The enquirer southerner., 1874-08-07
TIE
A NIGHT OE TERROR.

in your younger days. You relate
u sorry so well, that l never tire
Of hss sning to you; 50, if there has
been auy thrilling episode in your
life that I have not as yet heard,
/ sherld be pleased to have you
narrata ;s, and | can assure you
1nat ! shall be a most attentive
listener
Il am afraid you're great fat.
terer, Mr.. williamson she replied
However, she added, 4 will
comply with your request, for q
startling event recurs to my mind
at this moment.
Twenty years ago my husband
was dealer in jewelry, and also in
most articles of great value. He
travelled almost incessantly, and
stopped but short time in each
city or town. | could not bear tc
be parted from him for months a,
. time, so | always accompanied
him in his wanderings, and endured
many hardships and dangers fol
the sake of always being with him
There were not many railroads il
those days; they were like angels
visits-few and far between
Late in the Summer of 1852, We
were in New Orleans; he had finish.
ed his business there, and was ready
% leave. On making inquiries he
found that there would be no vessel
for Savannah, our next stopping
place, till the end of the following
month, SO he decided to take the
overland route.
We'll, we got as far as Opelaka.
Georgia, without meeting with any
very serious annoyance or danger.
Opelaka, at that period, was little
more than q village, inhabited by
half-breed Indians, miserable,
treacherous rascals, and a few
whites, whose general character was
equally as bad. Every two weeks
Q stage left Opelaka for Griffin,
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 miserable place.
He had three trunks filled with
valuable goods, and the stage driver
wanted ten dollars more than M
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
sAnnie,' he replied, d won't pay
such exorbitant charges to that
scoundrel; no, not if we have to
stop in this place for 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 no demanded.
There was a squalid>looking
hotel-tavern rather-in the villas
&c, kept by a dirty, ruffianly>ap~
pearing half,breed, which my hus~
band and I entered on the depar-
ture Of the stage.
Can we get a team to take our
trunks and ourselves to Griffin ?
asbed my husband, of the host.
The roads are in very bad COM
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
better stop here tonight; I'll
make you as comfortable as | can,
he replied.
Well, then, I guess we'll stay
here till tomorrow morning. OBJ
served my husband.
sThe host went to prepare aroom
for US, and as he left the apartment
white man stepped up to my hus"
band and said:
Mister, you'd better not stay in
this shebang tonight, for you'll
surely get murdered if you do,
There were FIVE men killed and rob.
bed in this ranch within the last
two months. I'm a teamster, and
I'll take you to Griffin If you want
me to-
"A pleasant prospect, indeed,
said George. If we stay here
we're likely to have our throats cut
SO he tells US; and, if we 60 on thi'
afternoon and stop at the old taverr
over night, mine host says that tht
same delightful fate will await u
there. Between two evils choos'
the least; but confound the who'll
| affair I don't know which is tn
least. My FRIEND he added, turn
ing to the teamster, 4 reckon vel
remain here tonight. Be ready t.
start early Tomorrow morning a
daylight.
Ifyou and your wife isn't as dea
as a door nail, you mean to say
mister said the teamster, with
grin, as he walked away.
I GOOD heavens, George cried
when safe within the apartmen
I that we had been conducted to b
the host we'll be murdered, an
only because you acted like an oh