The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-05-18

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The Remarkable Adventures of a Penn
ssy4vsn1a eGirt-IFosv : csh e BE came
J. GYPSY "a Midnig ght In nitiatton-Lyin in 9
Fortnae-Teiffng, and AstealfnR1Th
sDaughfers of the ForestsgstCf 55e
i,lo5 IIsIFrom the New iforksun.lsii Ell
5a ALLENTowS, ,sPa.ss May f2.--i'L ewa
under their rule four years, and woul,
have. been in; bondage, to-day if i ha,
not made up my mind to escape from
the band, be my solemn, sacred oati
violated or not.'S i.5G3slB tro5si391q
81 Suchwas the language of 3ssBarret.
Martel, Ia young woman of7finea figu1s
and appearanee,fwho was a passenge
oman eastwar bound express train from
central Pennsylvania a few days, ago
The conductor stated that she had es
capped from gypsy band in Western
Virginia. and was going toward he
home in Berks County, which she saiG
she had been induced to uleave in tn,
summer of 1872. She had Gbeen ,giveI
the above name by the leader of the
band shortly after she joined them. 2
eyes, ] am willing to tell all know
about these so-called gypsies, y she said
al have risked my life in leaving them
and, further, | am going to keep moth
ing hid under ground They are a baC
set, the most of 'em, and only wonder
that the American people allow the
wandering thieves and kmiscreants tc
swoOp down among the farmers to
MI .Hn,. al aho.af & A-N
t'To begin, was fifteen years old
when I was coaxed to leave home.
We lived beyond Fleetwood first,
and then moved down near the coun-
ty line of Montgomery, in Pennsyl-
Kania. A band of .gypsies, as we-call-
ed 'em, came along in wagons, and one
of the women wanted to tel my fortune.
I had jet black eyes and a dark skin,
and very dark hair, and the woman took
a fancy to me. They camped in the
woods near our house, and the woman
came over tesoui place often. Then a
man came and made me present of a
pair of cheap Bracelets. L was silly
enough to consent to visit them in the
woods. When I went to them, they
talked to me of the nice kind of life
they were leading, and, after getting my
head full of gypsy life, at last consent
ed to 90 with them for a month toward
New York State. | was to get s. a
week and my board. | was 20 help
cook and q tend to the Children. The
man gave his name as SEukesMurell
He had with him four other families,
but he was the leader. The camp was
a large one, there being thirty-seyen
people in all, and about fifty horses and
nine tents. In MurQll's family there
were three children sand- his wife, a
aged, raw-boned Irish Woman
The woman told me to say nothing to
my friends about going. | told her l
did not know how to get away. They
it as follows: The band left
the woods three days before | did. /
was to tehmy parents bwas going on a
visis.to my annt's by railroad, and in
stead of thatI was to meet theaband at
a small station beyond Allentown. We
then cut up through the country, and it
was four days before we stopped. /
never heard of the folks at home after
ward, although l secretly wrote three
letters.
OVERTURES.
eve had not been gone a month be-
fore one of the women in camp asked
me how would like to become a gypsy.
[ said frst-rate, not thinking that any
thing would come out of it. I was
getting paid right along, and | thought
could make money and save enough
to buy me many things. Then Mrs.
Mureli came to me and said she was
right glad to hear thatI was willing to
become one of their number, and TO be
bound to them by stilmOre closer ties.
6 Right after that got to thinking. l
never suspected much OF any thing out
Of the way, but strange fancies crept
through my mind. | thought nothing
more about it until Luke .Murell said to
me one evening that. the camp was
pleased with my appearance, and that
the folks would give me a awelcome that
night. / thought they were going to
have little evening party of some kind,
and said all right. The little children
we're put to bed, and we were -camped
in ravine that run well up in back
not far from Elmira. | won't
be certain about the date, but it was in
August. was alone in our tent won
iering where the folks had gone to, and
what they were doing. got afraid.
Every thing was quiet. None of the
dogs barked, and the horses
you couldn't hear. About 10
o'clock some one called me by my tight
name Lizzie and knew it was the
voice of Bods, one of the young sons Of
.he tinker of the band. | came out and
asked what was wanted. He said, Luke
Murell wants you down at the spring.
fhey're all down there, sois the horses
could see which way to go by the light
1f the fire. When gotnear to them |
saw nothing but big trees and row or
horses. Inside the ring of horses and
rees was the spring, and a big fire was
burning near big stone pile on the 9TH
sr side. They had told me to fix myself
lp, and / had on summer wrapper and
ny hair was done up in the waterfall
style. One of the women stepped up and
old me toilet my hail'down thatitwould
ook better. Luke Murell then stepped
ip and took me by the hand, andsled me
around the spring, the stones, and the
ire, so asall the people of the band could
zee me. We walked slow. Ismiled; but,
strange to say, none of them returned it,
md instead of having pleasant faces,
hey looked sober, colo, ,and sickly. None
If them had word to say. | was going
o speak to Mrs. Mnren, but she laid
ler finger on her mouth and sadly shook
her head. | became nervous, The fire
lied out, and the woods were dark. On
y. a faint light arose from the embers,
and could just see the outlines of the
,orms OF the crouching people about me.
p INITIATED. - -.t..f ~
s.Then / was led to the spring, and [
vas told to bathe my hands, face, tenn
pies and neck For the first time in my
life l used silk towel, which he hand
I'D me. He poured cold water on my
head, and then l sat down on camp
stool. Two young girls then came up
and took off my slippers. They brought
! basin of water and bathed my feet,
While this was going on, they sang one
Of their peculiar melodies. Iafterward
found out that.the women did the sing
ing alone, and the words and music are
only taught them after they have two
l. 4 I 4 \ u