Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1870-03-17

49,
blacks, who, as soon as they got i
commenced to dance around it, at ey
cry other movement giving it thumY
with stick, and calling it all manner
of names; and they finally ended by
eating him up"
Sergeant of the guard sergeant Of
the guard!" shouted a terrified voice
from without, just as the story had flu
ished.
We jumped up and hurried to the
door of the guard-room, and on open
ing it, found the sentry who had been
posted at the lock gate lying fiat on his
face on the ground. We raised him
and found him to all appearance dead;
but after warming him at the fire, and
rubbing his limbs smartly, he began to
show signs of life, and opened his eyes.
Questions were eagerly put to him as
to what had happened, but no answer
could be got. He only looked round
MIN with strange, vacant stare, and
then relapsed into another fit.
A fresh sentry, was ordered out and
a on-commissioned officer accompan-
led him, to ascertain, if possible, what
had overcome the first man with such
mortal terror. As they approached
the sentry-box, they discovered to their
astonishment, the dead body of a man
lying half in and half out of it. Their
immediate impression was that some
horrible crime had been committed,
for the Plumstead Marshes were at
that time infested with smugglers and
other desperate characters. On exam
ination, a discovery was made which
added to the mystery. The body was
nearly naked, having only a shirt on!
The natural question was, Where did
it come from?" And this was fol-
lowed by the equally puzzling query,
"How did it come there?
The mystery was rather intensified
than otherwise, by the next discovery
made. Close examination of the shirt
revealed that it was marked with the
broad arrow, and it then flashed across
our minds that it was the body of a
dead convict. Lying in the river close
to the guard-house was an old man-of-
war, called the Justicia, the home of
convict felons. These convicts were
in the arsenal in all kinds Of
drudgery. All this we knew well
enough; but it did not help us to un-
derstand how the body of dead con-
vict had found its way into the lock-
gates sentry box.
After time the sentry recovered
consciousness, and was able to recall
and to communicate what had happen
ed to overcome him with such mortal
terror. Most eagerly was he question
ed, and this was what he had to tell
He said that after he had been placed,
be walked to and fro until slight
shower of rain came on, when he step
ped into hissentry box backwards, gaz
ing on the marshes. AS he got into
The box something fell against him,
and on turning his head to see what it
was, he, to his indeseribable horror,
saw ghastly face peering over his
shoulder! At that sight his courage
Corsook him; he took to his heels, and
made for the guardroom, where ne was
lble to raise cry, and then, overcome
with excess of terror, fell down sense
ess.
This statement accounted in part for
what had happened, but still left the
greatest mystery of all-the presence
If the convict's body in the sentry box
as far from solution as ever The
poor sentry, who was completely pros
rated, was sent to the hospital, and
or some time our curiosity remained
At last the truth oozed
,ut. One of the guard was terrible
elbow for playing practical jokes, and
IN some suspicion falling on him, he
that this mischief was of his
planning. He knew that the sentry
Who would be placed at the lock-gates
vas simple, nervous fellow, and de-
ermined to play off joke upon him.
When a convict died, it was customary
o place his body in a small wooden
he'd called the "convict's dead house."
Until it could be buried.
This dead house was not more than
our hundred yards from the lock-gates,
md our incorrigible had actually gone
o the dead-house, got body lying
here, carried it on his back, and placed |
t in the sentry box in the situation as
1t was he who told the
hark story, watching all the time for
What was likely to happen; and might
ly he enjoyed the joke. But he had
o pay for it. He was made prisoner,
md tried by court-martial, and the Of
cers composing that court, having no
urn for humor, passed severe sen
ence on him. His unfortunate victim
emained some months in hospital be-
ore he fully recovered from the effects
f the practical joke, and | may add he
fterward went to the West Indies,
There he died.
D9 Representative Dewes made a
enter shot in his speech at Nashaw,
7. H., when he said: Gen. Grant is
he head of party thank God that
an criticise itself; party that can
robe, not cover its sores; that can
row healthy and strong by self pro
ling. What has it done this last week,
nut take one of its own members,
ound to be corrupt, and drive him by
unanimous vote from the halls of
Did you ever find the
Democratic party in pursuit of any
orruption within its OWE ranks, ex-
aaE 70 fnEton an 10 did unn auar