The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1874-08-26
Vol. X.
ssIeeteo Story.
A NIGHT OF TERROR.

pleasant. conversation. ':you appea
to have met with many adventure
in your younger days. You relat
story SO we'll, that I never tire o
listening to you; so, if there has
been any thrilling episode in you:
life that I have not as yet heard
I should be pleased to have yor
narrate it, and I can assure yor
that I shall be a most attentive
listener.
4 am afraid you're q great fiat
terer. lIr. Williamson" ," SIZE replied
However," she added, Il will com
ply with your request, for a start
ling event recurs to my mind al
this moment.
'Twenty years ago my husband
was u dealer in jcwclly, ana, also
in most articles of great value. He
travelled almost necessarily, and
stopped but q short time in each
city OF town. 7 could not bear tc
be parted from him for months at
a time, so I alwas accompanied him
in his wanderings, and endured
many hardships and dangers fol
the sake of always being with him.
There were not many railroads in
those days; they were like angels
visits-few and far between.
Late III the summer Of 1852, We,
weresin New Orleans; he had fin
ished his business there, and was
ready to leave. On making inqui-
ries he found that there would be no
vessel for Savannah, our next stop
pingplace, till the end of the fol-
lowing month, so he decided to take
the overland route.
well we got as far as Opelaka,
Georgia, without meeting with any
very serious annoyance or danger.
Opelaka, at that period, WAS little
more than a village, inhabited by
half-breed Indians, miserable,
treacherous rascals, and a few
whites, whose general character
was equally as bad. Every two
weeks a stage left Opelaka for Crit
fin, the terminus of the railroad
from Savannah. We got there
in time for the stage, but, through
the stupid obstinacy of my husband
we were left behind in that miser-
able place. He had three trunks
filed with valuable goods and the
stage driver wanted ten dollars
more than my husband had ever
paid anybody else-that is, for an
equal distance for carrying them to
Griffin.
"'George, give him what he asks,
I said, rather than stay in this
wretched village for weeks. If we
remain here, We'll be murdered and
robbed by those Misunderstanding
Indians
annie he replied, I won't pay
such exorbitant charges to that
scoundrel; no. not if we have to
stop in this place for a month by
refusing to do so.
"Well, as I said before, the stage
left without US, for the driver re-
fused to take the trunks for less
than he demanded.
There was a squalid-looking ho-
tei-tavern, rather in the village,
kept by a dirty, rufianly-appearing
half-breed, which my husband and
T entered on the departure of the
stage.
Can We get a team to take
our trunks and ourselves to Griffin?
asked my husband, of the host.
1.-The roads are in very bad con
dition, and you, couldn't get more
than five miles from here this after
noon, and you'd have to stop at a
house where a man was murdered
last week for two dollars. You'd bet
terstop here tonight. I'll make you
as comfortable as T can, he replied.
'::Well, then, I guess we'll stay
here till tomorrow morning, OBJ
served my husband.
The host went to prepare a
room for us, and as he left the
apartment a white mrn stepped up
to my husband and said:
;:AIister, you'd better not stay in
this shebang to night, for you'll
surely getmurderedif you do. There
were five men killed and robbed in
this ranch within the last two
months. I'm a teamster, and I'll
take you to Griffin if yon want me
to-
GA pleasant prospect, indeed,
said George. If we stay here we're
likely to have our throats cut so he
tells us: and, if we go Oh this after
noon and stop at the old tavern
over night, mine host says that the
same delightful fate will await us
there. Between two evils choose
the least; but, confound the whole
affair! T don't know which is the
least, Ny friend" he added