The Dawson journal., 1885-04-09
MURRELE'B DEN.
A Strange Story from Carroll County,
Tennessee.

Correspondence Nashville World.
HUNTINGDON, Tenn, Mch. 10Th '85.
--On the 11th instant, we left
Huntingdon for the southwestern
portion Of this county for few
days bird and squirrel hunt, hav-
ing for our companion A. M. Lee,
the acknowledged prince of post
masters; and let us say when
Huntingdon loses him she will
lose postmaster that has pleas
ed every one without dissenting
voice. His duplicate cannot be
found. Being securely seated be-
hind a two-forty( (hours) thorough
bred, we were soon on our hunt
ing ground, it being in the imme-
diate vicinity where we were both
born and raised, as q matter of
course we were well acquainted
with the woods. While following
rocky branch, known as the Gin
branch, we came to where it skirt
ed the margin of a high hill, our
setter, Charlie, made dash at a
rabbit and both rabbit and Char
lie disappeared in the hill. The
entrance was what we supposed to
be a crevice in the rocks, as the
margin of the hill was covered
with large sand rocks; in mo-
ment the bats came pouring out
by the hundreds; the weather be-
ing chilly they fell to the gound
in stupor as soon as the air
struck them-their slumbers had
been disturbed by the dog. We
were enjoying the fun, when, to
our astonishment, several large
horn owls came Topping out, one
gave a dismal hoot as though he
had not seen daylight in years, or
wished to frighten us away. Be-
coming uneasy for fear our dog
could not return, Mr.. Lee went to
the entrance of the cave, taking a
pole and probing some six feet, ne
found it made an abrupt angle to
to the right;e the opening was
barely sufficient for a common
sized man to enter; he groped his
way until it became so dark that
he returned and revealed the ter
rible news that it opened out into
what he believed to be q large hall
and that he could hear Charlie
running around and whining, as
though he was lost and could not
find his way out. We sent to
neighboring house and procured
a lantern, determined to rescue
Charlie at all hazards. With Ian
tern in hand we both entered, COM
PEELED to crawl on hands and
knees for some distance before we
could walk erect; the entrance
turned first to the right then to
the left, in q zigzag form; finally
we met Charlie and his sssbark, as it
echoed and re-echoed, astonished
us to such an extent that we rails
ed our lanterns over our heads,
which threw a bright light around.
We stood dumb for a moment; we
were shocked and Mortified; the
surroundings were revealed; we
were in large room, ceiled on
sides and overloaded with rude
clapboards. Before us set a large
table with a mutilated pack of
cards in the centre; heavy wooden
chairs around the table; a couple
of large rough shop-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 OF when, was the
question. In surveying the room,
which was 1Sx18, we found, in one
corner, a black something; hold
ing the light close, our blood was
chilled; it was a large, black man,
his skin and flesh dry as those
who, in ancient days, were given
passage over Sharon;a large and
rough made chain was locked
laround his ankle and fastened to
@ staple in the floor. In the op-
posite corner lay the dried frames
of two huge blood hounds, in an
old and heavy wooden box was
1
found two old-fashioned horse
pistols with flint locks; they had
undoubtly done service in the rev.