The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1890-12-20
THE HAND OF GOD.
A Strange Story Told by Biz
mingham Correspondent
Fate of Thirteen Confederate Officers
= Who Acted the "Last Supper" In
Drunken Mockery-Not One Re-
ceived q Christian Burial.

ceived Christian Burial
------
r A few DAYS ago man was found dead
here In the gutter, writes the Birming-
ham (Ala.) correspondent of the st.
Louis Globe Democrat. Even in death
there was mute look of terror in the
bloodshot eyes, and the bloated face had
grown pale and haggard at the coming
Of the grim destroyer. "Drink!' said
the coroner's jury, but an old man who
came and looked for long time on the
pale, dead face said, with shudder, as
he turned away: sit was the hand of
God" This man who had died in the
gutter was the last of a fated thirteen,
and in the death of each and all of them
the Christian will read the vengeance OF
an insulted Deity. .. z,tssss .sssr'.s'rs'stssr'
At the leading hotel in Southern
city in the summer of 1865 thirteen men,
wearing the uniform of Confederate Of
ficers, sat down to dinner. Every
man in the party belonged to grand
old Southern family, and many of the
names are illustrious in the history OF
the country. Every man was a
cavalier. They were flowers Of
the Old South, representatives of
the chivalry of the sunny land,
then enveloped in tho gloom
of defeat and despair. Every man there
had been gallant soldier in the Con-
federate army. They had returned
from the field of defeat to find their
homes destroyed, their slaves free, their
wealth gone and many of their nearest
and dearest relatives and friends dead.
The meeting at this hotel was chance
pne, but talking over the situation in
which they found themselves, they re-
solved to forget the horror of it for
awhile to drown their SORROWS in drink.
They sat down to dinner, and round
after round of drinks was ordered.
Soon the bloody scenes of war, the Wis
ions of ruined homes, were all forgotten.
First they became merry, then reckless.
''Let us call this the last supper, sud
denly exclaimed one of the party, and
the suggestion met with instant APP
prevail. They might never meet again,
SO ''the last supper would be fitting
name for the feast where reason had
fled. More drinks were ordered, every
man filled his glass, the lights were
s.a-ss a., ~" ~ ~ - ~ ,,;a t,u,1,,o
'o..os 80. ~. ~ ~ h.s ao,,,
,I"ssoa 1913 aatoa no ro1a ~
Christ and, for tho occasion, each man
tles Thara woa wrancle AZ 10 who
shonla ;r,norsonota Jrdas bnt more
dr;rlS ,yera or1orod and then n vounq
Tieuton,nt ocrood 70 oct tbe character
~ +be botroyor "a b;o saviour
;5.;,.h4 ~ oa,. 90 a.,r,,-
,Iomsbtnn 49, 40 achoas IN ouorv
,,ao,- ard oar nos - thno,d houso A.ain
and again tbe decanters were nassed
aroun5 and tho blasnbemous moclserv
of tbe last sunner went on a Rible
was called for and the vounc officer
who was i,nnersonatino the Saviour
turned to the New Testament and read
aloud the solemn words of Christ. The
reading was INTERRUPTED now and then
by some coarse lest or ribald laughter,
while expressions like "Judas, pass the
bottie,y would excite the mirth of the
drunken men to point that completely
drowned the voice of the reader. At
the proper point in the reading bread
was passed around, and the wine was
represented by glasses filled to the brim
with brandy. iss.s,ss., q, ,,,ssalr. -s.t
..He that drinketh from the bottle
with me shall betrav meln exclaimed
the mock Christ in fraric manner. and
placing a decanter to his Inns he swal-
lowed quantity of brandy. then passed
it to Judas across the table. This was
greeted with meals of laughter. and
again the other mock apostles yelled:
Judas, pass the bother
All NIGHT long this mocl,erv went m
and when morninr came 40 thirteey'
mon were in 4 drunlon stnnor n vae
several DAVIS befora tbov al rocoyore6
from tbe effects Of tbat n;cht,s debonch.
erv. Then tbev senarated That snI,.
nor had indeed been their lost. tbay
never mat aga;n