Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1872-07-13

utntlY CdlSllU blSHt VI uo) az" -
calling us to hasten Bc8s'o spranS
to her feet, while Joe and | made tae
boa fairly leap over tho little, curl
ing wayelets. We were almost
thro.
phil" whispered Bessie ~
ePml, there not a boat insight aud
the man appears to be tied to the
wreck"
A terrible suggestion fl shed over
me was ii possible that some tlend
bad mado this man fast to the wreck,
and left him to die The thought !
was TOO horrible to be harbored for
an instant but it put new life INTO |
my weary arms, and in a moment
more our boat touched the wreck. |
Again that fearful moan! The rud.
der dropped from Bessie's trembling
hands, and, with a face white as
death itself, she sank to the bottom
Of the boat Throwing down my oar,
turned, and there apparently lash
ed to the iron beams, with bls arms
stretched out like the arms Of a cross
was Robert Severance, bis sallo#
face ghastly with the hue OF death,
his black hair dripping and tangled
with bits of strange sea-Weed, ms
eyes lurid with a demoniac fire and
bis lips writhing with agony as he at
tempted to utter the words, Ven
france is mine, saith the Lord
For q moment was dumb and help
less with toiror; then, springlnG to
; the side Of the boat, ! reached over
; to draw him in. While doing 50, |
! was concious of a vague wonder at
the absence of ropes, or any other
molium by which he could be kept
d in that position but the wonder
was forgotten in an instant, for, as
laid my hand upon his shoulder, 4
e shudder seemed to pass through the
wrecs causing the boams to roci
and the water beneath us to tremblc
and the man slipped from my grasp
sliding down into the groon water
VIII lo with horror stricken faces W
L oazed over the side of the boat, see
ing only the eVer.widenlng circle
that dotted the surface OF the river
l. We took up our oars no word wa
spoken, but, with scared faces an
is noryeless hanls, we slowly took on
Is wav home. The noon was as swe(
e and pure as the morning had been
fine sun sloce as brightly and IL
river danced and sparklod as brl
W. liantly as ever; but great horr!t
had fallen upon Us, and we tho19t
only Of the dead man out there, VIII
after 50 many years, had gone in tn
nc! mysterious way to join his cor
ath rades. II
Five months later, L received T.
following letter from tho hands
n Captain Willis Martin, Of the whaI
pc shin General JochSola who had G.
ior ried it with him all chat time beio
ng having an opportunity to deliver
ky In answer to my questions, CAPITA
OF Martin made this statement Sew
Joy anco had shipped with hun as a co
mon seaman, but upon the death
ct the Third Mate he was promoted
that position, filing it to the sat
faction of all concerned. lie v
Ind aoiet and reserved, seldom speak,
except to issue orders, and ne
md touching drop ot liquor On
the count OF bis unsocial disposition
lud was hardly iavorite with the enc
alf- or men, though all respected III
are Tho sailors considered hun "qoeC
So ar aetacked." Captain Martin kr
the nothing of his his ory, and could o
ing add. that, on th> 2oth OF March
tely While homeward bouud, they an'o
and tor. a severe storm. On the sN
;ero inc OF tha' day Severance haude
ned sealed packet 10 the Captain, g
mo- fully reaj4ug over to him the add
bed. and Desiring, i'll caao OF HI d9ath
iful, cnrripg al any time before reaei
hole home tha. he would deliver II to
rom in person. This tho Captain pr
iscd to do; and supposlnS 1t 10
toll one of S verance's queer ire
thought no more about the mai
J.. iI'- The next morning about ten oc
III " there was acry of "mm overboa
'iul' and, although every effort was II
to save him, it was, OF course,
"O'S- possible. Tho huge waves to
O., him hither and thither for mon
and then, with one despalrlng
ana he went down. The lost man
us the Third Mate, Robert Sovera
spur The Captain could not say wn'
'66ii d it was an accident OF case Oh
eide. No one had seen the man
Dos- nothing was known of the DIS
l'lB II until the bitter cry OF distress
upon borne to them above the rush
open roar of the storm. This was the
aanc, tain. statement in brief. | WI
$ not call spocial attention to his N
cen " ofcartajn dates, 1t will b. rel
Ws3 wa, bered that the Mupie Lcqf was
cotlL'' g at1, Marsh 29th, 1864 also, mat
ee G! ! Vno three years to II day f'om that
river . on MSreb 10Th, 1867, Bessie "
le ilS f had that terrible experience owe
le ,,! ON old wreck in the St. Johns l
OlaSh tSa aud again, the date Of the letter
No. '"G about to give shows that 1t was
-nuV 1 ten by Severance on the oyenl
oli,leu March 2Sth, 1867, his death occ
,!st 1ust tho next day, March 29th--t"ct
dlrosv S are corroborated by Captain NJ
Il "IIn WV These facts may, or may ho
.ulchly i mere eonincidences. However
It tne may be considered by the inc
iougnS Gus, they certainly should reeoI
,IecVe" go serious attention of those wi
mem ms > tempt to explain the mystery
If I;fe TO TO ROBERT sEvERANoEs IETrEI
'''' ON BOARD Sur GENERAL JACI
ILL., March 28th, 1856
could PH1Lrp': Tonight I am
III lllI,a1 y,ulantae rs