Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1850-08-29
A Tale Of Hsrrer.

/, since, we heard from Inc Ips oil
: friend one of the most heart-rendir
recitals we have listened to for
long time. He was put off from
steamboat at or near Wolf Islam,
about twenty-five miles below ii
: mouth of the Ohio, for the purpos
Of collecting debt from a man liz
, ing about five miles back in tn
country, on the Missouri side, W
think. With a carpet bag in hi
hand, he had followed a narro'
path about three miles, when h
came across a small cabin. Vet 'cat
in would not describe The place c
habitation, for such it proved to be
1t was little dIlapidated shed, wit
no boards on one side and great ere
vices on the other side and in tn
roof. He would have passed it by
but means from the inside told tina
it was occupied. Wishing TO inquire
his road, he stopped, and stood be
fore the open side Of the shed, and
gazed upon spectacle, which, as ht
said, was present before his eyes days
afterwards, and haunted his sleep
We describe what he saw, as he told
US, only saying that strange as the
story NAV seem, full reliance can be
placed upon his words.
There was not a bed or chair in
the shed, but stretched upon the
bare ground lay the body of a young
ish looking woman, who had evi
IDENTIFY Just died. Her form was al
most perfect skeleton, yet the face
was that Of a refined and beautiful
woman. On her breast lay an in
fant OF about six months old, with its
mouth to the breast of its mother,
and dead. And sitting up in a cor
ner of the shed, and staring the trav-
eler in the face with glazed eyes, was
what he thought another corpse, but
life was yet in it. The figure was
that OF a girl apparently about ten
years old. She could not rise to her
feet, and yet she was not sick. She
was literally dying of starvation.-I
By the side Of the woman, clasping
her hand, lay a man covered with
blood and apparently in a dying
state. Add to this, the filth Of the
room and the half naked condition OF
The sufferers, and we wonder not
that the scene long haunted the OBJ
server. He wen; in. The girl could
not speak, but the man cried water,
n a feeble voice, and pointed to the
girl as il to attract the strangers at
tention to her. The traveller, Mr..
J., OF Cincinnati, hastened away, TAX
ng with him a tin pan, and says he
never ran harder in his life than he
lid about half a mile 20 a small
stream he had passed.
On his return, he found the man
'till alive, and gave him water which
he eagerly drank. He could then
speak in a whisper. He pointed to
The girl and said--'she's starving.'-l
Mr.. ]. gave the girl some water,
which appeared 10 revive her, and
'he tried TO talk, but could not
With much difficulty he learned
rom the man that there was house
lbout a mile distant, to which he
hurried. On his arrival there, he
'ound only negro. While getting
some provisions and Fastening back
with the man, the latter informed
lim that the cholera had broken out
n that neighborhood, and the family |
owning him had left for the time be-
ng. He said the little girl Of the
he'd had daily made her appearance
here for provisions until about three
lays back-that the man and wo-
nan had been sick for long time.
Ec. On their return, the man was
lying, and lived but an hour. The
title girl was revived by food, and
'efore they took her away. could
ak. She said she had been sick her.
elf, and could not walk to the house
or food, and that her mother died
he day previous, and the baby about
he same Iime-and that her father
lad tried to kill himself when they
lied. 1t was horrid. The child
vas taken to the house, and the rest
If the unfortunate family buried
The child afterwards stated her
name was Mary Williams. and Mr..
!. thought. from what he could gath
II, the family had lived in N. Albany,
put in what New Albany he could
lot ascertain, more than as the child
iaid. there were great many houses
here, and it was evidently New
Albany, N. York. The negro said
he family had been there several
weeks, and came directly after his
master had left. As there was not !
/ family in the neighborhood, the
person also having gone whom Mr..
J. wished to see, the girl, who was