The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1893-10-05
. ,n,..rn 1n..:ce ,Yr.c.l Ont In the BIB.

I.ruI ~ r.: {; -.rlssnn.
"An e.. f,r y, e I'd Il tooth
for 9. tx, cti.. of the old
law ELL - = .s'Tllanistan,
saws tic !, :, IL II. In fact,
the mann :. II. =. qi..i surroundings
Of the ~ IN /, ..,:..- might be pro-
4otvpel i; - < the old tesla
raent q :-:,'.; IL lie of the Is
raolitca. :. arc Mohammc-
dams, it i, tt. ~: ''.cir religion is
built on old l,N- ii;l"; "! their social
life is as simple IN .:irchal as when
the Great lav.....ivcr ..ra';' ruled the des-
tinics OF the people Of Israel.
For in Af;hani,,.an of to-day oxen
tread cut Tic corn and plow the fields;
aad the plo1 it-lolf is . counterpart OF
sl.c .doeaicM Instrument Corn Is
ground 10 hand-lnula and goatskin
.strvts Us water-bo<tlO>" Household
and farming utensils have changed
nothing during the centuries that have
elapsed since the Israclites trampcd the
desert by the Rcd sea. In short. you
could find scrics IF "tableaux vivnnts"
IN the surroundings Of .Afghnnistan OF
to-day 70 ill up chapter by chapter the
scenes depicted in the old testament IT
is said that the .ifghans arc one OF tho
lost tribes, and certainly so far as
logged adherence to Israclitish notions
Is concerned they might be.
There is no mistalling the Mosaica!
parallel as far Us the social customs
..csert themselves; but | was aston
lshed one evening. during tho Russian
scare, when l was on the Afghan from
tier, to sec the very similitude OF the old
law punishment of stoning to death put
In practice.
a yelling mob OF people came rushing
from all directions toward the outskirts
Of the village OF l'ucSta, picking up
pieces OF stone by the way and pillng
them in little heaps by their feet. |
thought ut the time they were going t9
have a pitched battle, with stones as
,nissilca Eut shortly man came runs
ming forward. followed by splitting.
hooting mob. shouting: Sag. Sag"
(dog. locD. The unfortunate runaway
evidently knew his fate, for his long,
earnest appeal to IIcaven as he stopped
short and threw his arms up WIS but
the preliminary to hi, fearful fate-his
fual appeal for mercy on his soul, for
from that bowling; mob no we'll kncW
hc need Expect mono:
The man l:a,' ,rH:ccly time TO finish
his Invocation, when from Ill directions
u literal shower of stones fell on him:
For moment he swaycd to and fro
unGcr the onslaught. Soon the terrible
blood-bcspattcrcd mass, hisvery clothes
showing great rents through which the
l,'nod found vent and spurted freely.
He wavcrcd for n moment with his chin
bobbing his chest, and then, nftef
doubling up at the knees and middle,
fell in q heap, dead.
Still the bowling mob continued their
terrible fusilladc Of stones until around
The already lifcless body q cairn 1sas
formed, completely covering in tbs
corpse. And then the mob clapped
thcir hands, crowcd, and went their
Cay That dog is done for" said
they. Done for! Yes. It wns a terrible
doing; for there under the heap u
stones the mans nerves and muscles
still vibratcd in their post-death
s,ruGglc. causing the stone heap to rise
and fall as if in LABOR with o thing 81
life, rose and fell in their horrible
parturition for few moments until tha
tyvitching Of nerve and muscle ceased,
and all was still. "Consummatum est"
Tie murdcrcr CT Afghanistan has
brcatlcd his last and his jacct is writ
ten around the tombstone In those blood
marks that bcspatter tho ground abOnf
his grave cairn.