The South western news. (Dawson, GA.) 188?-1889, 1888-10-03
A BODY SNATCHER
IS frightened Out ofhis Wits
AND TEARS A BOARD FENCE
N MS Mdd Desire to Escape the Pistols of
hree men Patching the crave--A
PRACTICAL Joke Played on en- Italian.

DeSITe 70 escape the Pistols OF
three men Patching the crave--A
PRACTICAL Joke P'cyed on on Italian.
atlanta JotirRol.1
Out on the Boulevard road, two
miles from the city, and but a short
distance from the street car tracks
on Ponce de Leon avenue, is quiet
looking little country home, Sur.
rounded by growing crops.
A pasture lot close by is occuni-
ed by a number of fine cows, while
on clear and sparkling branch is
an old spring house.
Across the road from this little
country home is little graveyard
It's but small graveyard, and is
surrounded by rock wall.
Two tall cedar trees stand as SEN
tinels over the Medlock family. MIR.
and Mrs. Medlock, and their five
grandchildren, The occupants years
ngo 0 the little farm house.
The farm is now owned bv Major
NJ. L. Kiser,a and is occupied by MIR.
4. r. Smith and his son, Mr. NJ.
Smith.
About dark last ght, as the
young man was going down to the
pasture lot, he was hailed by a man
who said he was from the city.
He talked with Nr. Smith for a
few minutes and then said:
"There's a crowd Of fellows from
the city who are fixing to have some
fun tonight at that little graveyard
yonder. There's little italian in
town upon whom we want to play
a joke. I've been working on him
for about three weeks. told him
that | made business Of stealing
Stitts, and sometimes made as much
as fly dollars a nj. hit at it, and /
ohere / to let him in the business
with me if he wanted to 90 | told
him that ] would give him half and
We could make biz money out Of it.
lie was a little AFRAID ut first, but
day be ore Yesterday he cons nted
to go in with me and help to steal
the next stiff located. | told him
Yesterday that | had found one and
TO get his horse and wagon ready
for use tonight, for he was to tar
uisb the horse and wagon. | lust
want to tell you that there's going
to be some shooting around here
to night and you ree@n't TO he al
armed. We are going to have some
fun out of the Itauan or Tn a
Dutchman."
At fifteen minutes past eleven !
last night a wagon containing three
men and the Italian drove out
Ponce de Leon avenue and stopped !
at the corner Of jackson where the |
horse was tied.
The italian was given a dark I
lantern to carry, although the moon
was shining brightly,
Two other men carried a pick !
and sboveland silently the quartctte |
noared the little graveyard, from |
the middle of which a single marble |
Shaft shone in the moonlight, in |
front OF the two tall cedars waving
in the cool night wind.
A thick pine wood lay just be-
yond the graveyard, and through |
the trees the rising wind sighed
and moaned as the men stopped in
front Of the graveyard.
A whispered consultation was
held and he Italian, whose hair by
this time was standing on end, was
told to advance and throw the light
from the lantern under the cedar
tree to see if any guard was pres,
crt Slowly this inhahitant of the
land of blue skiasand hrlmv breozrs,
crept up the few stone steps leading
over the wall, shivering N the raw
night air as he mounted the steps.
Suddenly there Was rnstling in
the bushes, and from every corner
OF the graveyard a figure in white
arose.
Before the frightened Italian
could move, before he could say
(anything more than 'Buono bio"
Good God) four pistols were fired
almost in his face.
"Did he rum"
"Well, il YOU could have seen the
deep tracks he made in the mud as
he crossed the road, followed by
eight other shots, you would lave
said he was a little ratified. If YOU
could have seen where he ran iuro
and tore down a portion of an old |
hoardlence. upon which a piece o
his coat tail was huttuing in the !
breeze this morning, if you could |
have seen the place where he Sided !
down steep embankment on his /
face and the way he tole up the earth .
in making tracks away from the
graveyard.y you would have thought |
the imps Of satan themselves were
after HMM full cry. Mr.. NJ. Smith,
who heard the shots fired said short
ly afterwards he heard the dogs Of
a negro who lived half mile away
barking very turiously, and he had
no doubt thpt they were barking at
the flying Italian. Mr. Smith heard
the others laughing as they went
back to the wagon, which they pro.
posed to put at some livery stable
and keep there until the lillian res
turned, when they were going to
get a policeman to give him anoth-