The Orangeburg democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1879-1881, 1880-02-06
A Couple Of .StiHs.

ny, TIC OOutnern EXprCSS delivery
wagon was driven up to the establish
meht of B. f. Avery & Sons, and a
large kerosene barrel, marked s'B. T.
Avery, Druggist, Atlanta, Ga.," turn.
ed over TO the firm. The Averys re-
ceive their goods usually from the
factory in Louisville, and are general
ly notified when shipments are made
to their house. They were not OK
.pecting anything III their line on yes
,terday anu were somewhat surprised
at receiving the barrel in question.
Their surprise grew into astonish-
.mcnt when they were informed that
the express charges upon said barrel
were Sl4,20. The could not imagine
what the barrel contained, but con-
cluded it must be something Of much
value from the heavy charges. For
some time they hcsitatcd to take it,
but thinking it must contain some
thing in their line forwarded from
Louisville, they paid the charges and
the barrel was rolled into heir store.
A porter was ordered to knock the
head in, which he accordingly did,
when, to his utter horror, he discov-
cred that the barrel contained two
dead bodies. And !hcn this colorcd
man, almost pale with alright, drop
ped his hatchet, and, rushing into the
office, communicated the awful fact
to Mr.. Avery. That gentleman and
his clerks rushed out to the open bar
rel, and sure enough there were the
two bodies doubled up and packed in
with charcoal. The upper body was
evidently the corpse Of boy, and
was in frightrul position, being
entirely double, with the legs pressed
firmly back oyer the shoulders. The
lower body was tile corpse of man,
and had been packed in without The
slightest reference to grace OF posi-
tion. SS4:OD- -t-LL
lGhqc weie white, tHev'cinil-
ted no bad odor whatever, and to all
appearances, .werc-in state OF excel.
lent preservation. There was a sym
metfy and freshness about them
whieIH plainly showed, even to the
most casual observer, that but Il short
;timesGad elapsed since the spade Of
,theS;ghonl Ind! done the work. The
discopary, of The bodies created big
sensation, and throngs of people vls-
tied ths+store to gaze on the ghasll.,'
spectacle. Mr.. Avery, being III The
pillow business, felt certain that there
must be some grand mistake about
the; bodies, lie felt, too, that it was
Il grave subject demanding immedi-
atcinvestigation by the police so he
dispatched note 10 Chief Anderson
advising him of what had happened
and asking for an investigation. The
Chief Of Police at once repaired TO
his store-room, and having examined
the address upon the barrel, conclud-
cd that the barrel and its contents
must have been intended for Mr..
Arch Avery, the druggist, and that
mistake in the initials had evidently
been made by the sender. Mr.. Arch
Avery was accordingly sent for. In
short time he appeared upon the
scene and at once laid claim to the
barrel and the bodies. The chief
then gave him an order on b. +.
Avery & Sons for the rcsurrccted
freight, which was gladly delivered
to him upon payment Of the express
charges Ga
The reporter dropped into the drug
store Of Mr.. Avery to find out if pos
sible what disposition had been made
Of the barreled stifls, and while he
was received and treated with marked
courtesy fy the gentleman therein
found, regrets to state that the con-
versation was exceedingly pleasant,
but remarkably unsatisfactory. Not
whit disconnected, bnt fairly culver
ing that hot and exquisite sensation
which is born Of detective fever alone,
the reporter pushed his inquiries and
learned from a perfectly reliable
source that the bodies had been con
signed to Mr.. Arch Avery for the
Southern Medical College at this
point, and had been promptly turned
over to the functionarics Of that new
institution. 1t seems that MIR. Avery
has brother in that institution, and
it is thought that the whole thing was
worked thDuph him for tbo hepnGt nr