The Yazoo Democrat. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1850-09-05
A Tale Of Horror.

A Tale Of Horror.
While travelling couple weeks since,
we heard from the lips Of friend one Of
the most heart-renGing recitals we have list.
ened to for long time. lie was put off
from a steamboat at or near Wolf Island,
about twenty-five miles below the mouth
of the Ohio, for the purpose of collecting a
debt from a 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 narrow path about three
miles, when he came across a small cabin.
Yet "cabin" would not describe the place
of habitation, for such it proved to be. 1t
was little GiIapida:ed shed with no boards
on one side and great crevices on the other
sides and in the roof-He would have pass
ed it by, but means from the inside told that
it was occupied. Wishing to inquire his
road, lie stopped, and stood before the open
side of the shed, and gazed upon spec
tacle, which as he said was present before
his eyes days afterward, and haunted his
steep. We describe what he saw, as told
us, only saying that strange as the story
may seem, full reliance can be placed upon
his words.
There was not bed or chair in the shed,
but stretched on the ground lay the body OF
d youthful looking woman, who had eVi-
IDENTIFY just died. Her form was almost q
perfect skeleton; yet the face was that of a
refined and beautiful woman. On her breast
lay an infant of about six months Of age,
with its mouth to the breast of its mother,
and dead. And sitting up in corner of
the shed, and staring the traveller 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! By the side
of the woman, and clasping her hand, lay
a man covered with blood ard apparently
in 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 observer. He went
in. The girl could not speak, but the man
cried "water" in feeble voice, and point
ed to 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 harder
i'll his life than he did about half mile to
small stream he had passed. On his re-
turn, he found the man still alive, and gave
him water, which he eagerly drank He
could then speak in whisper, He pointed
to the girl and said-"shes starving MIR.
J. gave the girl some water, which appear
ed to revive her, acd she tried to talk, but
could not. With much difficulty he learn
ed from the man that there was house a.
bout mile distant, to which he hurried
On his arrival he found only negro.
While getting some provisions and hasten
ing hack with the man, the latter informed
him that the cholera had broken out in that
neighborhood, and the family owning him had
left Tor the time being. He said the little
girl Of the shed had daily made her appear
ance there for provisions until about three
days back--that the man and woman had
been sick for long time &c. On our re-
turn, the man was now dying, and lived but
one hour. The little girl was revived by food
and before they took her away could talk.
She said she had been sick and could not
walk to the house for food, and that her
mother had died the day previous. and the ba.
by about the same time-an6 that her father
had tried to kill himself when they died. Il
was hOrrid The child was taken to the
house and the rest Of the family was buried.
J The child afterwards stated her name was
Mary Williams, and Mr.. ]. thought from
what he could gather the family had form~
Z erly lived in New Albany, but in what New
Albany he could not ascertain, more than as
the child said, there were great may houses
there, and il was evidently New Albany, N.
Y. The negro said the family had been
} there several weeks; and came directly alter
his master had left. As there was not a
family in the neignbOrhoOd, the person hay,
. ing also gone whom Mr.. ]. wished to see,
the girl who was sick and exhausted vas lef
with the Negro, who promised faithfully 10 at.
/ tend 70 her. Yet there was bD. little hopes o.
, her recovery. 1t has never been our mis-.
fortune to hear more horrible tale Of Teali
t lty than this u0HSUilEe Journal