Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1850-09-26
MISCELLANY
A Tale of Horror.

Under this caption The Evansville, Indiana
Mate Journal gives its readers the following
particulars ola scene, which il is to be hoped
is rarely witnessed in the West or any where
else in this land Of plenty:'
While travelling a couple of weeks since,
we heard from the lips OF friend, one fthe
most hear'-rending rrcilals we have listened
10 Tor long time. He was put off from a
steamboat at or near Wolf Island, about 25
miles below the mouth of the Ohio, for the
purpose of collecting debt from a man liv-
ing about five miles back in the country, on
The Missouri sids we think. With carpet
bag in his hand, he had followed narrow
path Tor about three miles, when he came TO
small cabin. Yet cabin would not des
crloe the place of habiiaion, for such il
proved TO be. 1t was a little diIapidated shed.
with no boards on one side, and great crew..
ces on the other sides and in The roof. He
would have passed it by, but moans from the
inside told him that it was occupied. Wish.
ing to inquire his road, he stopped and stood
before the open side of the shed, and gazed
upon spectacle which, as he said. was pres.
ent before his eyes days afterwards and haun.
ted hIs sleep. We describe what he saw as
he told US, only saying that strange as the
story may seem, full reliance can be placed
on his words.
There was not bed or chair in The shed.
but stretched upon the bare ground Law the
body oil Il youthful looking woman, who had
evidently just died. Her form was almost a
perfect skeleton, yet the face was that of u
refined and beautiful woman. On her breast
lay an infant, about six months old, with it's
mouth To the breast of its mother aud dead
And sitting up in the corner of the shed, and
staring The traveller IN the face with glazed
eyes, was what we thought another corpse,
but life was YET IN IL. The figure was that
OF girl, apparently about ten years old
She was literally dying of starvation. BY
the side OF the woman, and clasping her
hand, lay man covered Wild blood, and ap-
parently IN dying state. Add To this the
nlth OF the room, and the half naked condi
ton oi the sufferers, and We wonder not that
The scene long haunted the observer. He
went IN. The girl could no; speak, but the
man cried water, in Il feeble voice, and
pointed 10 the glrl, as if TO attract The aricn-
lion OF the stranger to her. The traveller.
Mr.. j., of Cincinnati, fastened away, taking
with him tin pan, and SAYS he never run
harder IN his lie time ,han he did for about
halt a mlEc to small stream he had Just
passed.
On his return lie found the man still alive,
and gave him water, which he eagerly drank
lie could then speak in whisper. He poin-
ted to the girl and said shes staryinc'-
Mr.. J. gave her some water, which appeared
| 10 revive her, and she tried 10 talk. but could
nor. With much difficulty he learned from
the man thai there was house about mile
distant, 10 which he hurried. On his arrival
there he found only negro.
| While seitiCg some provision and hasten
ing back % man. the latter informed him
that the cholera had broken out IN that neigh.
borhood, and tie family owning him had left
for the lime being. lie said the lil,le Girl
o: the shed had daily made her appearance
there for provision until about three days
| back-;hal the man and woman had been
sick a long time, Sc. On their return the
man was dying, and lived but an hour. The
little girl was revived by food and before they
took her away could talk.
| She said she had been sick herself and
could not walk 10 The house. and that her
mother died the day previous, and the baby
about the same time, and that her father had
tried 10 kill himself when they died. II was
horrid. The child was taken to the house,
and the rest OF the unfortunate family buri-
ed. The child afterwards stated that her
name was Mary Williams,and MIR. J. thought
from what lIe could gather The family had
formerly lived in New Albany, but in what
New Albany he could not ascertain, more
than, as the child said, there was great
many houses there, aud it was seviden,ly New
Albany, N. Y. The negro said the family
had been there several weeks, and came soon
after his master had lef;. As there was not
family in the neighborhood, the person al
so having gone whom Mr.. J. wished to see
the GIRL who was sick and exhausted, was
lei with the negro. who promised faithfully
to attend to her. Yet there were but liue
hopes of her recovery. 1t has never been our
misfortune TO hear a more horrible tale OF re-
ality than this.