Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1896-04-18

by the poQy lay Dig puHuie, Inc uSAu
man had on the stolen CIaudIus Smiths
bootl Young Pierson pulled of the
boots. On the mans right ankle waa
a little upholstered puncture.
"A rattlesnalc had struck him. as
sure as fatel' excleimed young Pierscn.
"rhe bundle contained the things
stolen from the Pierson family. George
backed them home, and brought the
boots along. Then he spread the news
about finding the robber on Seven Springs
mountain, dead from rattlesnake'a
bite.
".And the haunted boots?' folks
asked
"'He had 'em on said young George.
"'Claudius Smith might just as we'll
be living and prowling and butchering
along old Schunnemunk again. they
said, If we're going to keep them
haunted boots of his working for him.'
"But still the Pierson folks couldn't
see what Claudius Smiths boots had to
do with rattlesnakes biting people, and
they kept the boots. No one ever knew
who the dead robber was, and they
buried him on the mountain.
"'Seems queer, too folks said, that
II Claudius Smith is haunting the boots
he'd turn 'em against a robber.'
Several years went by again before
anyone else wore the haunted boots.
Then a relation of the Pierson folks,
who lived down in the Ringwood valley,
came visiting them. He saw the boots,
and took great fancy to 'em. He
wanted to buy 'em, although he knew
the fate of the only two persons who
had worn 'em in years.
"'There amt any rattlesnakes in our
section said he. I'llrisk the haunt
1.-THE Pierson folks wouldn't sell him
the boots, but they made him present
of 'em. lie took 'em home with EN-
Some folks say that he didn't tell his
father-in-law the story of the boots
when he made him a present of 'em
after he got home, and some say he
did. At any rate, the father-in-lnw
had a good deal of property which
would go to this Pierson relations wife
when her father died, and her father
was in the best ofihealth. The son-in.
law made him present of Brainartl
Persons haunted boots. The father.
in-law put 'em on one day and went
for a walk. Not long afterward he
came staggering back home.
"He was dead man an hour later
with black swollen face and body
On his right ankle was the mark of II
rattlesnake bite, as there had been on
Brainard Persons and on the dead rob
bers. And there was not rattlesnake
in all that country! The father-in-law
of the Pierson relation was dead before
the doctor could get there. The doc
tor was told the story of the haunted
boots. Selling the right boot, he slashed
| 1t down to the ankle with his knife
Something white fell from it to the
floor. The doctor picked it up. Hs
examined it for moment.
"a rattlesnake's fang said he. And
there's poison enough yet in it's channel
to kill another mani
ut was the missing fang of the snake
| that had bitten Brainard Pierson. II
had been pulled from its socket by the
firm hold the leather of the boot had
taken of it. Held fast thus, with its
point on the inside, contact with it had
been of sufficient force to puncture the
ankles of the persons who had since
worn the boot. The venom, though
dry, was still potent, and it's work as
deadly as when it lay in its sack in the
| rattlesnake's law That was what the
doctor said.
'S'posin' he does say SOP Schunne
munk folks said. If Brainard Piersor
hadn't worn Claudius Smiths boots tn.
rattlesnake wouldn't left his fang il
'em, would it? So it was Brainart
Persons haunted boots that done it
and that's all there is to It'll
"And good many Schunnemunl
folks think so to this day."-N. Y. Sun