Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-24
THE BLEEDING BUSH.
A Plant That Bears Bright Crimson
Flowers Throughout the Year,
ITS SAP LIKE HUMAN BLOOD,
Standing Above Neglected Grave as a
Silent Witness of
TERRIBLE CRIME OF LONG AGO.
Two CHASTITY Skeletons Found, One With o Knife
Thrust Through the Skull.

A story of remarkable, if not super
natural phenomenon, comes from Fort
Worth, Tex. Near that city is rosebush
that blooms summer and winter. The
flowers are the brightest red, and the sap of
the plant is the color of blood. A gentle
man who examined the spot found that the
bush grew over grave, in which were two
skeletons, one of them with knife in its
temples.
FORT WORTH, TEX, June 23.-A we'll
known professional gentleman. returned 10
this city to-day and related the following
remarkable story:
ION what is known as the River road and
about three miles from town, stands dilap-
idated 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
grave, on which not sprig of grass
grows, although the ground about is over
run with vegetation. But at the head q
rose bush until lately spread its untrimmed,
uncared-for branches.
These branches, summer and winter, were
covered with roses Of such burning. vivid
red as to even offend by their raw, unshaded
color. These roses, on being plueked, faded
and fell to pieces almost instantaneously
/ am an enthusiast 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 cut
tings, have never succeeded.
THE MYSTERY OF THE RosEBUsH.
"After planting, the sprig would inyaria-
bly, be found dead the following morning,
and blackened with q dull, smooty stain,
which was not to be explained by any pecu-
llarity of soil, or atmospheric influences.
But the most singular thing in connection
with these flowers was not discovered by me
until few days ago. 1 had occasion to
drive out on the River road early one morn
ing, 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, dismounted and took one
of them in my hand without plucking it.
The moisture shaken from it fell upon my
fingers, and, to my great wonder, / saw it
was a thick, viscid fluid that resembled
fresh blood too much to be pleasant. In
voluntarily carried my hand to my nose,
and the sickly, feshly odor of new-drawn
blood was unmistakable. shook the hor-
rid 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 a 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
A FREAK OF NATURE
cut good sized branchI 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 an
imal corruption as to be unbearable, so
was obliged to throw it away, but carried
the stained handkerchief to a 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
concerning the roses and was, Of course, be-
lieved by him, but upon calling for the
handkerchief the next morning was accused
by the doctor OF trying to hoax him.
"What made you tell me that cock-and-
bull story about that rose bush? Why,man,
you knew it was blood on that handker-
chief. My microscope revealed it at once,
although there is something about it
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.
A CLEw TO A TRAGEDY.
"It was still early enough for the dew to
vet 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 be-
meath. This we believed, although both OF
us had hitherto been even scofers of all be-
lief 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.
Judging by the absence of remains of
wood, or metal without coffin, and beneath
a shallow covering Of earth, lay two skele-
tons. One that of a woman-a young one,
the doctor said-and the other that of few
months old child. A long tapering knife,
such as Mexican bravado carries, pierced
the temples Of the infant, and from its DO
sition must have pinned it to the bosom of
the mother. No clew was found as to race,
name. or aught else, so We reinterred the
pitiful remains, and burned that bleeding
II