Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-05-06
JuDE,s LIGHT.
The Curious Story That Comes From n
Little Unmlct IN Ccort,ja

The Curious Story That Comes From n
Little Hamlet In Georgia.
ATLANTA, April 27.-The Consiltu.
ton to-day publishes curious story
told by Mr.. Alonzo Lyons and vouched
Tor by hundreds of the best citizens OF
DE kalb county concerning what Il
called "Jude's Light MIR. LYONS
was raised In De Kalb county, Ga, four
miles from Lithonia and about thirteen
miles from Atlanta, e-half mile from
Macedonia Baptist church, ON the
Stone Mountain & Flat Shoals road.
II Is In the quiet rural hamlet on the
larm Formerly owned by his grand
iather Edmund Buut, deceased. then
after his death bought by Mr.. Lyons
rother.in-law, Mr.. Hartman. and nov
owned by Mr.. David McWilliams.
That "Jude's Light makes It's regular
appearance.
About forty years ago man named
Reid owned the farm, and he also own.
eu q negro woman named Jude. Reid
had Jude punished for some oflense by
placing her In close confinement and
on very short rations. Mr.. LYONS
mother, who now resides with him,
was a young girl aud says she
remembers clipping some food to
poor Jude, and will never forget
The eagetness with which the fam
ished woman devoured 1t. Jude
finally died, II was believed from the
effects OF cruel treatment and depriya-
ton of food. She was buried I'M the
woods on a hillside across a branch
about three hundred yards from
the house, occupied by Reds
family. No one else is buried
there, and the grave is TO
this day solitary one. Soon after the
burial "Jude's light appeared" eman-
ating from the grave aud wandered
about the house aud premises at all
hours of the night, This "light''
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
light has continued to appear fire..
quently from that time to This, but
never seemed TO inspire terror and
uneasiness in the breast of others no,
visit the dwelling often.
After Edmund Blunt, grandfather
Of Mr.. Lyon, purchased the Reid farm
Ar. Lyon lived several years with him
He saw the "light' probably n thous
and times, at all seasons of the yeal
and in all kinds of weather. SO, also
did his mother, brothers and sisters
| Many of the neighbors have beer
present occasionally and watched 1t
The Reid building Is situated in tn,
fork of two small streams, which flow
together and form Pou Bridge creek
| ul.Nrt liui IN Lalf,uv hA
bottom land along the creek is her,
very broad and extensive and covere,
with dense growth of cane ant
bushes. A field had been cleared be
tween Jude's grave and the dwelling
so that the grave could be seen from
the house.
"Jude's light" always seemed {,
come straight up out of the grave
about eight or ten feet high, and keep
ing about the same distance from tn
ground it would float slowly Off up o
down the swamp, or toward the house
or up the hill through the woods. |
would often glide about for an hour o
80 in sight, then suddenly go straigh
down out of view. At such times, salt
Mr.. Lyon, he and others had some
times started for the grave with the in
tention of beating this Light" ther,
in order to see what il was, If possible
but none had ever succeeded in doin
so. BY the time they had taken tel
steps in the direction G
the grave they would Sc
the "lightn returning towar,
that point with railway speed
reaching it before the would.be invest
igators were fairy started. 1t invarI
ably paused an instant just over tn
grave and then dropped straight dow
and disappeared. A visit there imm'
diately afterward revealed no phospht
resent or other lights.
Mr.. Lyon described the eight q
about the size of n mans doubled fist!
of a somewhat reddish tinge, sparl
ling somewhat, but not very brilliant
and only slightly Illuminating III
bushes and trees in passing anon
them. The nearest Mr.. Lyon WI
ever to "Jude's light was abo,
the distance from the dwelling TO III
small stream In the direction of IL
grave-say 100 yards. His brother-i
law, Mr.. Hartman, who owned IL
, place after Edmund Bunts death, IN
lived on 1t until 1876, was once With
six or eight PAGES of it. On that nigl
J his wife and her sister, Mrs. Thomi
Mize. were all awakened from SCUM
! sleep Just after midnight /
: some mysterious sensation, and G
4 looking out into the yard they saw
5 very unusual illumination. Mr.. Har
4 man opened the door, and there In u
. yard was the familiar ball of reddis
!. sparkling light. 1t remained statio
d airy few seconds, and then slow
y glIded OF in the direction OF the gray
II Mr.. Hartman said he was not partic
y larly scared, nor were the ladies', b
5 each felt that they had been awaken.
: by this unusual approach Of Il
3 eight"