The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-04-02
An OLD CRONE'S CURSE.
rsE GYPsY'S MALBDIC TON
BROUGHT BAD LUCK.

pOmaDV mug Jul OO bA6 ESOQlSs
servants and Home-Death, Illness,
Loss of Fortune, Insanity and Ruin
followed on Each Others Heels.
snooks Played About the Deserted
Mansion Within Year-Only Fire
Broke the Spell.
From the Chicago Times.
A month ago read an item in an In
diana paper to the effect that 1.-THE old John
Marsh house" had finally been wiped out
nv fire. and that there was great rejoicing
among the residents of the town of V.
After the fire some boys went poking about
among the ruins and found the half-con-
sumed body of a supposed tramp, aud also a
skeleton which was believed to have been
walled up in the house for years
The "old John Marsh house" stood at the
head of q street half a mile south of the
town hall in the town OF v. John
Marsh. when l went to read law with him,
was acknowledged to be the leading lawyer
of the county. Indeed, he bad state repu-
tatlon. He was then Al years old, wild
over and about to be married again. AS a
lawyer be took advantage of every circum-
stance to get the better of the other
and open and free-handed. He had e
son Of 20, who was at college studying med
icine. and daughter of II, who was the
the belle Of the town. His maiden sister
was his housekeeper, and as | lived In the
family can Cruthfully say that no home
was ever moro pleasant. Son, daughter and
sister seemed to be entirely reconcied to
the idea of another marriage. and the
widow to whom Mr.. Marsh was engaged
was handsome, accomplished AID general
favorite in society.
| had been in the family eight months,
and on a dozen different occasions l had
known Of the lawyer giving aims TO tramps
who came along, when one evening about 8
O'Clock queer-looking old woman called at
the back door and asked for food. The
housekeeper was suffering with toothache
and petulantly refused the merdicant's re-
quest. The old woman broke out with a
TRADE of abuse, and her voice called the
rest of us into the kitchen. She was
ragged and dirty and old, but by no
means feeble The lawyer was just
ready to go out and therefore had
an excuse for being brusque. The old
woman did not solicit charity, but de-
manded it, and her manner was so offensive
that he ordered her off the grounds. She
stood in the kitchen door. which was flung
wide open, and with the darkness Of night
as a background she pointed long. skinny
arm at bu6 lawyer anu Saius
AN OLD HAG's CURSE.
II give you an old woman's curse May
you and yours be accused forever and for
ever. Aye, may the curse rest upon your
house and grounds after your bones have
become dust"
We stood staring at her when the coach
man came in from the barn. The lawyer
motioned to him and he took the old bag by
the arm and walked her to the gate and put
her out. She did not struggle against 1T,
nor did she utter a word until she had been
thrust out Those of us in the house had
meanwhile passed from tile kitchen to the
front door, and so we plainly heard what
she said to Robert, the coachman, although
she did not raise her voice. She said:
Aud a curse on you as we'll! You shall
die within month";
All of US laughed at the woman's words.
| don't believe any one had them in mind a
quarter of an hour. Welooked upon her as
some poor and dissipated old wreck living
on the outskirts OF the town who wanted
money to buy liquor, aud whose words we're
the natural result of her disappointment.
1t didn't occur to US that she was stranger,
and she certainly did't resemble gypsy in
the slightest.
Not word was said about her next day,
and nothing happened to recall her words
for fortnight. Then Robert was found
dead in the barn. While Harvesting the
horses he had been kicked in the head by
one of them. l don't know that we would
have thought of the old woman then but
for the sister. While she hadn't said any
one she had still been greatly worried over
''the curse, and she now declared her belief
that Roberts death was the beginning OF q
series of caiamtties
l propose TO relate things as they oc.
Cured and leave you TO draw your own
conclusions.
For several Years the lawyer had had a
very important case hanging fire IN the
higher courts. He firmly believed he had
justice and equity on his side. and that he
would win. | may tell you that it was q
suit to establish the validity of claim of g
poor man to over $4,000 worth Of rea
estate in Cincinnati. The case had doubt
less been taken ION shares" although law.
yers seldom admit such self-interest
Tha: case came up two weeks after the
ooachman's death, and the lawyer lost it.
know to certainty that he was several
thousand dollars out of pocket. If the case
was not good one. how did it come about
in after years that the people in possession
with decision In their favor bought the
heir off for 100000! The LAWYER wal
knocked off his feet by the decision, anc
from that time on / think he feared "tht
curse" He asked me to look about anc
find the old woman and then another queer
feature was developed. She could not be-
found. She had never lived in The town
and it turned out that no one had seen hel
except the four of us. | made a circuit OIL
twenty-five miles around our town, but
positively failed to fad any one who had set
eyes on her.
MORE TROUBLE FOLLOWS.
The thing had an uncanuy look to me, anc
] was sure it troubled the lawyer more thar
he would admit. IL was Sept. 10 when the
old woman uttered her curse. The lawyer
was to be married Nov. 20. his birthday
On Nov 10 the daughter was stricken witt
malignant diphtherie and died four days
later. When first taken, and
before the physician was sure
Of the case, she declared her belief
In the curse" The sad affiiction of course
caused a postponement Of the wedding.
The bride-elect had made all preparations,
and had every reason to believe it was
love match. After the funeral and post
pouemect of the wedding the lawyer en-
ployed G detective to hun5 for the old
woman. knew what was going on aud
have always believed that his idea was tc
find and propitiate her. She could not b.
found
know for fact that over 50 600 wa
paid out before the search was abandoned
but no trace of her was hal The daughter
died in November. One day in the early
part OF january boy brought note to th'
office OF the lawyer. 1t was a dull, stormy
day and we were alone He read the epistl
and fall in "a ham On the floor Hie r,rom.