Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1884-10-03


ges and specifications had not been
prepared. He then sputtered
around, denounced the charges and
angrily inquired who had reported
him to head quarters. He was told
that it was "Lieutenant' Riddleber.
ger. In great rage he left the Of
flee breathing threats of vengeance
which he carried into execution by
deserving, and taking up his abode
in Washington, where he remained
till the end of the war to avoid the
court martial aud its consequences.
The only time he saw his old
home aud friends afterward, dur
ing the war, was when he revisited
the town of Woodstock with a con
voy of ambnlances and a guard OF
federal soldiery to carry away a
lot of tobacco to sOlace his new
friends around their camp-fres.
After the war Triplett came back
to Woodstock and made strenuous
efforts to reinstate himself, which
by the incessant use of his selfact.
ing trumpet and association with
gentlemen Of the profession he
measureably, but not quite succeed
ed in doing. But convict like, he
had a hankering after doing some
thing, and he a.vailed himself of the
first opportunity.
One day the people Of Col. Furnace
were shocked with the intelligence
of the accidental death of one of
their esteemed neighbors, Elijah
Bowers. The circumstances where
of the most horrifying character.
The man had, in prime and vigor
Of manhood fallen upon a wheel
and was literally broken to pieces.
A short while after burial the body
Of Elijah Bowers was disinterred.
The indignation of the community
may be imagined, but not described.
Suspicion quickly settled upon
Triplett and lynching was in the
air. But proof was lacking, wiser
cOunsels prevailed, and the matter
rested for some time, till an old
white citizen of this town now dead,
and an old colored one still living
here whispered into the ears of a
few fellOw-tOwnsmen enough to
establish that Triplett was the chief
ghOul-telling where the body was
taken, how it was disposed of to
avoid detection when the populace
were on the scent, and the final
disposition Of it. AS this got wider
and wider circulation Triplett con.
cluded more and more to go back
to Washington. He did so and
there began writing a book, the
first hundred pages OF which were
devoted to retutation of the
Mosaic history and vindicatiOn of
the theory of Evolution from which
he leaped to the anatomy Of man,
and so involved the human stomach
that he nauseated the profession
this side Of the Atlantic, and took
his departure for Europe to COM
plete his scientific researches. The
book is not yet in type and the
pages have been called in.
When these first proofs began to
get to light Riddleberger was
commemorative attorney and to
him the people of Columbia came
for the prosecution Of Triplett,
whom they had for years believed |
to be the guilty party. Triplett |
seemed to know that the statute of |
limitations did not run where the |
accused had been a refugee from
ustice so, when he went off the
second time after the violation of |
he had about the same
I'D devotion to, and attachment for,
Rid dleberger.
In this statement we have en-
leavored to treat only of matters
,oing to the motive of personal
ssault. Were we disposed to go
nto general private conduct, we
night give many details of the
}ate, Weldon, two "PoOrs House"
nd other midnight orgies in the
uiet grave yards where the dead
ad been laid to rest to await the
Oming at the last day.
When men evince a total disre-
ard for the feelings and surround
lgs of their fellowman, and persist
/ prosecuting him with libelous 7
even after he has qui- !
.ly submitted to one wrong and |
ne outrage at their hands, they 7
semitic themselves to all respect.
i consideration and make it a ne.
'ssity in the interest of society to
I'VE their true characters well
lOwn.
Who then is this "Dear Cousin"
whom Triplett addresses his
zen or more personal ISLANDERS, a.
ID who rushes them into the pub
prints? He is the local editor ca
the Winchester Times. He has
e leg. The other one he did not
70 in the war, as some people
We been representing since he
s been tracking war records of -
lers. 1t was amputated ten "
ars after the war and for cause
, technical name of which En- w
sh photographers say has no der j.
tion except from Greek word ~ IL
hog. Possibly it was ~
, "Dear cousins" aversion to the