Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1869-07-29
CHE Sturp TeI1er.
A SENSATION STORY.
l. THE ARRIVAL.

sombre town Of Georgia; eight men, the sons o
rich Carolina planters fourof them lately returned
from the West Indies, were sitting drinking Bur
gundy in the balcony of the first floor Of the Mus
cogee House in Bay street; the fashionable hote
of that city at the period of our story-the veal
preceding the war of Independence
The grave and mysterious city was, that August
evening, quieter and more silent than usual. The
broad, unpaved streets we're deep with soft sand
that muf1ed the wheels of the cetton-bale wagons
and the carts laden with bags Of rice, just arrived
from Augusta. The long avenues of that not very
rejoicing tree, the Pride of India, scarcely moved
leaf-not twig stirred to show that they even
breathed in their sleep. Here snd there negro
dozed upon door step, or ehatted with some gos-
sip in steathy way at street corner, indeed the
whole city would have seemed silentas cemetery,
but for the wild mocking laughter. that fosafrom
the balcony, whereths ehdtta ahoockis ter Death s.
Head Club was sholding It's nightly revel. The
laughter was an exasperating Laughter loud, tipsy
and defiant, taunting aad insoleht-the sort Of
laughter that would haye madea high-spirited man
passing by, slip his hand to his sword, and look up
to discover from Rhenest the Earring sound had
come. q
Asuddsn geam Of light through the open fold,
ing.aoors Of az; inner room, that showed the di.
ning;reom audsaactum Of the Duelists' Club ready
for their reception, seemed to act as mute signal
for the men to return to the table for more wine,
and to rally more 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 arouche, and fantas
tic extravaganza peculiar at that time to Spanish
and French voluptuaries in the West Indies. Pleas
ure among these men had none of the French gale
ty aboutit. They were wanton, arrogant, ruthless,
quarrelsome and NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of being
the dread of half of Georgia, and proud Of the
fear they had excited.
1t was scarcely wonder that the mystery and
terror with which they had surrounded theiriniqui
tous association, together with the frequency of
their deadly duels-nearly always fatal to their ad-
versaries-had reused the fear and hatred of the
citizens of Savannah to pitch which can only be
compared to the horror excited by the even still
more infamous Fire Club of our country
Their club-room. was horrible aad ghastly in its
decorations yet, but for the crimes of those who
sat there, and the fact of their bragadocia, being
backed by their daring, it would have appeared
mere puerie and theatrical, fit only to alarm per-
sons whose blood could be chilled by the sham hor-
rors of Mrs Radcliffe romances.
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
mantle. piece was large STAR composed Of death s
head moths, and long rack full of swords and
saw handled pistols; each locked in its place like
the favorite cues in billiard room. The cups
were human skulls, lined with silver, in the man.
ner Byron aferward perpetuated in England; and
bleached skull projected from the ghastly pima
Gle of the black dais that spread above the chair
mans 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 cafins.
Beside every group Of wine cups lay a pistol, to
be employed in case Of an immediate duel spring
ing up from any sudden disagreement between two
members. 1t was no wonder that exaggerated re-
ports of the mysterious and unhallowed orgies of
these young rakes had invested in their meetings
an atmosphere of almost supernatural horror.
The vice of these troubled times was as defiant and
reckless asst was heartless and cruel.
Two members of the Deaths Head Club, more
lazy, more drunken, or more contemplative than
the others, remained in the out room leaning over
the balcony, watching night darken down the street
where the iful lamps, now grew monlentarily
brighter; the one dark, handsome young fellow,
with cold, keen eyes and malign mouth, was rap
ping the balcony rail with his sword hilt the 9TH
er red flushed, staggering, dissolute looking old
officer, whose bloodshot eyes seemed staring out of
his head, was carefully shutting pack Of cards
with the practiced air of an invetcrate gambler.
Heated with wine, the two revelers seemed to
bathe themselves in the cool evening air, that blew
freshened from the river. 1t had been burning
day; and the very houses seemed calmly enjoying
the cool twilight breeze.
All at once there was sound Of wheels, fu-
rious crack of whips, loud as pistol shots, and a
large, dusty travelling carriage swept round the
corner of Broad street. 1t was drawn by four
foaming, black horses and the two negro postil-
ions who shouted at the tired animals to urge
them on, were dressed in snowy scarlet and yellow
Jackets. The vehicle drew up at the door of the
Muscogee Hotel
The carriage door instantly opened, and out
stepped tall gaunt officer in French uniform, who
handed out his travelling companion The lady,
evidently his daughter, was young girl about
eighteen and beauty of the rarest and most per-
feet type. Some fre-fies that the servant had
caught for her in the course of the journey gistened
like diamonds in her dark hair, and gave an Un-
dine sort of character to her pale, sensitive and in
teectua face. and seemed to cast such sparkles on
her large Italian eyes, as stray stars cast upon a
river at midnight She was dressed in black; and
that sombre color, so jarring with youth, seemed
only to spiritualize the tender beauty of her face
and the delicate symmetry Of her form.
Gibson! it's that Colonel's daughter you made
love to at Guadaoupen said the eldest Of the men
on the balcony "May never sweep the board
again, if it isn't Miss Dolores Massard! O, you
lucky dog Egad, you must propose to her again
and if she won't have you, carry her off, and well
stand by you.
''You are right, johnson it is Dolores, said
the younger man, leaning eagerly over the balcony.
"Yes, tis; how beautiful she looks And there
that sour beggar of father, whom the General
would not let me fight with though he refused me
Dolores Now I'll have my revenge. He shall
fight me now, Or give Inc his daughters hand. !
know she still loves mel know that"
"The Colonel refused to fight members of oul
club at Guadaloupe!' said the other savagey.
''He called us gamblers and assassins; but we'll
try him now. Here, you men, come here
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