Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-01-29
The BLACK Bean of Death.

The following story is told of the late
George Jones, 1.-THE Count Joannes,"
whose eccentric ways and inordinate
vanity made him the leading butt of
r;dicule In New York for many years |:
II seems that George Jones, the Counts
father. was an English chemist. who
about the year 1918 emigrated with his
wife and two children, of whom George
was the oldest, to this country. His
brother was but four years old, he only
ak. and his sister baby in her mothers
arme. The vessel, an old sailing ship,
fitted out after the ordinary method of
eroiOrant vessels in those days. was n
lad sea boat. and. meeting with terrible
storms on the Atlantic, was driven far
ont of her course, and with difficulty
kent above water. When Mt last the
weather moderated it was found that
the prov isions, of which there had been
an insufficient quantity at the start,
were running short. Everybody was
nut on short allowance, 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 no food left on board,
and starvation stared the crew and pas
sengers in the face.
Driven desperate by hunger the crew
mutinied. and the cautain could only
recall them to their duty by agreeing
that beans should be drawn from n 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 was included in this horrible
lottery, and with heavy hearts the fam
ished emigrants came on deck TO partici-
pate. The beans were all wrapped in
pieces of paper. and it was agreed that
none of them should be opened until
Hoon on the day of the drawing, so that
it. during the two hours that interviewed
ship or land were sighted. the doom of
the drawer of the fatal black bean might
be averted at the eleventh hour.
The captain was the first man 10 put
his hand into the death box. He drew
il out, and unable TO master his anxiety
to know his fate at once, he tore off the
covering, and discovered awhile bean.
He was saved, and rs the officers, one
by one, drew the beans from the box
they followed the captains example,
pulled off the papers, and showed white
beans. The first man among the crew
WHO uGt" WAS Tile lOOkOuI, WHO came
down from the masthead, secured n
white bean, and resumed his lofty post.
After the crew had all drawn, the black
bean still remained in the box, and il
seemed clear that the victim was to be
found among the passengers! They
drew by families, and comparatively
few beans remained in .the box when
Mr. Jones with his wife and children
advanced to take their chances. The
father and mother drew white beans,
and then the little boy, George, was led
to the box. He scarcely comprehended
the full nature of the terrible ordeal he
was undergoing, but he plunged his
little hand in and drew out bean. His
father hastily snatched it from him and
was about to tear off the paper, when
the shout of Land ahead" !" came from
the masthead. Amid the tears. laugh
ter and feeble cheers of all on board,
Mr.: Jones cast the bean into the sea,
and the future Count never knew
whether it was a white or black one.