Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-04-28
nARTYRs TO DISCIPLINE.
The Sad Fate Of Nineteen uer who
Waited FOR the GayeI 20 Fall.


waited for the GayeI TO Fall.
Pittsburgh Chronicle. Telegraph
The crowd that gathered at the en-
gine-house the other evening was sup
plemented by new. conner, and late
acquisition to the Goosetown popula-
ton. He sat and listened to the sto-
ries Of the REGULARS" some of which
contained India-rubber enough to
make them almost waterproof, at
times apparently pleased with his
new acquaintance. while again
his countenance wore puzzled
expression. The conversation turned
upon the nailers' strike, and one Of the
visitors remarked: 1.-The strikers are
under excellant discipline; they have
been out nine months, and not one has
deserted the organization, although rare
inducements have been offered to indi-
yiduals to accept situations"
The conversation was carried on in
the same strain for perhaps ten or fif-
teen minutes, the newcomer having
remained quiet, apparently wondering
how the firemen climbed the brass pole
to the bed-chamber above, when he said !:
Gentlemen, you fellers OF to-day
don't know nothin' bout discipline. !
can remember a little instance that &C.
CURED up in York State when was a
boy. twas long in '33 or '34 there
was considerable Of furry in those
parts regarding the purposes of secret
societies, and it wasn't always policy
for a member to apprise the public of
his connection with the Freemasons or
Odd-Fellows, but the fact didn't seem to
keep either order from increasing, and
q lodge Of 0dd-Fellows had been organ
lied SO secretly that the uninitiated were
in perfect ignorance OF its existence.
They had secured an unused attic over
store in an old building, and converted
it into a hall. Twenty men, all heads
of families with one exception, formed
the membership Of the new lodge. The
sessions were generally held after the
villagers had retired to their slumbers.
One August morning the old storekeeper
opened the front door to find the body
of man who was well known stretch
ed upon the pavement. A regalia Of
some kind was lying beside him.
An examination showed that his
neck was broken, but, as there was no
person in the place that knew the
meaning Of the paraphernalia found
with the body, it was regarded with
suspicion. 1t was noticed that nine
teen men Of the village did not appear
at the funeral, nor did they ever re-
turn. They were mourned for years
by as many widows, and finally referred
to only by the Oldest residents, who
lived in the hope Of one day seeing
the mystery solved. A quarter
of . century after the finding Of
the body on the street the old
store-room was torn down to
make room for more commodious
structure. Workmen were engaged in
removing the roof, when they discovered
q lot Of skeletons. 1t was at first
thought the place had been used as q
dissecting-room at one time, but inves-
tigation showed that every skeleton was
still standing erect. the clothing had
moulded away, and the flesh been de-
voured by worms, nothing apparently
remaining to explain the circumstance,
until q book Of the proceedings
of the lodge was found lying on .
box. 1t was plain enough then: The
lodge was about to close, when the
presiding officer had accidentally fallen
backwards through the open window in
the gable-it was he that had been
found on the pavement years before;
the nineteen grinnipg skeletons repre-
scented the members still waiting for the
gsvsl to fall, not having noticed the ac-
cidenf. They were martyrs to dis
cipline, gentlemen" said the new
conner, as he spst out . huge quid Of
tobacco and started for home.
The regulars are delibsrating q to the
wisdom Of allowing the assd liar to be-
come one Of their numbsr, with the
chances about even IN his favor.