Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1876-05-19
Gypsy LIFE.
Remarkable Adventures Of n Pcnn-
sylvania Girl.


al WAS under their rule four years, and
would have been in bondage to-day if |
had not made up my mind to escape from
the band, be my solemn, sacred oath
violated or not"
Such was the language of Barretta
Martel,n young woman of fine figure
and appearance, who was a passenger on
an eastward bound express train from
Central Pennsylvania few days ago. Tho
conductor stated that she had escaped
from gypsy band in western Virginia,
and was going toward her home in Berks
County, which she said she had been in.
duced to leave in the summerof 1872. She
had been gwen the above name by the
leader of the band shortly after she Joined
them.
les1 srn Willing to tell all ! know
about these so-called gypsics," she said
have risked my life in leaving them,
and, further, | am going to keep nothing
hid under ground. They are bad sci
the most of 'em, and | only wonder that
the American people allow the wandering
thieves and miscreants to swoop down
among the farmers to plumber and cheat
them.
ITO begin, was fifteen years old when
l was coaXed TO leave home. We lived
beyond Fleetwood first, and then moved
",
in Pennsylvania. A band of gypsies, as
we called 'em, came along in wagons,
and one of the women wanted to tell my
fortune. | had jet black eyes and dark
skin, and very dark hair and the woman
took fancy to me. They camped in the
woods near our house, and the woman
came over to our place often. Then a
man came and made me a present of a
pair of cheap bracelets. was silly
enough TO consent to visit them in the
woods When | went TO them they talked
to me Of the nice kind of lite they were
leading, and, after getting my head full
of gypsy life, | at last consented TO go
with them for a month toward New York
State. | was to get five dollars n week
and my board. ] was 10 help cook and
attend TO the children. The man gave his
name as Luke Murell. He had with him
four other families, bat he was the lead
or. The camp was large one; there be-
ing thirty-scvcn people in all, and about
fifty horses and nine tents. In Murell's
family there were three children and his
wife, q middle-aged, raw boned Irish
woman. The woman told me to say moth.
ing tony friends about going. / told her
did not know how to get away. They ar
ranged it as follows: The band left the
woods three days before | did. was TO
tell my parents | was going on visit to
my aunts by railroad, and instead of that
was to meetthe band at small station be-
yond Allentown We then cutup through
the country, and it was four days before
we stopped. never heard of the folks at
home aitcrward, although | secretlywrote
three letters.
= We had not been gone a month be-
fore one OF the women in the camp asked
mt how would like to become u gypsy.
said first-ratc, not thinking that any
thing would come out of it. | was get.
ting paid right along, and | thought
could make money and save enough to
buy me many things. Then Mrs. Murell
came to me and said she was right glad
to hear that was willing to become one
of theirnumber and to be bound to them
by still closer ties
Right after that got to thinking.
never suspected much of anything out of
the way, but strange iancics crept through
my mind. thought nothing more about
it Until Luke Murell said to me one even.
ing that the camp was pleased with my
appearance, and that the folks would give
me welcome that night | thought they
were going to have little evening party |
OF some kind, and | said all right. The |
little children were put to bed and we
were camped in a ravine that run well up |
in back mountain not far from Elmira. |
/ won't be certain about the date, but it |
was in August. | was alone in our tent !
wondering where the folks had gone to,
and what they were doing. l got afraid. |
Everything was quiet. None of the dogs |
barked, and the horses you couldn't hear. !
About ten O'Clock some one called me bv |
my right name, Lizzie and | knew |
il was the voice of Bods,' one of the |
young sons of the tinker of the band. | |
came out and asked what was wanted. |
He said, Luke Murell wants you down |
at the spring. They're ali down there, so |
is the horses. l could see which way to |
90 by the light of the fire When | rot |
near to them | saw nothing but.big trees |
and n row of horses. Inside the ring of |
horses and trees was the SPRING and IA big
fire was burning near big stOnc.pile on
the other side. They had told me to fix
myself up, and had on II summer wrap
per and my hair was done up in the wa.
teriail style One Of the women stepped
up and told me to let my hair down, that
1t would look better. Luke Murcll then
stepped up and took me by the hand, and
led me around the spring, the stones and
the fire, SO as all the people of the band
could see me. We walked slow. l smiled,
but, strange to say, none of them returned
II, and instead of having pleasant faces,
they looked sober, cold and sickly. None
of them had a word to say. | was going
10 speak 10 Mrs. Murell, but she laid her
finger on her mouth and sadly shook her
head. | became nervous. The fire died
cut, and the woods were dark. Only a
faint light aTose from the embers, and l
could just see the outlines of the forms of
the crouching people about me.
"Then was led TO the spring and |
was told to bathe my hands, face, temples
and neck. For the first time in my life l
used silk towel, which he handed me.
He poured cold water on my head, and
then | sat down on a 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 | aiterward found out that the
women did the singing alone, and the
words and music are only taught them
after they have two children. After my
feet had been dried, they spread branches
of cedar and pine before me, upon which
| stood. The singing stopped. Luke
Murell then came to me with bowl of
water. took II mouthful. First i
thought il was a joke or a trick, and /
laughed. As the ceremony went on /
was convinced that it was more serious
iii"+' at III htsd eulI'oStu. WAS lnen
taken through a regular baptism, and
when | received my new name of Bar
Geta' was told | should never forget it,
but would always be known by it. They
called me Reta' ever afterward Then /
was asked whether | was pleased with the
people. | said Yes Whether / had
keen kindly treated. / said Yes
Whether had any reasons to regret having I
known them? to which | said No. s
Then they asked me whether had I
said that / desired to become one ]
Of their number, and before | could I
answer that question young girl
about ten years old, the prettiest creature I
think ever saw, ran up TO me and gave S
me what / at:erward found out was a {
bunch of wild flowers. She got upon the !
stool, took me around the neck and whis. s
pered in my ear to say Yes loved l
he child, and when she asked me TO say !
Yes | would have done anything for '
leT. said was willing 10 Join them, '