San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-09-21
II Marks the Scene of an Old Tragedy Ia
Western New Yorx.


Western New YOrS,
For three quarters of a century," says
resident of Livingston county, three stalks of
a plant which has not been found in any
other part of the state, and seems to be gen.
orally unknown west of Connecticut, have
sprung up every season, blosSomed and gone
to seed, on a spot between Avon Springs and
Caledonia, and have never had any increase
beyond the original number. This fact, and
the sudden and mysterious manner in which
the plant appeared al that particular place,
where it parks the scene of a bloody tragedy,
committed in the pioneer days Of western
New York, make the spot the object of daily
visits, both from those who live in the neigh
borhood and the summer sojourners at Avon
Springs.
THE plant grows near the old state road
on what was formerly part Of the Hosmer
estate The state road. which was built in
1871, was the thoroughfare by which the first
emigrants from the east entered that portion
of the Gynrsne v@llcT. In October, 1914, a
body OF American troops, OIL its way from
Buffalo to Sackets' harbor over this road,
camped for MONDAY rations near the road
side, not far from IT, UOsIaer EN!l stead. Il
was on Sunday, and the previous day had
been ray day among the troops. The men
had all Their ~ viii tu,m, NJ opportunity
having offered for spending any of it. The
troops resumed their march after eating their
ratiOns. Soon after they had left the spot
two soldiers who were evidently stragglers,
were seen about the deserted camp. Toward
the middle of the afternoon the report of a
gun was heard at the Hosmer house, coming
from the direction of the camp. No attention
was paid to it, but half an hour later som,
persons who visited the camp, where the fires
were still smouldering, discovered the dead
body of soldier lying in the bushes close by
There was a bullet hole in his temple The
body had evidently been dragged to its place
of concealment and it was partly covered
with leaves. The news of the finding of ths
dead soldier was at once forwarded to head
quarters. 1t was found there that Private.
John Alexander and Baxter were missing
The body of the dead man was identified as
that of Private Alexander. Search was made
for Baxter, and he was taken into custody at
Buffalo. He had on his person the amount
of his own pay and the amount that Alex
ander had received All the circumstances
so plainly fixed the murder of Alexander
upon Baxter that speedy trial, conviction
and execution followed
Alexander was buried near the spot where
his body was found. The next year plant
never before seen in the region, and of a spe-
cies that was entirely unknown to any one
who lived in the valley, sprang up on the
murdered mans grave This stalk was fol.
lowed by the appearance of two similar ones
As they grew again the succeeding year in
exactly the same spot aud nowhere else and
appeared in the same manner with the com
ing of every spring, poisoning regularly at
the time wheat was ready for cutting, they
began to attract wide attention. Mr.. G. W
Clinton, of Buffalo, finally discovered that
the plant was of the species known in Con
necticut as false cromwell. 1t was also
learned that Alexander, the murdered sol
der, had come from a place in Connecticut
where the plant was common. How it came
to spring up in that solitary spot to mark
the grave of a native of the soil to which it
was itself indigenous, has never been ex-
planned, and that its seed has never taken
root anywhere else in the vicinity is mys
terry.
There is another vegetable curiosity in
the vicinity of Avon Springs which botanists
have found nowhere else 1t is remarkable
dubious root which formerly grew on the
Geneese flats in abundance. 1t lies a few
tuCHeS DclO" ILe anu grows
tally to the length of four or five feet, and
frequently attains diameter of nine inches.
1t resembles small log From it springs a
bright green vine not unlike a strawberry
vine, which bears a small purplish blossom.
The Indians, relics and reminders of whose
occupancy of those rich fats still abound,
called this root the man of the ground
They attributed great medicinal virtues to
1t, but if it has any it is yet to be discovered
by the white people Red Jacket, as the ira
dition is, annually camped where the present
Avon Springs station of the Erie railroad is,
for the purpose of collecting this root, as we'll
as to take advantage of the mineral waters,
the peculiar and beneficial medicinal proper
ties OF which were well known to the Indians
long before the Genesee country was known
to the whites. -Hammoudsport On. " Cor.
New York Sun.