The sunny South. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1875-1907, March 27, 1880, Image 1

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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*