Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1868-09-03
o,lroifs Misfslls
From Belgravis.l
yWE DEATH'S-HEAD CLUB.
rur ARRIVALS.

mon the sons Vi iiSAA .I Fi-o,, =
four OF 4,dies s,i were sitting drirkinP n
Wess I IN the balcony of the b 6Mul M
gqnuy A. Nuscogee House IN T fst noe
o. o1 'He fos,ionsbie hotel of the ay streg. tl
ei1e eIa.nd Of aTIr story-the otS, az -
peri3MI M u of Ell Independep ear precedln
The grave anu ysterious city wa
that August even ng quieter and NOR
silent than usnS The broad, uDpavet
streets were e-eep with soft sand, tha
muffied TIE wneels of the coffee-bal
wagons 9-nd that of the carts laden witt
bags Of rice just arrived from Augusta
The long avenues OF that not very rejoie
ing tree, the Pride of India, scarcel.
moved leaf-not a twis stirred TO shoV
that they even breathed in their sleep
Here and there negro ,dozed upon ;
door step, or chartered with some gessil
in steallhy way at some street corner
indeed the whole city would have seem
ed silent as the cemetery, but for thi
wild mocking laughter that rose. from
the balcony, where the Chattahoochit
(er Deaths head Club was holding it
nightly reyel. The laughter was an ex
asperated laughter, loud, tipsy, defiant
taunting and insolent-the sort of laugh
ter that would have made high-spiriteC
man passing by slip his hand TO hi
sword; and look up to see from whenct
the jarring sound had come.
A sudden gleam of light through tht
open folding doors of an inner-room, tha
showed the dining-room and sanetum o
the Duellists' Club ready for their recep
ton, seemed to act as mute signal fol
the men to return TO the table for more
wine, and to rally once more around the
chairman. The room was decorated in
a way that could only have been carried
out by men of wealth, who had grated
on their natural vices the morbid
fdrouche, and fantastic eXtravagance pc
euliar at that time to Spanish and
French voluptuaries in the West Indies.
Pleasure among these men had none OF
the French gaiety about it. They were
wanton, arrogant, ruthless, quarrelsome
and overbearing-consi of being the
dread of half Georgia, and proud of the
dread they had excited.
1t was scarcely wonder that the mys-
terry and terror with which they had
surrounded their iniquitous association,
together with the frequency of their
deathly duels-nearly always fatal to
their. adyersaries-had reused the fear
and hatred ief the citizens of Savannah
to pitch which can only be compared
to the horror excited by the ever still
more infameus Hell-Fire Club in our
Their .eiub-room was horrible and
ghastlys in its decoration; yet, but for
the crime of those who sat there, and the
fact of their braggadocia being backed
for their daring, it would have appeared
merely pureile and theatrical, fit only to
IL hn
chilled py the sham horrors of Mrs. Rad
cliff g romances.
The room was hung with black cloth,
on which was worked in silver thread
the names of all persons who had fallen
by the sword or pistol of its members,
and the date of each death. Over the
mantle-piece was large star, composed
of deaths head mouths, and a long rack,
full of swords and saw-handled pistols;
each looked in its place like the favor
ite cues in billiard room. The cups
were human skulls. lined with silver, in
the manner that Byron afterward petu-
ated in England; and preached skull
projected from the CHASTITY pinnacle of
the dias that spread above the chair
mans seat. Everything that could be
black was black, but the chairs, and they
were covered with red velvet, in a way
to horribly remind one of state coffins.
Beside every group of wine cups lay a
pistol, to be employed in case of an inn
mediate duel springing up from any sud-
den disagreement between two members.
1t was no wonder that exaggerated re-
ports of the mysterious and unhallowed
orgies of these young rake-hells had in
vested their meeting with an atmosphere
of almost supernatural horror. The
voice of those troubled times was as de-
faint aud restless as it was heartless and
cruel.
Two members of the Deaths Head |
Club, more lazy, more drunken, or more |
than the others, remained |
IN the out-room leaning over the balcony, |
night darken down the street, |
where the fitful lamps now grew mo-
brighter; the one a dark, |
handsome young fellow, with cold, keen
eyes and a malign mouth, was raping |
he balcony rail with his sword-hilt; the |
,ther red, flushed, staggering, disso-
ute looking old officer, whose blood-shot
eyes seemed starting out of his head, was
carefully shuffiing pack of cards with
he practiced air of an inveterate gamb
er. Heated with wine, the two revel-
,rs seemed to bathe themselves in the
,ool evening air that blew freshened
rom the river. 1t had been a burning
lay, and the very houses seemed calmly
.njoying the cool twilight breeze.
All at once there was sound of wheels,
furious clack of whips, loud as pistol
hots, and large dusty travelling car
iage swept round the corner of Broad
treet 1t was drawn by four 'foaming
,lack horses; and two negro postilIions,
Who shouted at the tired animals to urge
hem on, were dressed in snowy scarlet
md yellow jackets. The vehicle drew
Up at the door of the Muscogee Hotel.
The carriage door instantly opened,
md out stepped a tall, gaunt officer in
french uniform, who handed out his
companion. The ladyevident-
y his daughter, was young girl, about
Eighteen, and beauty of the rarest and
most perfect type. Some of the fire-f1ies
hat the servant had caught for her in
he course of their journey glistened like
iamouds in her dark hair, and gave an
Jndine sort of character to her pale,
ensitive and intellectual face, and SEEM
d to cast such sparkles in her Italian
yes, as stray stars cast upon a river at
Midnight. She was dressed in black: I
nd some somber color, so jarring with ]
routh, seemed only to spiritualize the !
ender beauty of her face and the delicate
ymmetry of her form. a57 ss FL II
ellison, it's that Colonel's daughter !
ou make love to at Guadaloupe!" said
be elder of the two men in the balcony. I
May never sweep the board again if 9
isn't Miss Dolores Massard! o you !,
lcky dogi Egad, you must propose to |
er again; and if she won't have you,
AIRY her of, and we'll stand by you" .
"You are right Johnson; it is Dolo- |
ss," said the young man, leaning eager
7 over the balcony. "Yes, it is; how q
eautiful she looks! And there's that j,
Dur beggar of a father, whom the Gen.
raj would not let me fight with, tho he |
efused me Dolores. Now I'll have my
svenge. He shall fight me now, or give |
lie his daughters hand. 1 know she :.
ill loves mel know that" I
"The Colonel refused to fight members :
our. club at Guadaloupel" said the !
her savagely. "He called US gamblers .
T. h