The Republican., 1893-09-21
MICAH RooD.s APPLE TREE.

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liar Fruit of a Norwich Orchard. -
A local antiquarian has searched the
old Norwich Town records for the origi-
nal and true version of the Micah
Rood Apple tradition.
: The weird and inexplicable thing
about this strange summer fruit is that
there is drop of blood in each apple,
vivid, a plain, isolated unmistakable
tiny, round drop that when broken
stains the pure white pulp a bright
crimson hue. Take a bite of hundred
apples from a Mike" tree, and some
where in the juicy, crisp flesh of it you
come on the uncanny blood-stain, some
times only an isolated drop, like the
head of pin, but often extending all
the way from the silvery skin to the
core. In such instances it is narrow
Streak
1t is very old story, the tradition OF
the blood speck in the Mike apple.
There is only one explanation of it; the
fruit is bewitched. The local anti
quarian was successful this week in
tracing the original tradition in the
ancient records of Norwich Town.
Here it is exactly as it was recorded
two hundred years ago, and repeated
in an address by Patrick Henry Wood
ward, Esq, of Hartford, before the
New London County Historical society,
entitled The Tradition of Micah
Ro9d:'
-SMicah was farmer, not far from the
.Susquetonscut river Ia deep winding
trout brook, sweeping moothly through
the towa of Franklin into the town of
Norwich, where it united with the
tranquil Yantic river), "tilling his fer
tile acres with all the zest of ambition.
Of sudden his habits changed; he
grew idle, restless, incorporate. He
lost interest in both work and wor-
ship. Cattle were neglected and neigh
bors summed
''Some attributed the change to
witchcraft; others limited at insanity.
So the winter wore away, spring re-
turned, and the orchard of Micah
Rood burst into blossom.
son one tree, it was then observed,
the flowers had turned from white to
red. The superstitious neighbors won
dered, especially as Rood seemed
drawn to this tree by a cruel and resist
less fascination.
august came, and the red blossoms
had developed into fruit. When the
large, yellow apples fell from the
branches, each one was found to con-
tain the well-detned globule to be
known thereafter as the drop of blood. ,
"The conduct of the apple tree deep.
ened the mystery of Micah's behavior.
Conjecture ran riot. and soon it was
remembered that the previous fall a
peddler of foreign aspect had passed
through the village and had spent the
night at Micah Roods Popular opin-
ion held that the latter had murdered
him for his wares and had buried his
body under the apple tree.
''Search was made for him in vain;
nor was any trace of his stock found
among the unhappy Micah's posses
sions. The settlers were completely
baffied. AS usual, they fell back upon
the supernatural, and the evidence was
summed up in the manifestations of a
troubled spirit and a blood-mottled
apple. If load rested upon the con.
science of the farmer, it never forced
confession from his lips.
'His farm gradually drifted to decay,
and, too broken down to reclaim it, he
assumed care of the meeting house in
1717, receiving as compensation peck
of corn yearly from each family in the
society.
''Ten years later the record of the
church contains this item: July 3, 1927
The inhabitants do now, by their
watches with Micah Rood 2 shillings
per night; also to those who have at.
tended Rood by day, shillings per
day December II, 172s-To Jacob
Hyde for digging Micah Rood's grave.
ga As Cd
$50 the little tragedy ends as it be.
gan-in mystery. Only while the
blood-spotted apple continues to grow
the name and history of Micah Rood
will be perpetuated.
Such is the bare, unvarnished tradi.
tion as written in the rugged annals
of the old town; but there is an an.
cient oral tradition which throws a
little more and human light upon the
vague career of Micah. The peddler.
according to the supplementary story,
was murdered by Mike about the year
1899. The stalwart young husband
man then robbed him of his case of
Jewels. He buri ed his victim at mid.
night under his summer apple tree at
the end of his stone-fiagged garden
walk. It was Mikes favorite tree, be.
cause the. apples were early and de.
licious. Micah was extremely fond of
children, the story says and in harvest
time they always hocked about him.
and he brought them armfuls of his
famous yellow harvest apples.
In August following the murder OF
the strange peddler all the school chill.
dren of the neighboraood gathered at
Mikes dwelling and Mike. in a brood.
ing mood, with the shadow of heavy
care in his face, said TO them, gloomily:
There are no more apples for you this
year, children; the tree is accursed; the
blood of man is in the apples"
Nevertheless, the children teased him,
and he went and got a handful Of fruit