The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-01-04
THE DEATHS HEAD CLUB.
BY WALTER THoRNBURY.
1. THE ARRIVAL

An August evening at Savannah, that
strange somber town OF Georgia; eight men,
planters, but alien born, four OF them lately
returned from the West Indies, were sitting
drinking burgundy in the balcony Of the first
floor of the Muscogee House in Bay-street,
the fashionable hotel of the city at the period
OF our story-the year preceding the war OF
independence.
The gave and mysterious city was that
August evening quieter and more silent than
usual. The broad unpaved streets were deep
with soft sand, that mufaed the wheels of the
cotton-bale wagons and Of the carts laden with
rice, Just arrived from Augusta. Here and
there negro dozed upon door step, or chat
ted with some gossip in stealthy way at
street corner; indeed the whole city would
have seemed silent as cemetery, but for the
wild mocking laughter that rose from the bal
cony, where the Chattahowchie Tor Deaths
Head) Club was holding it's nightly revel. The
laughter was an exasPeratlng laughter, loud,
defiant, taunting, and insoent-the sort OF
laughter that would have made high-spirited
man passing by slip his hand to his sword, and
look up to discover whence the jarring sound
had come.
A sudden CLEAN of light through the open
folding doors of an inner room, that showed
the dlning-room and sanctum Of the Duelists'
Club ready for the reception, seemed to act as
mute signal for the men to return to the
round the chairman. The room was decorated
in way that could only have been carried out
by men of wealth, who had grated on their
natural vices the morbid, fdr0uche, and fantas-
tic extravaganza peculiar at that time to Span
ish and French voluptuaries in the West In
dies. Pleasure among these men had none OF
the French gaiety about it. They were wan
ton, arrogant, ruthless, quarrelsome ana over,
bearing conscious OF being the dread OF half
Georgia, and proud Of tho fear they had ex-
cited.
It was scarcely wonder that the mystery
and terror with which they had surrounded
their iniuuitous association, together with the
frequency of their deadly duels-neaIly always
fatal to their adyersaries- reused the fear
and hatred of, the citizens of Savannah.
Their club room was horrible and ghastly in
its decorations; yet, but for the crimes Of those
who sat there, and the fact OF their braggadocio
being backed by their daring,, it would have
appeared merely puerile and theatri ical. The
room was hung with black cloth, on which was
worked in silver thread the names OF all per-
sons who had fallen by the sword or pistols of
the members, and the date Of each death. Over
the mantel-piece was large star, composed OF
deaths head moths, and large rack full OF
swords and saw-handled pistols; each locked in
it's place like the fayorite cues in billiard room.
The cups were human skulls, lined with silver,
| in the manner Byron afterward perpetuated in
England: and bleached skull projected from
the ghastly pinnacle ofthe black dias that spread
above the chairman's seat. Everything that
could be black was black but the chairs, and
they were covered with red velvet and studded
with silver nails-in way to horribly remind
one Of state coffins. Beside every group Of
wine cups lay a pistol to be employed in case
of an immediate duel springing up from any
sudden disagreement between two members.
1t was no wonder that exaggerated reports OF
the mysterious and unhallowed orgies of these
young rake-hells had invested their meetings
with an atmosphere OF almost supernatural
horror. The vice Of these troubled times was
as defiant and reckless as it was heartless and
cruel.
Two members of the Deaths Head Club,
more lazy, or more contemplative than the
others, remained in the outer room leaning
over the balcony, watching night darken down
the street, where the ftful lamps now grew
momentarily brighter; the one dark, hand
some young fellow, with cold keen lee eyes and
with his sword-hilt; the other, red, flush
ed, staggering, dissolute-looking old officer,
whose blood-shot eyes seemed staring out OF
his head, was carelessly shutting q pack oil
| cards with the practiced air OF an inVeterato
gambler. Heated with wine, the two revelers
seemed to bathe themselves u the cool eve
ming air, that blew heshened from the river.
1t had been burning day; and the Yery houses
seemed calmly enjoying the cool twilight
All at once there was sound of wheels, a
furious clack of whips, loud as pistol shots,
and large dusty travelling, carriage swept
round the corner OF Broadstreet. 1t was
drawn by four foaming black horses, and the
two negro positions, who shouted at the tired
animals anil to urge them on, we're dressed in
showv scarlet and yellow jackets. The vehi-
Gle drew up at the door OF the Muscogee
The carriage door instantly opened, and out