Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1896-07-10
CLAUDlUS SMITHS BOOTS,
Haunted. Folks Said, Aftor Thor
Ownor Was Hnlgod.
Throo Mon Who woro Thcm Killed ,,y
MATHEMATICAL Eootor's Explanation
OF Story Told Up La tho
Sohunncinunk Mountains.


sohunncinunk Mountains.
NO ono In the SchunncmunlS mc,in-
tnins will ever forget the story of
Eminnrd Persons haunted boots"
said Chrity Lord of that historic nart
OF Grunge county. "'rhc story dates
back II good ways. but it's always new
ond fresh along the old Sclunncmunr
"Bralnnrd Persons boots, 80 tn,
story goes, were tho very bootn TINT
'landius Smith kicked Off his feet lust
before he was hnngcd ut Goshen In the
revolutionary times. Clnudius Smith
wns the bloody Tory cowboy who. with
nus following of cutthroats and robbers.
'crrori@cd the srhunncmunli and sur
rounding country for ycaiu. Iii moth
or wna II pous woman, who lived ncur
the Rnmapo Pass, and when she found
she couldn't turn Glaudlus from his
evil ways, she exclaimed one day:
oh. my poor son! Nouw:,l Gir with
your shoes on, like n troopers horse
After the patriots had nj last
captured the dcspcMdo. nrd he wns
taken to the gnllows ut Goshen. he
] Kicked his boots Off ns the rope was
placed about bi,InnnlS, ,und exclaimed.
My mother naid | would die llkS II
troopers horse, with my shoes ON. |
VIII make her out II liar
! "'Thosc were Cluudlus Smith's Inat
words. His boots, through some man
ner OF succession. ut last fell into the
possession of 3rnirnrd Picfson years
after the cowboy wns hanged. I've
often heard my father gay that whc,
folles hchrd that Brninard Ind ro,
Clnudius Snith's boots they went I,
him and Gald:
Int of course you nlnt golnc ts
wear 'cm. Brninarl?'
TO which llrninnrd replied:
"Ain't II We'll, but | am. tbouph
most surcly!'
"Thcn. ns my father used to tell. folk
said to Drninnrd
Voc 10 you, Brninnrd Picison. /
you wear those bootal Not for all tn,
treasure ClaudIus Smith buricd In oil,
Schunncmunlt would we wear thos,
boots! There's blood on 'cm!'
And you must lnow thct was snylno
Il FOOD deal. for Cloudlus Smith hid In
the Schunncmnnle mountains thousand.
upon thousands of dollars worth OF
treasure which he ard his gang stole
from the patriots. and it's there vet
IL wns put nwny 80 snug TINT although
the mountains have been dug over from
top 10 bottom and end To end. no one
lihs eyer been able 20 fird TINT treasure.
80. of course, II. must be there vet.
| Well, when folks warned Brninnrd
against wearing the Tory cu,tllront's
boots. and told him there WINS blood on
en-. he answered bnclt, so my father
said, that he hndn't noticed any blood
on 'cm.
And even IL there is,' Brninnrd snlI.
III walk IL Off Tomorrow, for I'm
going TO drive some cattle down Jersey
wny. ! couldn't get pair o. boots lll.c
thcsc for the price o. the best crittcr
I've got"
$50 Brninnrd put on the boots and
sirutted around In 'cm proud us "a pea.
cock. But folks shook their heads and
said:
Not for all that Claudius Smith hid
III old Schunnemunk would we wear
his boots
"Brainard Picrson laughed, and next
'iny started with his cnttlc down Jersey
way. wearing the dead Tory's boots.
Somewhere down near the EamaIo
I'ass man coming this way met II
drove of cattle. They went on by.
AID the nun noticed that no droycr was
behind them. He went on. lie hnd gone
IL quarter of mile or so when he al
most stumbled over man lying In the
rond. He noticed that the man hnl on
remarkably fine pair of boots. but he
started back III terror as he saw rat
tleSnhkc lying near his feet. Discover.
Ing that the serpent was dead. he adj
ynnced and was horrified to sec that the
PROSTATE mans face was black and
swollen. and that he was dead II wns
plain that the rattlesnake had bitten
The nun. who had then killed the snake
neiorc he was overcome by It's venom.
Ihc dead man was Brainard Pier
son. The discoperer OF the tragedy
sought the nearest help. and tho rattle-
snakes victim was brought home 10
Scbunnemunk. The head of the snnt,c
had been crushed by stone. and ore of
Its fnngs was gone, The snake had bit
len clear through one OF the boois
i'rninard wore. and u tiny punctnre on
his ankle showed where. the deadly
venom Ind entered to do it's deadly
work.
"Claudius Smiths boots!' was the
brst exclamation that folks made when
Brainard Person was brought home
t'ead from rattlesnalSe bite. 'Tht res
blood on EN-. and we toll him sol
For n long time rothing was talked
nbout nll through the Srhunnemunl.
country bnt Erainard Pirrson's haunt
cd boots. and the awful fate that Brain-
ard msi With hccaGse he 0ew 10 tie