The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1889-11-08

''S" lhe place has bad name =
she said
"It's harnted, marm!' dropping
his voice to whisper "Yes, it's
harnted The very worst way -
Haunted " my mother laughed,
she was so much relieved. as
that all? | thought 1t was some
thing dreadful, but | am not
afraiG OF ghosts .
The old fellow shook his head
$50 they all say. They are bold
as lions in the beginin', but there
ainl no fun in the way they all
stink away IN about Il week or so.
Why, marm, there's been TWO ten
ants III il already, and It aint been
but three months sense Sam Mans
field left The place"
"l1e was The last owner, wasn't
"Well, he bought The place from
Stacey, and he only made one
payment in three Years, so Stacey
had it on his hands again. But ef
he had paid for The place, he'd
have had to quit twiXt night and
dawnin' all the same. Sam Mans
field harnted the place, fur it had
Il good name lore he coined here" "
"What did he do. Mr.. "--my
mother hesItated. Il don't think
you mentioned your name, sir"
"Oh, Pm old man Jumpson.-
Johnnie Jump-up Thy calls me
fur fun, 'cduse Pm so spry fur my
years" He put Il fresh quid of to
baccco in lis mouth, chewed
awhile, and then settled himself
comfortably on The rail.
SYou wants 10 hear about Mans
field? Well, | thought I'd be
lnlghborly, and come and tell you
bout 1T. so you won't be tuck by
surprise like. Mansfield coined
here from ALBANY, he said, he
and his wife and two orphin chill
dren, a boy twelve years old and a
little girl about ten. They wos
Mansiield's cousins, and folks did
say these orphins had The money
that The man and woman was
spendn' and they had Il blg sugar
plantation down in Louissianny.
They had no kin but The Mans
field, and it looked as if he man
and hS wife wanted to get rid of
them The worst in the world, they
treated them so cruel. The wOm-
an was the most cruel OF The two,
and she used to beat The poor lit
lie critters until they drapped.-
Sometimes she locked 'em up in
the coal cellar all night when the
ground was frozen"
"We found that out somehow,
iur none OF us cared to 'sociate
with them folks after the first week
or so. The children was never
lowed 10 90 ont, but kept hard at
work all the time. Once my wife
went over TO see about Seltln' of
eggs, and while she was there Mrs.
Mansfield looked OUT the wlnder
and hollered out
"Efthem miserable imps aint a.
woriin in their garden, as they
calls il, stead a cleanin' out the
henhouse. You Lisa, you rhad,
come right up herew
"My wife she said when them
pore, scared little things come up
10 The woman, they stood thar Il
shaiiin' as If they had the ager.-
They was so lean and white she
couldn't stand il, aud she spoke
right up:
Mrs Mansfield, er was you, |
wouldn't whip them children
They are nothin' but bags OF skin
and bone anyhow, and 1t amt a
mort al sin TO work in their flowers.
"FI don't allow nobody to inter
fere with my management, she
SAYS, lookin' like a wild cat. She
scared nv wife 20 she lakes up
her bunnil and makes off in double
quick time, but she hadn't gone
hundred yards fore she heard The
children screamin' and she put her
fingers in her ears and runs for
dear life.
"Two days arter that the boy
died So the next moruin' six oi
us walked. into the Mansfield's hall
whar he aud his wife war siitln'.
Jake Nugent, he speaks up.
without sayIn' good mormn' nor
nothin':
"'We've come 10 see bout that
gal YOU and your wife is tryin' to
kill. We're Chrlstin folks, ard We
aint goin' 10 set down aud see you
murder another child under our
ewes. This has got TO be stopped.
Whar j, that little gal ?
~ don't know Mansfield says,
as grum as an old bear, but we
seed hIs hand shake.
1--WE aini never seed her sense
bedtime the woman spoke up aud
saws. lonkin' white and scared
1 We lowed. may be. she had gone
10 one of your houses. She went
to her room Jest as we'll as ever
~ believe you lie Nugent said;
{ We're goin' 10 search this house,
and all The country round, and hv-
IN or dead, we'll find her Then
we'll settle with goH.
~Bul we never did find her. We
hunted all night, and when We
went back 10 the house early next
mOrnin' IN arrest Mansfield and
his wife. bless yon, they we're
gone We aiut never heard OF
] H.. Inthir lnr- IhnN left every