The Opelousas courier., 1884-07-19

lu6 AtAdilbd COItStttttCtoH Pu0A'
a story told by Alonzo Lyon and
vouched for by hundreds of the best
citizens of De Kalb county, concerning
what IS called "Jude's light" MI.
Lyon was raised in De Kalb county,
Georgia, four miles from Lithonla and
about thirteen miles from Allan
ia, one-half mile from Macedonia Bap-
fist church, on the Stone Mountain
and Flat Shoals road. It is in the
quiet, rural hamlet on the farm for
merly owned by his grandfather, Ed
mund Bunt, deceased, then after his
death bought by Mr.. Lyons brother.
in-law. MT. Hartman, and now owned
by Mr.. David McWilliams, that "Jude's
light makes its regular appearance.
About forty years ago a man named
Reid owned the farm, and he also
owned a negro woman by the lame OF
Jude. Reid had Jude punished for
some offense by placing her in close
confinement, and on very short "a
tions. Mr.. Lyons mother, who now
resides with him, was a young girl,
and says she remembers slipping some
food to poor Jude, and will never for
get the eagerness with which the
fanished woman deyoured. it. jude
finally died, it was believed, from the
effects of cruel treatment and depriva-
ton of food. She was buried in the
woods on a hillside across a branch
about 800 yards from the house occu-
pied by Reds family. No n else
was buried there, and the grave is to
this day a solitary one. Soon after
the burial "Jude's light" appeared,
emanating from the grave, and wan
dered about the house and premises at
all hours of the night. This eight"
manifested so much intelligence and
struck such terror into the hearts OF
the Reid family that they sold all their
possessions, and hastily left the state
of Georgia. The eight has continued
to appear frequently from that time TO
this, but never seemed to inspire terror
and uneasiness in the breast of others,
nor visit the dwelling often.
After Edmund Blunt, grandfather OF
Mr.. Lyon, purchased the Reid farm,
Mr.. Lyon lived several years with him
He saw the .light" probably a thou
sand times, ait all seasons of the year
and in ali kinds Of weather. So, also,
did his mother, brothers and sisters.
Many of the neighbors have been pres
emit occasionally and watched it. The
Reid dwelling is situated in the fork Of
two small streams, which flow togeth.
Ell and form Poll Bridge creek a short
distance below the house. The bottom
land along the creek is here very broad
and extensive and covered with 9
dense growth of cane and bushes. a
field had been cleared between Jude's
grave and the dwelling, so that ths
grave could be seen from the house.
.Jude's light always seemed to come
straight up at the grave. about eigh'
or ten feet high. and keeping about
the same distance from the ground i
would float slowly off up or down tn
swamp. or toward the house, or up th'
hill through the woods. It would
often glide about for an hour or so i
sight, then suddenly go straight dow
out Of view. AT such times, said MI
Lyon, he and others had sometime
started for the grave with the intention
of beating this eight, there, in orde
to see whatit was If possible, but non
had ever succeeded III doing 50. p
the time they had taken ten steps i
the direction of the grave they Woul
see the flight. returning toward tina
point with runway speed reaching J
before the Would-be investigators Wer
fairly started. 70 invariaDly pause
an instant just over the grave the
dropped straight down and disappeared
A vislt enere lmmea1aeeiy aiesfM 81
revealed no pnospnorescehe or osnel