Kansas City daily journal., 1895-05-16
The WHITE HORSE OF JEKYL.
THE STORY OF his LIFE AND or
his DEATH.
Superstition Attached by the Southern
Negro to the White Horse when
Troubles Arrive He fs Looked
To as the Cause.

or all the historic Islands on the
Georgia coast Jekyl stands pre-eminent.
Named for Sir Joseph Jekyl, COM
patriot OF General Oglethorpe, and one
of the founders of the colony of Georgia,
1t came into possession of the Du Big
naus. an old Huguenot family, whose
descendants, after many generations,
still possess interests there although IL
is now the property of a club composed
of New York gentlemen. on the west
ern front this club has erected n mag
nthcent clubhouse and laid Off beautiful
grounds; 1t has stocked the forest with
game birds bred on the premises and
made of the island little paradise. But
the natural characteristics of the island
have been preserved-the winding roads
traversing the labrynthine woods. with
here and there a glimpse of the Atlantic
on the east or the distant shores of the
mainland on the west.
Dring the war these islands were the
scene OF pillage by camp followers of
either army in turn, and by upscrup-
ulous marauders who belonged TO neither
organization, until the fine old planta-
tion homes were laid waste and the
islands became veritable solitudes, peo-
pied only by fugitive slaves and fugi-
tive whites After the war the owners
found the remnants of their hoclts and
herds enjoying the freedom of the woods
and brakes and grass-grown savannahs.
and one of the first requirments of the
reoccupation was the capturing or kill
ing of the wild cattle, hogs, and even
horses. The latter consisted of a consid-
cradle troop led by beautiful young
blooded stallion, whose mouth had never
felt the bit. He was five years old,
snowy white, and of wonderful speed.
BY dint of corralling, trapping and
running down, all these horses were
captured except their leader, whose sa
gacity saved him from all the snares
that were laid for him. and whose wind
and mettle prevented his being run down
by the herders. Often boatmen ap-
preaching the shore would see him dash
out of some cover or canter along the
beach. But at the slightest intimation
of pursuit, he would speed away, disap-
pearing around some headland or van
ishing in the forests. Hunters among
the thickets would sometimes catch a
heeting glance of his white form.
The stallion was real annoyance to
the tenants on the plantation. as he
vaulted ordinary fences without appar-
ent effort, and when the farm horses
were turned out to Craze on the natural
pasturage, he would entice them away
into the forest, where they could be re-
covered only after much time and
trouble. His great beauty saved him
from the bullet of the huntsman. but
many schemes were devised to entrap
him, all without avail.
Finally a grand hunt was decided up
on, and dozen well mounted men cross
ed over to Jekyl one morning in May,
determined on success. a pack of blood
hounds had been secured to run him out
of his familiar haunts and bring him to
bay so that he could be haltered with
out serious injury. The cavalcade rem
dezvoused at the northern end of the
island, where the stations tracks were
freshest on the shell-strewn beach, and
then scattering through the woods they
started to beat the bush Systematically
for their noble game. The hounds were
put on the trail. and Captain Hunter,
who had been a Confederate cavalry
man, and was one of the best horsemen
in the region, was in advance of the
riders.
Suddenly out of q reedbrake the
'white horse of Jekyl'' came into view.
He stood for a moment looking at his
pursuers and quivering with excitement;
then the bloodhounds broke cover in full
cry at his heels, and away he dashed,
plunging through the intervening thick
cts and reaching the long stretch of
sand on the beach. Captain Hunter and
his party followed at reckless speed.
After dashing down the beach for a few
miles, the white horse turned and plunged
into the woods again. Reaching the
borders of the plantation, he leaped the
fence bounded across n rice field, took
the fence again, and then went gallop-
ing through the forest. The hounds fol-
lowed at a distance, in spite of his doub-
linSs and turnlnSs, and every now and
then he would come in contact with
til he was forced to take to the open
beach again. where he soon left his pur-
suers far behind.
Thus the chase kept on until for the
third time he had traversed the long
white beach, when Captain Hunter, who
had concealed himself in the bushes and
had allowed his horse to recover his
wind, rode out close upon the heels of
the quarry. The sun had passed the
meridian and its hot rays beat down
nd
strength of even the unmounted horse
was failing before so relentless pursuers.
At the southern extremity of the island
is a bald bluff, facing the mainland,
and at it's base flows the main channel,
which grows shallower as 1t broadens
out into the broad marsh, eight miles in
width, lying between the island and the
mainland. The white horse reached this
bluff, closely pursued by Captain Hun
ter and the hounds, which Were now
gaining rapidly in the chase. Here he
attempted to double back into the for
est, but his course was arrested by two
hunters, who had ridden through the
woods to head him off. Seeing them,
he dashed back towards the bluff, only
to encounter another horseman, who
had been lying in wait for him to pre-
vent his escape towards the northern
end of the island. Cheer upon cheer
now went up from the pursuers, who
felt assured of their game. boat
rowed by two stalwart negroes rounded
the point from the ocean side. and a
second boat appeared down the chan
mel a few hundred yards away.
Under the shade of a magnolia tree
on the edge of the bluff the white horse
paused for an instant. glancins from
side to side upon his pursuers, who We're
closing in upon him on every point.
Just then the leader of the pack of
hounds bounded out of the brush and
made a spring at his haunch. Leaping
high In the air, he plunged at once over
the edge of the bluff. striking the water
with a loud splash. and began swim
ming straight out to the marsh. The
baftied riders cried out to the boatmen to
row for their lives
"a hundred dollars to the boat that
captures the white horse of JekyP and
lands him aliye" yelled Captain Hun
ter.
The rowers bent to their oars, but
there was a great reserve fund or
strength and spirit still in the fiery an
imal, and before the nearest boat could
reach him he had gained the shadows
and was fioundering through the coarse
grass and matted rushes. From the
bluff the little group Of men had full
view of the scene. The horse having
crossed the first strip of marsh land,
- haat,,an rnUed around to intercept