Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-12-26
The Were spirity Birds
.. ,Lolls Gl0IW Demorr--

Do you hear those MOURNING -
asked my companion a. VT were $40
horseback through Jaczson co,rrr- Pc
| replied that did. ana at tbat -, "a
the cry Of a mourning dove with -
sWerlng call OF It's mate was heard 49,
and seemed to proceed from a litfs 80
near where a deserted saw-mil stood
Well, said he, these are not rre---
ming doves, they are spirit birds. ~
have been there for ten wears. and 80
can b. heard at all seasons. Whole Z
ties have gone out to find those birds
they have not yet been seen and nav-r g;1
be VIII
] became interested. and asked H..
explanation Of the sound if no dove. va-,
there.
Well, said my companion it
strange story 4 short time AGO thor
a large amount of Moonsbine 49,
made in this country and almost 49,
man IN this district had been broggh+ &
fore the United States Court ia HuntsviH.
Holmes Leatherwo0d the bravest r1a-.b
that ever captured still. broke one h
right where tha5 old saw-mill stand. ,r5
the owners of 1t vowed TO Kiln him IF r.
ever came into this country again 1r5
they meant Just what they said II aa-.
TO Leatherwood' S ears. and be made ~
his mind that ,he stall had been starred u.
again and told the officers at Huutsyiits
that he was going to md out They H..
ged hln not 10 20 and he promised tbaT
that ne wouldn t. but one morning lust \.
day was breaking be rode up the craay
there. which caused a general c0mmotior
throughout the mountain side. for thav
hated Leatherwood rs trey would r-+ls
snake, and were bound that be should r5t
leave alive He had caught the stiH I'M.
awares. and getting down from his har.a
he broke it up. and had remounfed baf5ra
the m00nshiners could get together m,
rs he started across the creek the crack NJ
a rife could be heard from all sides mi
more than twenty bullets riddled his BODY
His horse escaped and found his way has.
to Huntsville with the bloody saddle
showing as well as words could tell The
fate of the brave marshal.
The mOOnshiners took the BODY and
burned it in the furnace that had been
used at the still, aud supposed that thew
had seen the last Of Leatherwood. and So
they had: bGt that day two mourning
A'hF9 ula4htI tASll appearance anu KEPT uu
their calls day and night. This was more
than the people could bear, and they hunt.
ed everywhere for those birds. but none
could be found, and after time the form
Of Leatherwood himself could he seen
breaking mp the still. which had been ra-
built At FIRST they would shoot at the
form, but soon discovered that it was
phantom and abandoned the still. Then
a saw-mill was built. but no one could be
induced to work there: the cries Of the
birds and the form Of the murdered man
at night were more than they could stand
and the saw-mlll had to stop work.
so superstitious did the people become
that they left the valley here and went over
on the other side Of the mountain. and as
no one has had sufficient temerity to come
here at night for a number Of years It Is
not known whether the spirit Of Leather,
wood in its earthly form still visits the
place or not, but the mourning dove. are
still there as "a constant reminder of the
tragic death Of the United States officer