looking at me impressively—“and 1 want
tiiee to lie guided in thy acts by what thou
wilt find there.”
“Frederick, what do you mean l called
out to him as he abruptly quitted my side:
but he was gout-. “The boy's troubles have
surely touched his brain,” I thought as 1
locked up my shop and walked home, puz
zJmg anxiously over poor Fred's strange looks
anil words.
The next day would have been my wedding
day, I felt able to support my beautiful
Pauline, who, with her mother, had renteo a
room and was taking in sewing and needle
work, and I was anxious to take her to my
protection. Alas for my hopes! the next
morning I was a begger. That night my
shop was entered and everything I had in tin-
world, even my working tools, was carried
off. The morning found me a half-distracted
man, with nothing I could call my own, save
the clothes on my back.
That evening, while I sat on the stejis of
my boarding house, pondering painfully on
my future prosjieets, a sealed letter was put
into my bunds by one of the little street
arabs of X , and this was its teuor:
“Leave here in less (han twenty four hours,
or die.” There was no signature, but well
did I know from whence it came, so that
night I paid a visit to my betrothed and left
X , a homeless, friendless and moneyless
wanderer.
I did not go far—it was not necessary; five
miles from X I was perfectly safe, for
although four men ruled the county town
with a rod of iron, the country people hated
them and only waited a favorable opportuni
ty to crush them and make them pay tin-
penalty of their crimes, for it had become
notorious that the sheriff anil his deputy.
Gravely and Satterwing, were four villains
who had formed a ring to bulldoze the l*-o-
ple and, under the wing and shelter of the
law, commit outrageous crimes with impuni
ty. The Southern people as a class are law -
abiding, kind-hearted and hospitable, hating
iniquity and those who indulge therein, but
in those “days of terror" they were power
less and nt the mercy of villains whom ignor
ant and degraded negroes, and still more ig
norant and vile “white trash" hint voted into
offices they invariably dishonored and di-
disgraced. 1 took up my abode w ith a kind-
hearted planter whose name was Bryant.
With him 1 wa- perfectly safe and being un
hand -if nia.-ked “lynchers" and ha
brain reeled with angtn'-h and i; ugii.v
“Oh, God! tli*- poor mother fl .-.-ir As
ter I will got" them to night what
may What are they no? sufferin'; - and
helpless ■ But w hat can I do ‘ 11 nv 11 1
poor and obscure, avenge my po-a i • ‘
I wss walking atom- under the stars a- I
littered these words alund. Suddenly
distinctly- as if n vi ice pronoun tin- w
in my ear. this senti-ni-'* was bonn n c n
mv consciousness, "I have chosen y-u as mv
instrument to bring the double murderers :
justice. " I stopped short, my heart -t -i ; - ,
ln-ating: 1 rt-memlH-!vd poor Fred'- last ta.k
with m<- I recalled what le- had mad e
promise to do in case of his death. I rec 1 • 1
’ how -trangi-ly li<- had sp--ki 11 a!- -it the ; • I
' dler and instantly I scenu-d to sc- In : us
the vision of two hideous murder- the
a consequence of the first.
Farmer Bryant and his wife had ref - .
I went to his room and woke him iron : i-
heavy slumbers and as he sat up in l»-d -:a:‘s
ing at me in surprise, I asked him tote:! me
when- they had buried Frederic Yanderhook.
“Under the old twin oak by Devil s Creek,
! two miles from town."
"1 know the place,” 1 answered. "And
now. im good friend, will you lend me a
saddle-horse and permit me to take a pick and
shovel from the too! house. I will explain
all when I come back."
- “Goahead Van." replied the old farmer,
“dot rot me. if I know what you’re after,
but I know you too well to question vour m
! tentinns—go ahead, take what you want
It is cot necessary that 1 should elite; at->
! a detailed account of my ride to tin- place ot
1 Fred’s interment. I found it easitv—f- nd
i the body as 1 expected buried hustiiv and
i without a coffin, clothes all on- a- the
■ method w ith lynchers.
: In a moment the coat was rippe-i op -a and
between cloth and lining I found n 1. ; a
per. ! relumed, the hotly to its gran with
j an inward promise that ere long poor e.l
houlil lie for the last time resurrected .- ud
j buried properly in consecrated grnun-i. ft
' was now near day break, and not wisiur to
lie noticed, 1 took a circuitous routi that
I might nor pass through the town, an- 1 -1 ai
ring tli- horse, 1 dashed through tli- 1
h-.-n'r.- and m- o-trai u- that leu in
rection of my hi me. In half an h ui was
there -impatiently earing my breakfast that
was awaiting me. then hurrying to my r--on .
hastily opened the paper, and found plain
ly written in good German the following
“To my Friend. Gabriel Yanstavem— 1 am
doomed—I know it—1 dare not tell mother,
it would cause her trouble. The picket book
business was a pretext to get a chan- - to
murder me—true I found if, but Gravi-h put
it where I could not fail to see and pick it up.
I returned it to him that evening. 1 n.-va-r
opened it. And now why u as this done, vou
ask : Simply la-cause I accidentally wit
nessed a murder—the jiediller. 1 came q- ,11
them unaware.—four masked men. 1 could
not swear to their identity, but intuitivelv I
recognized them—Gravely. Bob Mavhew.
Alec Kiligore and Frank Scatterwing. They
ran—so did 1. but not not before 1 picked up
| the peddler’s box, which 1 concealed in :i
I deep hole und°r a large rock near t’i - 1
Copper Mineral Spring you know tin ; ac
j—it lies there still; the body, the murdert-rs
I came back and buried- where, I know not.
You kn-ov tin* reason I dared not teb
speak of the deed. Who would Is-li.-v. such
a tale on the most prominent and richest men
of X : Four, a foreigner. "1--m down.”
I would have lieen laughed to scorn and ,n-
cuseil of the murder m v.-clt But con-cj.-: 1
haunts these men they want me cut o: the
way and u iii murder me. 1 write ti.:- ::■•]
atrip to St. I.-mis to if I could find a m ng
tin- jewelers th'-re -oil’.-- t'ri- ml tiie \\ di
ed peddler's and restore To tl - in hi- proper
ty. No one knew him. Far well Gabrid.and
Goil bless y u an-1 the work that i- before
you.
I 'tlKDEUlC K \ AXI1K11H- - 1
i I saw it all now. anil 1 saw fhe course be
j for.- me. “Justice must be done if the ht .-li
ens fall." 1 requested Farmer Bryant ti
| enter mv room for a lew mi >n;ents. 1 sh- -wc,;
him the pap-r: he w as not half so much - ir
pris-sl as 1 expected he would be.
“The murder of the peddler, or rather, i
, should say his supp ---d murder, is no new- ti
j me. Th. whole country suspicious tiicst
mi'll and the lynching of pi m \';mdi-rlio ik
has conlinncd tlicir --.i-picnn- "
“Then, my God!" 1 exelainiot. "why do
| they not arrest the-■ wretches;"
The farm-r i-siked at me pity irgly. a- if I
! was the most innocent simpleton he ever saw.
I "lean sympathise with your igunrance.
Mr. Van Stavern," hi-answered, "you an- a
foreigner and but little acquainted with --ur
‘ ]ieo]>ic "and their wavs: I was born and
raised here. 1 am consiiiered an upright man
and one of means anil substance. 1 have
been a memlier of tii-- legislature, have some
: influenee and hosts friends, vet I dare not
; take the lc.ist st, p to punish these guilty
men."
■ "Why.'"
1 -‘Because I would be murdered and burnt
j up in my lied, myself and all liel -nging to
; me in less than twenty-four hum's afteropen
ing mv mouth publicly on the subject. "
I "Mv (rod,” I exclaimed, “what a country
| “Nay, nay,” said Farmer Bryant, "you
I are wrong, sir. tin- country, the South, is a
noble country, law-abiding, loyal, chivalrous
| nnd faithful in all things, but I am sorry to
i say there are at present within it- confines
| wretched villains, the scum of society, w hom
; an unnatural, intestine war has brought ti
the surface. Their brazen faced impudence.
| cunning villainy and audacity have gained
: them wealth and office, and as they help one
| another, form "rings” for protection and
1 stop at nothing for plunder, oflice nr revenge,
the better class despise and hate them wliil -
; at the same time they fear them. However.
: their day is nearly over: the trueand just an-
; watching their course with indignation and
will soon rise in their wrath and hand them
j over to tli.it law which they now det v "
Bucli was the substance of mv conversa-
I tion w ith Farmer Bry ant. I w ill not wearv
you with the remainder, let i' suffice that eic
i we parted wc had agreed *o bring fhese
parties to justice, but for good and -i.ilicient
■ reasons determined not to be hasty about it.
Ji
4*3 S Vj
5*