The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-06

old and had lived here for. several years
with his son, Capt. q. L. Morehead.
Times Recorder: Considerable excite
ment prevailed among number Of Amer
icus COlored people Wednesday over a
strange story told by Crawford simpson,
sexton of the cOlored cemetery which II
true would indicate that certain funeral
a day or two ago was perhaps a little
premature. simpson, il is said, believed
he heard several raps upon the coffin at-
/ ter it had been lowered into the grave and
the dirt partly thrown upon II. IN speak
ing Of the affair Simpson is quoted as say
ing that the body Of a Well known negro
man had been lowered to Its last resting
place, the funeral exercises were over
with and most of the crowd had left the
cemetery. A few friends stood near TO
place flowers upon the new made grave.
1t was then that the sexton was alarmed
by distinct raps, which he now thinks
were made upon the coffin. He was too
much frightened for the moment TO speak
to those about him, and waited several
minutes to see II the raps would be re-
peated. Hearing no more OF the strange
sounds he finished filling up the new
made grave ana not until Wednesday was
the subject mentioned, as Tar as known.
1t is now said that even after the body
OF the negro buried was placed IN the
coffin the eyes remained wide open and
all efforts to close them were fruitleSS-
The question that now arises is, was the
negro buried allVeE
Emigrants from the northwest. says the
Times Recorder, continue TO arrive IN
Americas in small parties, bound Tor Ill
cox county, where 6O,00O people from that
region will locate this winter on land pur-
chased for the Fitzgerald colony. EX-
Gov. NOrthen is now in Wilcox, where he
has options on $1,000 acres OF land in ad-
dition to that already purchased through
him for the colony. The largest purchase
of lands from one party was from Drew
Bros. 1900 acres, followed by a purchase
of 10000 acres from Judge X. V. Bowen.
Many of the colontsts are union soldiers
and they viii draw pensions amounting
to $500 600 annually. As soon as the char
ter is granted the land viii be surveyed
into lots to suit purchasers, and 12,000
acres will be laid of into town lots. The
streets will be wide and, doubtless, it Will
be one of the best laid off towns in the
south. The site for the township has not
been selected, nor has the name been sug-
gested. but it is thought that one of the
most appropriate names that could be
given is NOrthen City. The COlouists viii
/ begin TO arrive in fun force about Oct. I.
1t is claimed that many of the colOnists
are worth from 5000 to $4,000. The COM
pany has a capital of $4,000 They viii
eXpend S550e09 in buying the lands, and
$l50000 in improvements. Saw mills and
other industries will be established.
schools and churches will be estab-
lished also. Those who have
come have met with warm
reception from the good people of that
section, and a genuine old Georgia well
come awaits those yet to come. Mr.. II. c.
Smith, one of the colonists, SAYS that they
have come to make their homes in Geor-
ga and to make good citizens for Geor-
Judge J. s Avant Of south Macon, who
returned Wednesday from the Indian
Springs camp meeting, gives the News in
formation as to the recent demonstration
OF the Holiness people over the terrible
wreck on the Southern railway that is
almost beyond belief. Judge Avant has
mad a number of years experience as a
newspaper correspondent, and the true
character of the recent demonstrations
at the Holiness camp so impressed him
that he made careful memorandum of
all that tranSplred, and he states it as abb
sOlutely true that the news of the disas-
trous wreck was received more as a sig
nal for jollihcation in the Holiness camp
rather than for sorrow at the untold suf-
fering that it had caused The Holiness
people looked upon the wreck as a direct
answer to their prayers, and refused TO
sorrow over it because they considered
it Gods work. Judge AVant says the
Holiness people had been in a painful
state of religious excitement for several
days, and many of the worst specimens
really imagined that they were walking
with God and that the camp was presided
over by the Jehovah in person. Long
faces and pious tread characterized the
sanctified day in and day out, and they
seemed to view with suspicion everything
that had an earthly look, occasionally
stretching out their arms as they came
in contact with some stranger at the
camps and numbling something inaudible
and intensely mysterious, as if to say,
Lord, be with me while ] run the gaunt-
let of this wicked thing" They prayed in
cessanyly from sunrise until late a night,
and the burden of their prayers did not
seem to be so much a desire to convert
the wicked as to get them out of the
way-to wipe them off the face Of the
earth. The object of their animoslty
seemed to be the proposed ball which was
to have been danced by the Pythians and
their ladies at the Wigwam. The sane
titled looked upon this as the cTcwning
iniquity of the age, and construed It as a
direct insult to themselves and their God
rant haNy Ia1
necessarily for something to happen that
would prevent the ball from taking
place. These prayers were made in pub
lie and private, and were generally ac-
companied by warm denunciations of the
unregenerated who dared to pollute the
sacred atmosphere of the camp. 1t is not
stated that they suggested the idea of a
wreck, but anything that would have the
desired effect would be just as accepta-
bic.