Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-11-06
A BEAUTIFUL OCT0R00N.
Herself and Lover Assassinated
The Murderer DeVOured
by AIligatOrs.

AAaA
try and their absent friends.
"Well Senores Americanos, said a
musical voice behind them, are you
not going to thank me for the good
dinner | prepared with my own
hands2'
The two friends turned, and found
themselves face to face with a beauti-
full octoroon girl of twenty years at
most, who had Just assembled the steps
to the veranda with a rush net full of
oranges, bananas and a couple of pine
apples, all fresh plucked and loading
the air with perfume, on her head.
Come, now" she continued, laugh
ingly, as she placed the fruit on the
table, here is your dessert and here
I'm ready for my reward"
Take it, then, Terresita,' ex-
claimed Collins, I" for you have earned
it nobly. Your banquet is fit for an
emperor" and twining his arm around
her waist he drew her face down to-
ward his own and imprinted a kiss on
her lips.
"But did you really prepare the din
ner yourself?" asked Owens, initiating
his friends example and drawing the
girl to a seat on his knee, rs it all
your work."
Every morsel of it, she replied
coquettishly running her slender ing-
ers through his curling hair. Il would
not trust to old Maria's clumsy hands
on such an occasion as this, you may
be sure. She can cook well enough
for common folks"
"Your husband for instance" inter
rupted a voice hoarse and quiyering
with rage, and an understood savage
looking mulatto bounded upon the
veranda, while the girl started up with
a shrek of alright,
Curse you, you wantonl Since you
are SO fond of feeding other people
but me, go and cook dinner for the
devil!'
And snatching, a long, keen knife
from his bosom, he plunged it up to
the hilt in Teresita's body before eth
err of the Americans could interfere.
The girl fell dead, and springing
upon Owens, whom he seized by the
throat, the man yelled:
"As for you, you dog of an Ameri-
can, | have watched you this long
while. You wanted my wife, did you.
Very well, then, you have enjoyed her.
Now go and have your fun with her in
hell"
And with a circular sweep Of his
knife, like that employed by a butcher
in Sitting the stomach of a bullock.
he ripped the overseer open, while the
latter, who had snatched a fork from
the table, drove the tines into his
cheek, leaving the weapon %quiyerinG
there as he fell.
BY this time Collins had re.
covered himself, and catching up the
heavy stool on which he had been sit.
ting, he felled the murderer with a
single tremendous blow, and shouted
for assistance.
The mulatto resisted furiously, but
still made no effort to injure the slaves
who secured him, using the knife only
to hack and mangle the bodies of hi
victims until he was finally dragged
away and bound, leaving the verandi
inundated with blood.
After the bodies had been removed
the planter, followed by the negroe
dragging the prisoner behind them a
the end of a rope, led the way to
deep and narrow stream that irrigate,
the plantation, and commanded tn.
murderer to be thrown in.
T The owner was promptly obeyed
and the man had hardly touched tn
water when a score of hideOus head
appeared all about, and in a momen
more had disappeared. The alligator
, had devoured him.
Then Collins returned to the hous
and sought to drown the recollectio
, Of the days tragedy in a manner whic
!, resulted in his being carried to bed b
his servants dead drunk.
/, He awoke late at night with hi
throat on fire from his debauehe, an
, after vainly endeavoring to get VI
3 called for a glass Of water.
Almost instantly a withered an.
hideOus negress, who had been squat
ting in the doorway OF the room, az
: peared with the required beverage.
= The planter swallowed itat q draugl
2 and demanded more.
a At this second glass, which he cor
samed more slowly, he smacked h
. lips several times; and finally asket
/ suspiciOusly, What Is the matter wit
this water2 1t tastes strange,
I docs it," returned the bag, With
/ croaking laugh. Il should think
would. Why, there is enough pOis0
e in Il 70 kill a dozen men,"
y Collins uttered a hoarse cry and Ell
deayOred to rise, but the old woma
i threw herself upon him and seized h
throat in her claw-like hands, straDj
81 ling him and preventing his ealliI
Ie for help.
.e You killed my son" she erie
because he treated his worthless wi
It and lover as he ought. Now you sh;
, die, and before the breath leaves yqr
body you will wish that you had pc
lg ished as easily az no did. You ha
n drunk of the devils grape, each DR..
y, Of which is sufficient 10 destroy a n.
is with the most horrible torture.
e. And she burst into another shri
Of unearthly laughter, while the plan
eF's frame began to culver under h
hands ~ The commissions Of unbearaf
J., agony.
IS The devils grape, as tho natives
p the Spanish West Indies call It, &.
ut small green berry, very closely reese
a bling a goosebcrFy, which grows on
an certain species of plrasitical plan
be that attaches itseftO eofee-trees wht
as they have become barren and are D,