Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-04-22

Alexander, there is dreadful mystery
connected with your past life. Upon two
| have overheard conversation
between you and some one whose pres
ence cannot account for and whose dis
appearance Is so strange that if | believed
In spirits | would think was one that de-
mands an explanation. This nightmare
excuse will not do, because on both oc
casions the subject was the same
Alexander hesitated, cast his eyes fur
lively around and In a voice Of deep emo
ton said:
''Vickers, am the most miserable hu-
man being on Gods footstool. Every
waking hour | am cursed by fear. and
every sleeping moment is haunted by
dread. Two years ago | saw man
murdered near Aiken, S. c., and from
some cause his spirit troubles me. When
my wife leaves me as much as one day
when am alone an hour after nightfa!l
and seek rest in sleep, this spirit-devit--
awakens my sleeping brain and torments
me with his threats
who is the man?' asked Vickers.
Il cannot call his name"
why does he annoy you?'
NE says .instigated the deed, but
am as innocent as an unborn babe"
A few weeks after this they returned
Alexander to home, and Vickers to Cal
endonia to work for Col Tnom Wall. One
night Vickers dreamed that an old man.
with long thin, white hair, sunken eyes
and sorrowful coun1enance, stood by his
bedside and said to him:
Mr.. VickerS, write to the sheriff at
Aiken, 5. T., and make inquiry about
p-Tnn 4
him and your fortune will be made"
Weeks then dreamed that the appearance
OF TIE old man was dream, but thought
may be there was something In it and con,
GUIDED he would write. The next morn
ing, when he awakened, he found that
both were dreams Not being much of a
scholar, he went to Col Wall and stated
some OF the facts and asked him to write
to South Carolina and make inquiry
whether Alexander was wanted or not.
He gave at the same time full descrip,
ton Of him.
Several weeks elapsed before the letter
was heard from, when one evening Luther
Moore, whose father kept the old stage
stand four miles east of Huntington, came
to town and, taking Vickers to one side,
tOld him that there were two gentlemen at
his fathers who had arrived the night be-
fore on the stage and wished to see him,
at the same time cautioning him to keep
their visit quiet,
He went out Immediately and was in
PRODUCED to the two men, representing
themselves as officers from South Carolina,
They explained that the who called him
self Price Alexander was named Alexander
Price, that he had married good woman
+l,,L -, 10 L L.
amicGbly. She was an orphan and her
slaodfat her, yearly eighty years old, had
gone 10 PIIce house to endeavor to bring
about reconciliation. They were out at
the woodpile sitting on log, when Price
selz9d an axe and split the old mans head
open IN frenzy of passion. Not satisfied
with this he dragged his neck across tn
log and cut his head off and threw it over
the fprce into the yard in the presence of
his wife. de fled AID was arrested Broke
jail and escaped again The man he
killed was one of the sweetest natures in
the country. His whole life had been
spent in good deeds and his murder was
most shocking in all its details The
strangers so worked upon Vickers that he
finally consented to aid in his freud g
arrest.
He learned upon re. uraing 10 town that
Price, for that was his real name, was at
work with several other persons for Mr..
Thomas Weyly, building negro cabins on
the island in the Tennessee river just be-
low what was then known as Reynolds,
the county seat of Benton and Humphreys.
The stage had stopped and taken dinner at
Weyly 6, and 1t was possible that Price
had seen and recognized the officers.
Add billiard, now living at Hunting ton,
consented to accompany them, and az the
ferry billiard and the deputies crossed
over and went down opposite the island on
foot, while JaIkeson, the sheriff, and
and Vickers went down on the north side
in "dug-o out" Price discovered and
recognised them before they reached the
island and fed to his canoe and SHOT
across to the north bank, only to run into
the arms of Hill1ard and the deputy. AT.
ter terrible struggle, in which billiard
lost an eye, the prisoner W. S secured.
Vickers returned TO South Carolina
with the party Price was arranged at
the first term of the court, tried, founo
guilty and expirated his offense ON the
gaIows.
OF those who remember the man and
circumstances, Frank Pierce, Add Hill
lizard, William Crockett, Hewlin Griggard
and others, of Huntington, Tenn, yet re
main. St. Louis Globe.