Iuka reporter. (Iuka, Miss.) 1888-1894, 1889-08-22
THE BLEEDING BUSH.

| The BLEEDING BUSH. =
A PLANT THAT BEARS CRIMSON
FLOWERS ALL THE YEAR.
Its Sap Like Human Blood-Stand-
ing Above Neglected Grave a. a
Silent Witness of Terrible Crime.
A story of remarkable, if not super
natural phenomenon, comes from Fort
Worth, Texas. Near that city is a rose
bush that blooms summer and winter.
The flowers are the brightest red, and
the sap of the plant is the color of blood.
A gentleman who examined the spot
found that the bush grew over grave,
in which were two skeletons, one of
them with knife in its temples. He
related the following remarkable story !:
Con what is known as the River road,
and about three miles from town, stands
o dilapidated old house, the history Of
which no one knows, but it dates back
to the time when this was but frontier
military post. Within few rods of the
deserted house lies a grave on which not
q sprig of grass grows, although the
ground about is overrun with vegetation.
But at the head rose bush until lately
spread its untrimmed, uncared- for
branches.
"These branches, summer and winter,
were covered with roses of such burn
ing, vivid red as to even offend by their
raw, unshaded color. These roses, on
being plucked, faded and fell to pieces
almost instantaneously. 1 am an en-
thusiast about roses, devoting much
time to the culture of them, and am
thoroughly acquainted with all varieties.
But the one growing on that nameless
grave was unknown to me. and, although
| have tried again and again to grow it
from cuttings, have never succeeded.
"After planting, the sprig would in
variably be found dead the following
morning, and blackened with dull,
smooty stain, which was not to be ex-
planned by any popularity of soil or
atmospheric influences. But the most
singular thing in connection with these
flowers was not discovered by me until
q few days ago. had occasion to drive
out on the river road early one morning,
and as passed the grave the unnatural
crimson hue of the roses struck me more
forcibly than ever. They hung heavy
and full, with the dew dripping from
their large, curved petals. Fascinated
by their strange beauty, I dismounted
End took one Of them in my hand with
out plucking,i it.
1.-THE moisture shaken from itfell upon
my fingers, and to my great wonder, l
saw it was thick, viscid fluid that
resembled fresh blood too much to be
pleasant. Involuntarily I carried my
hand to my nose, and the sickly, feshly
odor of new-drawn blood was unmistak-
able. I shook the horrid drops from
my hand, and saw that they were
thickly exuding from all the roses and
dripping heavily to the grave beneath
as If from fresh, gaping wound.
took my knife and made an incision in
the main stem and the blood-like sap
oozed freely out. Struck by what /
deemed only freak of nature, cut Q
good sized branch from the bush and
shook the roses over my handkerchief
to catch the crimson dew. The branch
withered in my hand in very few
moments, the sap becoming so foul with
an odor of animal corruption as to be
unbearable, SO 1 was obliged to throw
it away; but I carried the stained hand
kerchief to prominent physician Of
this city, who is also a fine chemist, and
asked him to determine the nature of
the fluid. I told him all knew con-
corning the roses, and was, of course,
believed by him; but upon calling for
the handkerchief the next morning I
was accused by the doctor of trying to
hoax him.
"What made you tell me that cock
and-bull story about that lrose- busha
Why, man, you knew it was blood on
that handkerchief. My microscope
revealed it at once, although there is
something about it l cannot understand
in the least-a corruption and yet life.
However, it is only blood, and human
blood at that.
II assured him that had only told
him the truth about the rosebush on
that lonely grave, extraordinary as that
truth might seem. On hearing this, he
hurried me off to the spot.
:" It was. still early enough for the
dew to yet remain on the grass, and the
roses to be heavy with that horrible
moisture. The doctor examined it closely
| and came to the same conclusion that ]
had, that some deed of blood was thus
revealed, and that the victim Of the
deed slept in the grave beneath. This
we believed, although both Of us had
| hitherto been even scoffers of oil belief
in supernatural occurrences We re-
turned to town and procured couple
of men to aid us in opening the grave,
| which We did at once