Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-05-26
THE HAUNTED HOLLOW.
A Spot Resting Under Curse-Indian
Massacre, Murder and Suicide.


Massacre, Murder aud Suicide.
From the CarnesoiUe Register.
There is place in the western part of
this county upon which a curse has rest
ed for 100 years. The very atmosphere OF
the place seems impregnated with disaster
and ruin, ana the blight has fallen upon
every family that has made it their per-
manent home. A hundred years ago
family named Crockett, consisting Of
widow and eight children, lived on the
place. The eldest son, William, was to
be married in few days and the family
was preparing for gay wedding festival.
AT midnight the Crockett house was
hushed IN sleep, the pale moon cleaved
the midnight sky, and the silent stars
lowered over the doomed inmates. The
impatient lover was perhaps dreaming OF
the fair maiden upon whom a dark shadow
was TO fall with the rising sun. Whatever
his sleeping fancies may have been they
were never realized. His slumbers
were rudely broken by the Indian
war whOop ecaoing over the hills; a
brief struggle ensued and all was again
still. Lurid flames leaped toward the
heavens, and morning found the Crockett
mansion in ashes and the murdered in
mates lying in heap In the yard. The
neighbOrs buried the family in one grave,
over which they erected rude monument
OF rough stones, which in after years a
vandal hauled away for the purpose Of
building chimneys.
Some sixty or eighty years ago the place
was again occupied by Howell Manghum,
VINO erected a gin. Soon afterwards his
son Gilbert, bright ard promising lad,
was caught in the running gear, and so
terribly mangled that he died. This was
sad blow to Mr.. Manghum. but it was
Not the last, and probably not the
heaviest-the curse that clings to
the place followed him up. Some years
after the death of Gilbert Manghum, Ken
ney X. ShOckley, who also lived on the
place and was the son-in-Iaw of Mr..
Manghum, sold negro man, Jim, to a
trader. On the day of the sale and before
the purchase money was paid Jim fed to
the swamps and hung himself. He was
instantly pursued and cut down before
life was extinct, but all efforts TO revive
him proved abOrtive.
We now approach the saddest tragedy
Tat ever occurred upon the Inflated spot.
On the morning OF Sept. p, 1853, Miss
Martha Stowe, who lived either in the
family Of Shockley or Manghum, was re-
turning from visit tG her fatner's, when
she was Intercepted by three negroes, be-
longing to Mr.. Manghum-Lauk and his
two sons, Jerry and Dan-whO carried her
into the woods, where she was found muir
dered and outraged. Nitric acid had been
poured down her throat before death
ensued. Circumstances pointed TO Lank,
Jerry and Dan as the murderers. They
were arrested, and Lank and jerry were
tried at the October term of the Superior
Court. They were ably defended, but the
proof against them was overwhelming.
They were found guilty of murder and
executed side by side on Friday. Nov. %
1858. They died with the plea Of innocence
on their lips, believing, it was thought,
that they would be reprieyed at the
last moment. Dan. the younger son, who
was hung several months later, made a
confession, accOrdings 70 which it was
one OF the most brutal outrages recorded
in the annals OF crime. Many persons
have believed that ghosts roam about
the "Haunted Hollow" where the muir
der was committed, and IL is alleged
that on dark. gloomy nights. strange
light is often seen lowering over the
spot where Miss Stoves body was found.
There We're many circumstances, which
could not be properly recorded nere that
seemed 10 indicate that Mr.. Shockley was
in some way connected with the crime,
but no effort at investigation was made.
A shadow of suspicion also rested upon
Mr.. Manghum. Mr.. Snockley soon after
wards left the country and went rapidly
to ruin.
quite NUMBER OF men nave engaged
in merchandise at the place, where no one,
nor no thing ever did prosper; but the
blighting curse soon fell upon them, and
they went down in financial ruin. Among
them were X. X. Sh1ckley, Matthew
Galloway. W. K. HathcOck, Col. James
BRYANT and Lum Crensnaw.
The last CHASTITY occurrence at the
"Haunted Hollow" was the death Of Mr..
Walter j. Bramlett, "A most estlmable
citizen, which occurred on the evening of
Dec. %, 1875. Mr.. Bramlett had been
living on the place only a few years, but
had become taciturn, gloomy and restless.
On the evening in question, sitting on his
back door steps, within n few feet oil
where his family was dining, he cut his
own throat with his pOcket-knife from ear
10 ear, severing his windpipe and jugular
VEN, from which he died in "a few
minutes.