The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-06-23
The moment the doctors practiced eye

The moment the doctors practiced eye
fell upon the face of the child he said:
She diedin great agony" indicating
the contortion of the features. He then
proceeded TO make an examination of the
body, and, as he stripped off the clothes,
he and the officer started back with a
shudder of horror at the sight that met
their eyes.
The back was literally furrowed to the
bone, showing that the child had been in
humanity beaten TO death. In addition
there was a deep discoloration about the
throat, as if those who had committed
the fendish crime wished to make certain
of their fearful work
The evidence was sufficient to show
that murder had been committed, and
| upon the arrival of the chief of the watch
he was made acquainted with the facts,
whereupon he proceeded to make an ex-
animation of the remaining portions of
the house.
He discovered that the occupants had
made hurried departure, as nothing had
been taken, except a few articles of wear
ing apparel, as was indicated by the open
| bureau drawers. The house, al BEST was
only scantily furnished, there being
| barely furniture enough to serve the
needs of ordinary use
This over, the chief sent word to have
the town alarm bell rung, and almost be-
fore the first clatter of its notes had died
upon the night air hundred or more Of
| the townspeope were gathered about the
! house. When they had learned the story
of the crime they hastily formed a half
! dozen searching parties and started off in
all directions in the hope of overtaking
the fleeing murderers. But after the
most diligent labor, lasting for more than
a week, no clew was ever obtained of the
guilty pair, and their whereabouts re-
manned a mystery to the town forever.
Going back TO the room where the man
gled remains Of the little girl lay shrouded
in coarse, dirty sheet, it was learned
that one of the officers had found the in-
strument of death used upon the body of
| the child. 1t consisted of piece of rat
tan about the size of mans finger aud a
yard in length. 1t was stained with the
blood Of the poor little victim, and the
frayed end showed the strength with
which it had been applied.
! The next day ARRANGEMENTS were made
for the funeral and a popular subscription
started with which to defray the expenses
! The sum raised not only guaranteed a
| respectable interment. but was sufficient
to warrant the purchase of a little white
marble headstone, which was simply in
scribed with the date of the child's death
II was less than week after the slab
| had been erected when visitor to the
graveyard, in passing the almost blank
stone, was startled to see upon its face
| the outline of a woman, clear and dis
tinct, and it required but slight demand
on the imagination to make out long
switch, held in one of her hands.
The news Of the strange phenomenon
spread rapidly through the town, and
thousands of people focked to the GENE
terry to behold with their own eyes the
peculiar sight
The least superstitious of the visitors
readily declared that the discoloration
was caused by the dampness Of the earth
but great majority Of them linked the
figure with supernaturalism, and this
idea could not be rooted out Of their
heads. Numerous attempts were
made with soap and sand to
erase the stain, but TO no effect.
There was a popular belief that in dark
and stormy nights the arm of the figure
moved, and above the bowling of the
winds the sharp, piercing cry of child
could be heard.
But the strangest part Of this strange
story remains yet to be told.
Back in the late hfties the far-seeing
eye of the late p. T. Barnum. the great
Snowman, who was then a resident of
Bridgeport, discovered that a fine and
well paying real estate scheme could be
exploited by removing the bodies from
the old burying ground and cutting up
the space into building lots, as the city
was making rapid growth in that direc-
ton.
He went among the lot owners, and by