The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-08-29
TERRIBLE DEATH BED SCENE.
& Dying Negro Criminals Last State
mont Causes a Big Religious Revival
From The q 7 a,,,s Globs- Democrat

4 Dying Negro Criminals Last State
mont Causes a Big Religious Revival
From the 81. Louis Globe Democrat.
JEFFERsoNvILLE, Aug. 1.-THE colored
people of Jeffers5nville are nearly wild
with religious excitement, and last Sunday
night over 200 of them joined the different
churches On Sunday morning Marion
Hunt a cOlored man, noted for his wicked
ness, died, and there are few Of the people
of his own color who do not believe tha5 he
is now burning in sheol. Every little
crowd that gathers ON a street corner dis
cuSSes it, and strong religious wave has
swept over the colored population of the
little CITY of Jeffers0nvile in consequence
Hunt was about 81 years of age and during
last winter he taught coiored school in
Snelby county, KY. When the summer
vacation came he found himself i'll, and he
went back to his Indiana home. Here he
dissipated almost continually, and for some
time past it had been known to his relatives
that his days were numbered During all
his life he had almost revelled in wicked
ness, and it Is said il ever he had good
thought he never expressed it. Every one
knew of his wickedne-s, a, d when he came
to die only little group of five or six be-
side the undertaken, A. K. Tucker, stood
abou. his bedside. For several hours before
ali' 'AOetViA SiC ny ing liiiA ii'ah DNSH
clear, and, seeing the end fast APP
preaching, some one suggested that ne
had better try and make his peace with
God. Hunt laughed wildly at the idea,
and, with a rude oath, he declared that he
would yet live to plant flowers on all their
graves. But the laugh seemed 10 freeze on
his lips, and look Of wild, indeScribabIe
fear overspread his features. His eyes be-
came CLASSY with fright, and his yellow
elbow, he held out his hands and begged for
some one to save him. Then he sank back
with a groan of despair. In & trembling
voice he told how the devil was waiting for
him; how he could see the burning pits of
the evil ones domain, and he felt himself
being drawn slowly to them as if by O.
strong current. just across near his satanic
majesty lay a hideous black reptile, with
protruding tongue, and at its masters bid
ding would coil about him and drag him to
eternal torment The dying mans voice
grew louder as he proceeded, and ended in
wild shrek.
The people present were so terror stricken
they could not move, and every word
seemed to sink into their hearts. Hunt
gave a vivid description of the country he
saw himself entering Everything looked
bright and dazzling; the streets were pretty
to look at, but they were red hot, and bub-
bling fountains Threw up mOlGen lead. On
every hand people III torment rushed fran
ticaly to and fro wringng their hands and
screaming with pain. The terrible recital
was interspersed with awful oaths, and his
hearers shuddered at each successive out
burst of blasphemy. Gradually his voice
grew faint, and as the death rattle sounded
in his throat he muttered a curse and stiff
fened out lifeless
This broke the strange spell over the
frightened attendants, and in minute the
room was emptied of all save the under
taker. They told the story many times
each before they went to sleep, and in a
few hours nearly every colored man in the
West End knew Of the terrible scene, and
when the funeral took place the next even
ing, only one hack followed the body to the
grave 1t has made a strong impression all
around, and there are few colored people in
Jacksonville who have not already re-
solved to Join church in consequence.