The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-01-03

the house his indisposition was so marked
that a neighbor was sent for and restora-
| tlves applied. He narrated his adventure
with all the minuteness of detail possible
under the circumstances. and the family was
advised to send for physician to treat him
for an alteration OF mind. He repeated
his story TO the physician and others in
strict confidence. BY and by the wonderful
occurrence spread over the country. The
public settled down to the conclusion that
Mercer had appeared in the twilight in his
own proper person; that he had never been
drowned, as supposed, and had adopted
this method OF revenging himself upon
Gamble.
If a breath of suspicion had ever rested
upon Gamble this incident had blown it
away, aud he was regarded by many as a
martyr. Hi2dman became an object of
suspicion, and was looked upon as tool of
Mercor's. This annoyed him SO much that
he concluded Co test the testimony presented
by the wonderful visitor, and for this pur-
pose he found the parties to whom he had
been referred, and was convinced from the
statements made in profound secrecy that
Mercer had been murdered and appeared to
him from the spirit land.
A few days before the strange visitation
described above the Jenny Dale, a stearu-
boat, had run aground below Reynoldsburg.
A small stream emptied itself out of
morass into the river at this point. bar
had been formed opposite its mouth upon
which the boat had grounded. In attempt
ing to back off" great waves had been
thrown In upon the morass and the banks
washed and stirred. A week or ten days
after this occurrence "fioater" was found
twenty miles below ReynoldsburR. The
features were unacceptable. There was
an absence of any swelling, as Is the case
with bodies drowned. The clothing was Of
la 49, =.
up to the top from the instep on the right
foot The two small fingers on the left hand
we're gona. A pair of yarn SOCKS, marked
| IL NJ, J." were on the feet. In the clcthinS
every where was to be found slate colored
dirt, very hard and apparently indissoluble
In water. The skull was fractured.
A jury OF inquest was held, aud after sit
ting two days rendered a verdict that the
body was that of Lebanon Mercer; that he
had cons to his death by vislent means at the
hands of some person. to the jury unkEowh,
and that the crime had been committed a
long time prior to the discovery
OF the body; that 1t had been exhumed
and found its way into the river
The story told by the ghost to Hindman
was remembered, and Notwithstanding the
high standing of Gamble, brave men began
to investigated. Gamble was arrested and
brought before q community magistrate.
| The widow testified that her husband had in
his possession 1910 In fives, tens and twen-
! ties. One $50 bill had been wet aud the
colors had run together. Some doubt had
! been thrown upon its genuineness, and her
| husband had made a memorandum of its
number, date and from whom he had re-
| ceived it. She identified a bill shown her
as the one her husband had in his posses
| SION when he left home. The sheriff of
the county testified that he had received a
bill from Gamble about six months after
the disappearance Of Mercer, and had taken
a minnie description of the same for the
reasons given by the widow. The peddler
testified that he staid over night with Gam
bic few months after MERGERS disappear
ance, and it was the subject Of coaversa-
ton. Gamble expressed the belief that
Mercer had not been drowned, but had fed
the country on account of some shady trans
action in which he had been engaged. That
there was good deal OF company at Gam
ble's house that night, and Gamble occu-
pied room with him; that during the
night he was awakened by a scutfle in
CANDLES bed. The latter was on his knees
in the middle of the bed and appeared to be
desperately struggling with an imaginary
person. He heard him say: by -,
Mercer, ! am going to have it' Giving q
sudden lurch, he came near falling out OF
bed and awakened. The next morning
when they went out to he stable TO feed the
stock, Gamble walked into the stall where
| the peddler was aud, with q huge bowie
knife in his hand, made the witness on his