The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-10-21
The Fatal Black Bean.

George Jones, father of the late Count
Joannes, was an English chemist, who.
about the year 1918 emigratcd with his
wife and three children, of whom George
was the oldest, to this country. His brother
was but years old, he only ., and his sis
ter baby IN her mothers arms. The YES.
| sci was an old sailing ship, fitted out after
the ordinary method Of emigrant vessels in
those days, was bad sea boat, and, meet
ing with terrible storms In the Atlantic YVES
driven cut of her course, and with difficult
ty kept above water. When ut last the
| weather moderated it was found that the
provisions, of which there had been an iu-
sutticientquantity at the start, were running
short. Everybody was put OH short allow
ancc, but when at last, the ship was on her
direct course for Boston, whittier she was
bound, further reduction had to be made.
This was soon again reduced, and at last
there was 10 food left on board, and star
vation stared the crew and passengers in
the face. Driven desperate by hunger, the
crew mutinied, and the Captain could only
recall them to their duty by agreeing that
beans should be drawn from box, and the
one upon whom the black bean fell should
be killed for food for the others. Officers,
crew and passengers, women and children,
everybody on board, were included in this
horrible lottery, and with heavy hearts the
famishcd emigrants came on deck to par
ticipate. The beans were all wrapped in
pieces of paper, and it was agreed that
none of them should be opened until noon
on the day of the drawing, 80 that, if
during the two hours that intervcncd,
ship or land were sighted, the doom Of tho
drawer of the fatal black bean might be
avcrtcd at the eleventh hour. The Captain
was the first man to put his hand into the
death box. He drew it out, and unable to
master his anxiety 70 know his fate al once,
lie tore off the covering, and discovered a
white bean. Tic was saved, and as the Of
ficcrs, one by one, drew beans from tho
box, they followed the Captains example,
pulled off the paper, and showed white
beans. The first man among tho crew who
came down from the masthead, secured a
white bean, and resumed his lofty post
After the crew had all drawn, the black
bean still remained in the box, and it
seemed clear that the victim was to be
found among the passengers. They drew
by families, and comparatively few beans
remained i'll the box when Mr.. Jones with
his wife and children, advanced to take
their chances. The father and mother
"S" "hilS oSG:isy s>Atl ItlGu tHC lulu UOY,
George, was led to the box. lie scarcely
comprehendcd the full nature of the terri
bic ordeal he was undergoing, but he
plunged his little hand in and drew out a
bean. His father hastily snatchcd it from
him, and was about 70 tear off the paper
when the shout Of "Land aslore" came
from the masthead. Amid the tears, laugh
ter and feeble cheers of those OH board,
Mr. Jones cast the bean into the sea, and
the future Count nevor knew whether it
was white or black one. But the Jones
family were not destined to escape un-
scathed from the hardships of that disas-
trous voyage. Before the land that the
keen eyes of the sailor at the masthead had
dlscerncd far away was much nearer, the
little girl had died in her mothers arms, of
starvation. Soon aftcrward, the youngest
son, Richard, showed signs of failing intel
lcct, and before the passengers landed, he
was violently insane. He recovered in
some measure after a few months, but the
Count used to say that up to the time of
his death, he was subject more or less to
mental depression and mild lunacy, the re-
suits of his sntferngs during those eighty
five days. AS for the eldest son, George,
who lived to be the Count Joanncs, he was
quite blind when he went ashore at Boston,
and six weeks elapsed before lie regained
his sight.