The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1891-09-12

A Remarkable story Of an Ola a.,
Near Chantahoocr.n 1A

Near Chattahoochee.
About three miles east of+b;, -.
near the Savannah, Florida ar11
Western railroad tracks, saws thu
Chattahoochee correspondent Of t tbe
Savannah Morning News. there :; ;s
an old "sink" called the "deyil's boI. ~ !,
1t is thought by negroes to be hot.
tomless, and they make it a point tn
evade this particular spot after niobt.
fall. The old Wire road. lead;nc
from here to Quincy and Tallabassass
ran near enough several years ago to
have pitched a stone into it from
passing vehicle. Several unsuccess.
full attempts were made to get the
county to put a wire fence around
the place. Then some property
holder "kicked" at that, and it was
decided to move the road half mile
to the left, and this was done.
MANY STRANGE AND CURIOUS LEGENDS
are told about this wonderful "sucl
hole" In 1868 there was fam;l1
living near here whom we will cali
Jones-although Jones is not the
real name. Mr.. Jones was a mo.
chanic by trade and considered to he
"well up' in his chosen profession,
He was about so or 60 years of aoe
and very industrious and thrift
lie had not been here very long be.
fore he married a young woman
about % years of age. They lived
very happily together for short
time, but after four months of wed.
ded life his wife presented him with
bouncing baby boy. Naturally he
was much surprised. A few nights
later Mrs. Jones and her baby dis
appeared, and it was generally sup
posed that she had either fed to avoid
her shame or had left for parts un-
known with her lover. After several
weeks had elapsed the excitement
over the affair gradually died out and
it was seldom spoken of. Jones be-
came sulky and morose; he moved
out of his neat, plain frame dwelling
into log cabin in desolate location
several miles from town and was sell
dom seen.
About two years after his wife dis.
appeared he was taken suddenly sick
with typhoid fever. His condition
was accidentally learned by a stran-
ger named Ellis. The citizens gave
him medical attention Immediately.
but after several days of unremitting
attention it was clearly evident that
he would never recover.
MAKES A CONFESSION.
One night, about two weeks after
he had become sick, he called several
gentlemen to his bedside, aud con-
tessed TO them that he had either
choked his wife to death or into
lnsensibility and thrown Der and
her infant babe into the horrible j,
sink. As Jones had wealthy and
Influential relatives who were highly
esteemed, the story was kept from
the general public for their sake.
| Several years after this incident a
lyoung farmer was going to town
with three bales Of cotton. In the
twO-m1le team which he had was
his little girl. Espying the cool and
shady puddle of water near the road
he turned his team aside 80 that the
mules could get drink of water.
They made a wild rush for the pool,
as all animals will do when they are
Thirsty, especially mules, and they
went up to their knees in the treach-
erous loan. The driver bea; them
land yelled at them trying to force
them ont of their danger, but with
out avail. The more they tried to
extricate themselves the deeper they
sank. The driver too late realized
that he had driven his faithful mules,
team, load and all into a genuine
"suckhole." He snatched up his lit.
tie daughter and made herculesn
Jump for safety. He cleared the
dangerous ground and started i'm
mediately for help to rescue his team.
When he returned several hours later
with thirty or forty men and ropes,
rails, etc., not a sign remained to
tell him what had become Of the
mules, wagon and cotton.
LOSS OF CATTLE IN THE HOLE.
a great many cattle, hogs, and
several horses, sheep, goats, ETC.,
have taken passes Chinaward BY
way of the ''Devil's Hole" route. Vi
late years this dangerous suckhole
has been filling up and is not now
considered very dangerous, although
it is still Stunned. Mothers teach
their children from infancy to give
a wide berth to this spot. 1t is
thought by negroes to be haunted,
and there is not money enough IN
Gadsden county to get one to spend!
the night within a hundred yards OF
the place.