The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1896-12-31
presently told him all. The white man
silent In Il loft nva,. fFn Kitchen, u, ~ II,

presently told him all The white man
slept Inn loft over the kitchen, and the
negro in the stable. II he plan was for
the former to descend from the loft
during the night and unfasten the
kitchen door and admit the negro. me
colOred woman would be asleep on a
lounge, and as it was feared she would:
neither run away with them nor share
their guilt, the white man was to kill
s her while the negro attacked Mr.. Da-
s Wis. w hen the story had been told,
So unders planned with my GRANDPA
ther to beat the villains at their game.
S'Ihe colored woman was locked up in q
store room off the kitchen, and a log
of wood laid on the lounge ana cov.s
cred up, to resemble a human figure.
Another log was placed III my Grand
fathers bed. and then the two men.
each armed with a rifle, took up their
stations behind cupboard standing
across corner Of the kitchen. ss
Half an hour before midnight the
white man softly descended the ladder
and opened the door for the negro, who
had a couple Of sharp axes in his
hands. The pair whispered together
for moment. and then the white man
took one Of the axes and moved over.
to the lounge, while the negro slipped
into the Sitting room and through it
into the bed room. Alta whistle from
the. white man both brought down
their axes, and at the same instant the
. two men in hiding sprang out The
white man was Killed by a bullet from
Saunders rife, and as the negro came
rushing out my grandfather gave him
mortal wound. He lived until mid
afternoon of the next day, and before
dying made a full conf ession He laid
the blame on the white man. and.
probably, with just reasons; but it
was clear that he had been a willing
Stooland was a bad man at heart $50
There. was still another adventure in
store for my grandfather Six or sew
en- years after the attempted double
murder. and when lie had sold the saw
mill and became a country merchant,
he started for Muhlenburg on the last
/ day Of December, with team, to dis
pose of a lot of furs, beeswax, hides,
feathers and other things. and bring
back goods for his trade. He intended
to drive until about 10 o'clock at night
to reach certain tavern; but just after
dark that same little old man suddenly
out: sg 8 s5g
'..Ha! Mr.. Davis glad to see you gu
again! I was right in my last warn
ing,eh? You must stop at the next tav-
ern. If you drive over the long cause
way You will be shot down and robbed
by men lyiEg there in ambush. E#s
My grandfather pulled up his horses
and jumped down, but, as before, the
man had vanished and left no trace 4
behind. A mile ahead was roadside 4
tavern, and mile beyond that, long
causeWay across a swamp. Mr.. Davis
put up at the tavern for the night and
said not word to anybody. Next
morning, as he was ready to so, man
on horseback brought the news that a
traveller had been killed and robbed at
the far end of the causeway by men
who had doubtless been lying in am
bush. That was the fourth and last
warning, and the little old man ne yer
appeared again. Was it man ol a
wrath? You must answer that ques-
ton yourself I have given YOU a
chapter from the family records, add
ing nothing and taking nothing away.
My grandfather was a Christian man.
and man of honor in#every sense
That which he wrote down in his jour
nal he believed to be true goes without
dispute. He was no believer in the SUI
pernatural, and yet I do not think he
ever reached the conclusion that his
strange friend was a fellow man. He
couldn't believe that and furnish
reasonable explanation Of his sudden
disapp earances. You may ask il the
little old man warned others of dan
ger? never heard that he did. In
deed. nearly every one Who eyer heard
Of the incidents as above related pooh
poohed them, and sarcastically lob
served that my grand father must have
taken q drop too much in honor Of the
nearby New Year. But it is my firm
belief that things happened exactly as
he said. and without the slightest ex-
aggeration Of details. 70 Detroit Free
Press.