Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-10-04
JOHN HENRY'S TRIAL.
And ItB Sensational Finale-A Chance
for His Life.


for His Life.
At an experience meeting one night
John Henry confessed.
''Ize broke ebry one oh de Ten Com
oyer'n over agin; but,
Lawd be praised, the debbil can't take
away my religunr'
Finally young Bloodgood, of the gen.
eral store, undertook John Henry'S re-
formation He decided upon a plan of
action that was highly original and let
a nuT1ber of young fellows, scions of
the b. ODDS, Washingtons and Cut
tiers, into he secret. Life was not
overly exciting in the country, so that
all entered heartily into what seemed
to give promise of a good joke.
Young Emslie, who had just come
down from Baltimore to- visit the
Bushrods, was unknown to John
Henry, so that the delicate commits
sion of Turing him on was intrusted to
him. John Henry proved innocent and
unsuspecting, and his confidence was
secured by means of a gift of bad
smoking tobacco and a pint of worse
whisky. Then Emslie said mysterious
ly:
Look here, uncle, has any one died
recently in these parts?"
NO, Mars Emslie," said John Henry
with a start. ''None but ole Ephum,
who was buried ovah a month ago"
1.-The very thing" said Emslie. Can
| trust you with secret, John Henry?'
Deed an you kin, sab"
well, it isn't known here, but Pm
a medical student in Baltimore. What
[ came down here for is a cadaver.
You know what that is, don't your
It's a bird, amt it?' said John
Henry, thoughtfully. faint a buz-
Yard, [ reckon"
''No, no." said Emslie, sinking his
voice almost to a whisper. Its a
dead body. What I want is old Eph-
rain, and I'll give you $40 if you'll
help me get him.
can if we git caught?" said John
Henry, obviously.
ooh, We'll be hanged, of course"
said Emslie, cheerfully. "Are you will
ling to take chances for 1902"
John Henry said he thought he was.
Very we'll, then" said Emslie.
Meet me at u o'clock tonight at the
colored graveyard and bring a spade
with you"
John Henry promised to do so, and
Emslie returned to Bloodgood and the
rest to report.
''The black rascal" said Bloodgood,
in disgust. Didn't [ tell you he'd rob
the deed?'
The night was without a moon, and
everything favored the Ubiquitous pro-
ceeding. At u o'clock Emslie met John
Henry at the designated place, which
was not a cheerful one, to say the
least, for an appointment.
well, you're here, l see," he said.
"Have you brought a spade with you?
Now show me old Ephraim's grave?'
John Henry led the way through a
tangle of blackberry vines and creep
ers. His knees were beginning to
knock under him.
Now dig" commanded Emslie,
when the other paused before freshly
made mound. Lets get through with
this business as soon as we cam Z
John Henry took off his coat pre-
paratory to beginning his CHASTITY
work Before he put his spade into
the ground he looked around for an
other reaSSuring glance at his COM
panion. But Emslie had mysteriously
disappeared.
Almost at the same time a number
of dark forms rose UP as mySteriOuSly
on all sides around him. John Henry
was so frightened that he fell down on
his knees. He thought they were the
denizens of the place seeking ven
geance, until he heard a stern voice,
which he recognized as Col Washing
tons, say:
80 we've caught you red-handed,
you sccundrel! Light a lantern, some
of you, and Well see WhO.it is"
In the glare of the match John Henry
noticed that every one wore black
to collect his frightened
wits.
deed 1 amt oil muffin wrong"
be expostuIated. "Fo' Gawd I ANT, |
gemmenr'
''Then what are you doing here at
this hour?'
Il JUS come to weep ovah ole
Ephum's grave"
Yes, and brought a spade with |
you," said Col Washington. why, !
as live, it's the very spade you Dor
,owed from me over a month ago"
''Yassir," said John Henry, lamely.
I WIZ on my way ter return hit ter
yer.'
''What shall we do with him?' asked
Col. Washington, turning to his COM
ssIa7r him RI tho n aa7.nSt !