The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1894-05-16

and picked the brothers off one by one
as chance afforded. | do not know
| whether Mr. Markham believed in TIL
+l'aoru or not lat it was Understood
InaU cur so@rch was to be entirely di-
rected to locations where the body of a
murderer's victim might be secreted
At the end of three weeks y miles
of ground lad been gone over-that is,
| % miles in length, but crossing the
mountain back and forth as we did made
! the area ten times that. This brought us
/ to the spot where Joseph had dug his
freclay. About 40 rods south of the clay
pit was fine spring. twas to the east
of what might be called the main trail
on the crest of the mountain. Between
it and the trail was fringe of bushes
30 feet wide, and one wanting to visit
the spring had to push through this
fringe.
In the searches made for the three
missing brothers that spring had been
visited thousands Of times. About l0
years ago it was discovered to be won
tlerful cure all, and sanitarium has
| been built there for the benefit of inva
lids. On the day our party were to be
gin their search north of the clay pit
did not go out with them, the cook hav
| ing use for me up to 10 o'clock. AT that
hour I started out alone calculating to
fall in with one of the parties after
bit. I had got within 20 rods Of the
spring and was intending to turn aside
and get drink when | caught sight of
a black bear coming toward me. 1t was
hot day, and think he must have
been fired at by some hunter or pursued
by dogs, as his tongue was hanging out
| like dogs, and he seemed to be very
tired AS s. n as I got sight Of him
leaped behind bowlder to my left and
was sure he had not observed me- He
had probably visited the sprirg before,
for as he came opposite he turned sharp
to the left to reach it, The bushes were
not SO thick but that Icould plainly fol
low his movements. When he had gone
about 5 feet, he uttered a ''wh0of' q
surprise and dropped out of sight. ]
thought he had sunk down from eX-
haustiOn, and | Waiteda long quarter Of
an hour before moving forward / adj
vanced step by step, expecting to SET
him rise up every minnie, and at length
got close enough to discover the mouth
of shaft or pit. It had been covered
with vines and leaves and even after !
was sure that the bear had gone into it
the spot looked almost safe for one to
cross.
Getting down on hands and knees and
creeping to the edge Of the pit could
hear bruin snuffing and whining far be
low, and such an odor rose up that !
was speedily forced toretire. I hurried
along to the north, calling to the search
ing parties as | ran, and after awhile l
got them together and told them about
the bear. 1t was only after they reached
the pit and scented the dreadful odor
coming up that any one suspected the
value of my discovery. / shall never for
get the pale faces and shaking limbs as
father drew back from the pit and said;
"Boys, our search is ended and the
mystery cleared away! Joseph, William
and Thomas are all i'll that pit and the
bear on top Of themP'
SO it proved. You may say it is in
credible that three men should turn
aside at just that point where so many
others had escaped, but it is simply q
strange coincidence The bear was killed
and hoisted up, the pit disinfected as
far as could be done, and not only the
remains of the three brothers were
found, but of two other men and two or
three deer as we'll 1t was shaft 80
feet deep with bottom of rock, and
was probably sunk during the days of
the Revolution The fall may not have
killed any Of the victims, but even had
they escaped serious injury there was no
possible show for them to climb out,
and in the search 10 one passed near
enough to hear their faint and muttied
cries for help. But for the meeting with
the bear tie great Hapgood mystery
wonld he a mystery still.