Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-10-29
A TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE,
A Drummer Who Passed a Fear
ful Night-An Old Man and
an Axe.

Little Rock Gazetto.l
Mr.. A drow Monroe, of st. Louis,
a well-known commercial man, ar
rived in the city last night from Polk
county, this State, and in company OF
several gentlemen at the Capital Ho-
tel, related the experience ola terrible
night through which he had just
passed.
"Modern means of travel" began
Mr.. Monroe, ARE unknown In Polk
county. The primitive OK wagon and
the old time high-bedded wagon re-
main on the roads with that tenaeity
characteristic Of old things. With q
light valise l started from a little VII
lage the other day intending to reach
a neighboring village by night. l
had employed an OK wagon
but the driver, suspicious Of store
clothes, withdrew from the contract
Just as l had about completed my ar
r~angements. Then | plainly saw that
in this play Of pedeStrianiSm | was to
be walking gentleman. started
without any anticipation Of pleasure.
| The road was lonely, and the deep
eeholess shades were painfully suggss'
tive of robbers and shocking appaTl-
tiOns. | met a man about twelve.
o'clock, and would have shared s.
cornbread lunch with him bu, he.
SHE'D around like 4 One-eyei horse,
plainly indicated that he did not care
to associate with me, so | left him.
Turning at the rugged brow Of the
hill and looking back. | saw that he
was still watching me. A heavy rain
came up; the rain fell in torrents
The road, which had been described
as perfectly plain, narrowed into a
mere path, and then almost entirely
lost all semblanee of 4 trail. The dis
NAL moaning Of the wisd, and the pat
ter of the rain, falling drearily on the
parched and withered leaves, made me
feel uncomfortable TO a degree that
cannot be we'll described. Just before
night | reached alog cabin uear the
bank Of small stream. The sight OF
a human habitation thrilled me. !
entered but found no one. A dull,
smoldering fire burned in a large fire.
place. Seating myself on a slab bench
| waited. Presently an old man en-
tered. He was old but Of powerful
mould. His shoulders we're broad,
and his arms, from which his shirt
sleeves we're rolled, were pictures OF
sinewy perfection. He merely nod
dcd. When | asked him a question
as TO whether or not | could remain
in his house duringthe night, he again
nodded and left the room. The rain
increased. The old cabin home was
not alluring in its comforts, but any
thing was better than the woods,
darkness, intense aud impenetrable.
The old man came in again with an
axe and a lamp. Turning he locked
one door, and placing the lamp on the
shelf he locked the other door. Then,
with a fearful howl, be sprang upon
me, and with a rope which be had
concealed about him, bound me. He
stood me up like a pipe stem, and tax
ing up his axe, said:
"'You ran away with my wife and l
am going to kill you'll
II begged piteOusly. He raved.
"'What have you done with her?'
he demanded.
81 told him that l was his friend
and that l knew nothing Of his wife,
but he raved again and raised his ak.
Hold on / cried. If you wait until
tomorrow l will get your wife for
you He dropped his ak and eased
me to the floor. | slept in painful
dozes. The old man lay near me
muttering. When morning came, the
old man unbound me and pointed to
the woods. | did not wait for a second
sign. After a painful search l found
tie road. Meeting a man, [ related
my experience, and was informed that
the old man waS crazy, and that he
imagined some one had stolen his wife,
but that the poor woman was sleeping
her eternal sleep under the broad
h~earthstone Of the cabin"