The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1890-11-06
THE HAND OF GOD.
A Strange Story Told by q Bir-|
mingham Correspondent.
Fate OF Thirteen Confederate Ohcors
Who Acted the "Last supper" In
Drunken Mocksry-Not One Re-
ceived . Christian Burial.


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: 'It was the hand of
God" This man who had died in the
gutter was the last of fated thirteen,
and in the death Of each and all OF them
the Christian will read the vengeance OF
an insulted Deity.
At the leading hotel in Southern
city in the summer of 1865 thirteen men,
wearing the uniform of Confederate Of
fcers, 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
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
one, but talking over the situa ton 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
proval. They might never meet again,
so 'the last supper" would be fitting
name for the feast where reason had
fed. More drinks were ordered, every
man filled his glass. the lights were
turned low and the thirteen men de-
apostles. A young man who had COM
manded regiment acted the role of
Christ and, for the occasion, each man
assumed the name of one of the apos-
ties. There was wrangle as to who
should impersonate Judas, but more
drinks were ordered, and then young
Lieutenant agreed to act the character
of the betrayer of his Saviour.
1t was midnight, but peals of drunk
en- laughter awoke the echoes in every
nook and corner of tho old house. Again
and again the decanters were passed
around, and the blasphemous mockery
of the last supper went on. Bible
was called for, and the young officer
who was impcrsonating 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 jest or ribald laughter,
while expressions like Judas, pass the
bottle" 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.
''He that drinketh from the bottle
with me shall betray mel" exclaimed
the mock Christ in a tragic manner, and
placing decanter to his lips he swal-
lowed quantity of brandy, then passed
it to Judas across the table. This was
greeted with peals Of laughter, and
again the other mock apostles yelled:
"Judas, pass the bottle!"
All night long this mockery went on,
and when morning came the thirteen
men were in drunken stupor. 1t was
several days before they all recovered
from the effects of that nights debauch-
cry. Then they separated. That sup
per had indeed been their last; they
never met again.
From that night the vengeance of God
followed those thirteen men. Every
thing they undertook failed. Apples OF
gold turned to Dead Sea fruit in their
hands. One by one they went to the
dogs, and every man of them met q
horrible and disgraceful death. Re-
peated failure in business drove some of
them to desperation and crime. One OF
them was lynched in Texas for murder.
The young man who had impersonated
Christ was drowned in the Brazos river
while fleeing from vigilance commit
tee on stolen horse and his body was
never recovered. Another, while in q
drunken stupor, was caught in burn
ing building and perished in the flames.
One was stabbed to the heart by .
woman he had betrayed, aud still an
other was murdered in low brothel in
Western city. So far as can be
learned. not one Of them ever received
Christian burial, and their graves are