Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-02-22
JOE CIVILIZATIONS LATEST.
A Cave Once Occupied by the Famous
John A. MurrelI.

john a MurrelI.
On Feb. IL, say s Huntingdon Tenn. ]
letter to the Nashville World, we lett
Huntingdon for the southwestern portion
OF this county for q few DAYS bird and
squirrel hunt, having for our companion
A. M. Lee, the Postmaster. Being Sc
curely seated behind $40 {h0urs) thor
oughbred, we were soon on our hunting
ground. While following rocky branch,
known as the Gin branch, We came to
where it skirted the margin OF high hill.
Our setter, Charlie, made a dash at the
RABBIT and both rabbit and Charlie dlsap-
peared in the hill. Tue entrance was
what we supposed to be creVice IN the
rocks, as the margin of the hill was COW
cred with large sand rocks. In moment
the bats came pouring out by the hun
dreds. The weather being chilly they fell
to the ground in a stupOr as soon as the
air struck them. Their SAUNDERS had
been disturbed by the dog. We were en-
Joylng the fun when, to our establishment,
several large horn owls came topping out.
One gave dismal boot rs though he had
not seen daylight in years, or wished to
frighten US away. Becoming uneasy for
fear our dog could not return, Mr.. Lee went
TO the entrance ofthe cave. Taking pole
and probing some six feet, he found ii
made an abrupt angle 10 the right; the
opening was barely sufficient for CON-
mon sized man to enter; he gTOped his
way until II became so dark that he re-
turned and revealed the terrible news
that ii opened out into what he believed
to be a large hall, and that he could hear
Charlie running around and whining, as
though be was lost and could not find his
way out. We sent TO j neighboring house
and procured IA lantern, determined to
rescue Charlie at all hazards. With
lantern in hand, we both entered
compelled to crawl on hands and
knees for some distance before we could
walk erect; the entrances turned first to
the right and then to the left, in a ZigZag
from; finally we met Charlie, and his
bark, as it echoed and re-echOed, aston
lshed US to sucu an extent that we raised
our lantern over our heads, which threw
a bright light around-we stood dumb tor
mOment-we were shocked and horri-
tied-the surroundings were revealed; We
were in large room, ceiled on sides and
overhead with rud clapboards; before us
sat large table with mutilated pack Of
cards in the centre; heavy wooden chairs
around the table, a couple Of large and
rough shCD-made knives on one corner.
As soon as we could collect our senses
and calm our staggered brain we found
we were in a secret cave that had once
been occupied by band of outlaws, but
who or when WIS the question. In sur
Yeying the room, which was 1SXlS, we
found, in one corner, a black something;
holding the light close, our blood was
chilled, it was large black man, his
skin and flesh dry as those who in ancient
days were given passage ever Sharon;
large and rough made chain was locked
around his ankle and fastened to staple
in the floor. In the opposite corner lay
the dried frame of two huge blOodhounds,
in an old and heavy wooden box was
found two old fashioned horse pis-
tolls with flint locks; they had I'M
doubtedly done service in the revo-
luton; there We're also several
pair Of handouts. We began to think
we were in the regions Of the damned.
When looking on the rough wall there we
saw the ''handwriting;" it was John a.
Murrell, 1928" We were in the great
outlaws den; we could then see that the
man chained had been stolen by the bold
bandit-brOught there and chained until
they could run him South and sell bin.
The presum Dtion is that when the cave
was deserted he was alive; the doom WAS
sure. but what agony he underwent
chained and al0ne-his face like Millions
devil "grinuea horribly CHASTITY smile.'
The blOOdhOunde had been kept for the pur
pose of recaptuTing any slave that might
escape. AS we were about making our
exit our companion Lee called our atten-
ton, in a excited manner to another OBJ
ject, We turned around and he was pale
and the lantern trembling in his hand; he
pointed under the table, and there lay the
form and dried frame of another human
being. Examining close it proved to be
that of a once beautiful female. She too
was chained. She had died q horrible
death-starved TO death. Her long yell
low hair still clung to the dry skin on her
head, which hung IN golden tresses |
over her bosom that once |
heayed with the breath of life, though |
now cold; her once ruby lips were parted |
so as to disclose a set Of pearly teeth. |
How came she IN a robbers den? She |
could not have been victim to Cupid's |
dart, if so why chain her? She undoubt- /
eddy had been kidnapped and held for /
ransom. But our hearts grow sick as we /
write. Several letters were found of a I
character, but "a they contain I
the names of people in Middle tennessee, I
we decline to give their contents.
The discovery OF the den has caused /
great excitement in the neighborhOod. /
Numbers have visited the place, and /
few have Yentured III. MIR. w. G. Blair, /
on whose land the cave is, refused TO i
have anything disturbed until the people /
could see it. He permitted A. NJ. Lee 10 |
remove the dragon pistols, which have (
John a, M4rrell's initials stamped on the /
barrels. Any person wishing to see !
them can call on him at the post office in /
where he will take great |
pleasure in showing them.