Shreveport semi-weekly news. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1865-18??, 1865-06-17
THE MYSTERIOUS WAIF
OR.
THE MURDERED BOY;
FROM A REPORTERS PORTFOLIO.

In 1852, a fisherman named Ora
big, occupied little floating habita
ton near the old French market. l
was STANCE place to call a home, ano
yet it was the only home that Grabls
had. The architect. in its construc
ton, had made compromise betwix'
boat and a hut, retaining some o.
the toughest and rudest peculiarties
of both. The dwelling consisted OF
box, ten feet long, and perhaps toul
feet wide, which was covered with 4
piece of tarpaulin, and safely moorec
between the wharves. There the
fisherman lived in content, playing
the philosopher, as Diogenes did be,
fore him, in his tub.
Besides this floating castle, with
its watery detences, which served
him better than moated ranlparts
Grabig had little skiiI, by means OF
which he conducted his business by
day, and ferried himself, when it so
pleased him, to his quiet home on
the great Father of Waters. The
cares of the world never troubled
Grabig. No tax-gather ever visited
his abode He paid no ground rent;
no water rates; no license; and sooth
to say, he looked with something like
contempt on those who did But
notwithstanding his eccentricities he
was, in his own way industrious
His button lines We're stretched far
out in the river, and he overhauled
them at regular intervals, both day
and night. What, with the product
of these lines, his shrimp baskets, and
such waits as the worlds greatest
river cast in his way, he managed to
provide for his every want, and Sc
curl for himself as much of comfort
and content as ever fell to the lot OF
hermit or philosopher.
On the morning of the LIST of SEP.
TENDER, lS62,some hours before dawn
the fisherman was awakened from a
pleasant dream by a loud splash as
of something which was thrown into
the river. He unused for moment;
concluded that it was no matter OF
his concern, and again address ed
himself to sleep. At daydreak he
got up and went in his skitf to look
after his piscatorial interests, and
while thus engaged, he noticed a bar
rel circling round and round in an
eddy, which kept it away from the
main current of the river.
AS the barrel was headed on both
ends, Grabig concluded that it was a
q prize worth looking after, and on
this supposition he attached rope
to it and lowed it to shore. Losing
no time, he rolled it upon the bank
and opened one end with little
hatchet-hammer which be always
kept in his skiff. AS soon as he did
80, he received smart blow in the
face from something which rushed up
from its confinement in the barrel
filing his eyes with dust and his nos
trils with unpleasant odors.
When the fisherman cleared his
eyes, he discovered that the substance
which had thus violently and unex-
pectedly smote him in the face was
the foot of dead boy, about ten
years of age.
Here was mystery to be unrav-
eled-a horror which startled the
the philosophy of poor Grabig from
its propriety! He had found many
things before in floating barrels, but
never such a sickening evidence of
unheard of crime as this presented
1t was a waif for which he had no
linking. That a murder had been
committed he did not doubt, but to
his mind not the slightest clue was
presented by which it could be traced
to it's guilty author. Still he had
faith; for he believed in an overrul-
ing Providence,
(which shapes our ends
Rough-hew them how we may
At this jucture two nightwatch-
men, returning from their beats, pass
ed along the ievee, and heard from
the fisherman how the barrel had
been found They examined it and
forthwith reported the case to Capt,
McGoyern- who had then charge of
the Sesond District police.
McGovern will be remembered by
many Of our old citizens as a very
skillfui detective officer. He was one
of the many who some years later on
the 10th Of August, 1S56-perished
in the Gulf of Mexico on board Of