Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1850-09-02
A Tale Of Horror.


While travelling couple of weeks since,
We heard from the lips Of friend, one of
the most heart.rendlng recitals we have
listened to for long time. He was put
offrom steamboat at or near Wolf ISL
and, about twenty-five miles below the
mouth Of the Ohio, for the purpose Of col
lecting debt from man living about five
miles back in the country, on the Missouri
side, We think. With a carpet bag in his
hand, he had followed a narrow path about
three miles, when he came across q small
cabin. Yet ''cabin" would not describe the
place Of habitation, for such it proved to
be. 1t was little dilapidated shed, with
no boards on one side, and great cervices
on the other side, and in the roof. He
would have passed it by, but means from
the inside told 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 present before his eyes days afterwards,
and haunted him in his sleep. We de-
scribe what he saw, as he told US, only say
ing, that strange as the story may seem,
full reliance can be placed upon his word.
There was not u bed or chair in the shed.
but stretched upon the bare ground lay the
body Of a youngish looking woman, who
had evidently just died. Her form was
almost perfect skeleton, yet the face was
that of a refined and beautiful woman. On
her breast lay an infant of about six
months old, with its mouth to the breast Of
its mother, and dead. And sitting up in
corner Of the shed, and staring the trav.
eller in the face with glazed eyes, was
what he thought another corps, but life was
yet in it. 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
q man covered with blood and apparently
10 dying state. Add to this the filth of
the room we wonder not that the scene
long haunted the observer. He went in.
The girl could not speak, but the man
cried "water" in feeble voice, and point
ed 10 the girl as if to attract the strangers
attention to her. The traveller, Mr.. j.,
of Cincinnati, hastened away, taking with
him tin.pan, and says he never ran hard
or in his life than he did about half mile
to small stream he had passed.
Ou HIS i0sutas tOuuu th0 iouh cIill a. |
live, and gave him water, which he eager.
ly drank. He could then speak in whis
per. He pointed to the girl and said
'tshe's starving" Mr.. J. gave her some
water, which appeared TO revive her, and
she tried to talk, but could Dot. With
much difficulty Re learned from the man
that there was house about mile distant,
to which he hurried. On his arrival there,
he found only negro. While getting
some provisions, and hastening back with
the man, the latter informed him that the |
cholera broke out in the neighborhood, and |
the family owing him had left for the time
being. He said the little girl Of the shed
had daily made her appearance there for
provisions untl about three days back
that the man and woman had been sick
for long time, &c. 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 she could talk.
She said she had been sick herself, and
could not walk to the house for food, ard
that her mother died the day previous, and
the baby about the same tme-and that
her father had tried to kill himself when
they died 1t was horrd The child was
taken to the house, and the rest Of the un-
fortunate ianaiiy buried.
The child afterwards stated her name
was Mary Williams, and MFR. J. thought
from what he 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 were a
gieat many houses, and it was evidently |
New Albany, N. Y. The negro said the |
family had been there several weeks, and
came directly after his master had left. |
AS there was not family in the neighbor
huod, the person having also gone whom
Mr.. J., wished to see, the girl who was
sick and exhausted, was left with the me-
gro, who promised faithfully to attend her.
Yet there was but little hopes of her re-
coyery. 1t has never been our misfortune
to hear more horrible tale of reality than
this.-EoansvsAe ia. } Journal.
.- Laughable.
In the face Of arrivals of 49,, ,000,0 900
Of gold in 1s months, and q production at
thie time in California alone Mt scarce n