Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1896-07-10

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io'As didn't seem 20 be able TO see Just
how II was that he wouldn't have been
struck 10y the rattlcspnlIe IL he hndn't
had Claudius Smiths boots ON. and 50
the boots remained in the fnmilxr
There was no one big enough yet hi ths
family to wear boots. and $50 theY
"ere put 20 one side. And there they
remained unused for ten years. Then
th" house was robbed one night.
Among the property stolen were the
haunted LA1ts. There was a Rres,h
time among folks when this became
known. They declared that they ought
- ride in all directions on fleet horses
and hunt the robbers down.
"'Not 50 much because he's n rob.
Lcr' they said. hut to keep him from
wearing tlsm haunted boots. We cart
jail him for being thief. It'n be a
capital punishment II we let him wear
Claudius Smiths boots
IF they did any riding they didn't
ovcrtalSc the roLhcr In time 90 warn
him ngGlJat the fatal boots Two DAYS
aftcr the robbery young George Pier
son. ir0'nards son. was hunting on
seven Springs mountain. md, nruinof
over 10 one OF the springs 70 get a
dhinh. he found IA dead man lying near
". black I'm the face and swollen. Nenr
by the body lay a big bundle. The dead
imam had on the stolen Claudius Smiths
toou Young Pierson pulled off tho
boots. On the mans right nnlSle was
"a little purplish-rcd puncturc.
"a rnttlesnalSc had struck him. as
sure ns fotel' exclaimed young Picrson.
"rhc bundle contained the things
stolen from the Picrson family. Georges
backed them home and brought ths
boots along. Then he spread tho news
. out Ending the robbcr on Seven Sprlnrs
mountain. dead fIom rottlesnake's
bite.
land the haunted bootsP' folks
asked.
He had 'em on. said young George.
"'Clnudlus Smith mCht Just "a welt
be living and prowling and butcherins
along old Suhumnemunk again. they
sn'd. ~ we're going 90 Keep them
haunted boots OF his working for hlni.'
"liut still the picrson folks couldn'a
zee what Claudius Smiths boots had to
uo with rnttlesnakcs biting people, and
they kept the boots. No one cverknevv
who the dead robber was, md they
buried him on Tie mountain.
Seems queer, too folks said, that
+AInAld y ldilss ilssss Ht'tsfl ls haunting the boots
he'd turn 'cm against a ToTf7rrA
Several years went by ngain beforc
anyone else wore the haunted boots.
neh relation OF the Pieraon folks,
VINO lived down In the Ringwood valley,
came visiting them. lie snw The boota,
ma took great fancy 20 'em. 1Ia
wanted 20 buy 'em. although lac Know
the fate nf the only two persons who
had worn 'om In years.
There mint any rattiesnal<cs IN dtir
section snid he IN risk the haunt
The Picrson folks wouldn't sell him,
the boots, but thcA made him prcsenr
tf I'm. lie took EN- hor,o with 'efa
Somc folks Soy t.at he didn't ten NJ.
iut'lcr-in-law the story OF the loot
Nhen he made him a present Of "a,
after lac got home. md some soy h,
did. At my rate. the fathcr-in-luv
had a GOOD deal OF property whiel
would go 90 this Picrson relations WIFI
when her father died. and her fethcl
was IN the Best Of health. The son-in
Jaw made him a present Of Brainnr.
Persons haunted boots. The father
in-lnw put EN- on one day and wen,
for walk. Not long nfterward h,
came staggering back home.
lie was n dead man an hour lafer
with black swollen fnce and body
On his right ankle was the mark of :,
rattlesnake bite. ns there had been on
Brninard Persons and on the dead rob
hers. And there was not "A rattlcs,ualso
OF the Pierson relation wns dead before
thc doctor could get there. The doc.
tor was told the story Of the haunted
boots Seizing the right boot he slnshcd
down to the mike with his Lnif..
Something white fell from H. 10 tho
hoor. The doctor picked IL up. 10
examined ii Tor moment.
"a rattlcsnake's fang said he. And
there's poison enough yet In It's channel
ia LII another mani
at was the missing fang ofthc snalsa
that had bitten Brainurd Picrson. IL
bad been pulled from It's socket by ths
firm hold the leather of the boot had
taken of IL. Held fast thus, with it's
point on the inside. contact with f. had
tFcn of sufficient force 90 puhcture 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
rattlesnal1e's jaw. That was what the
doctor said.
S'posin' he does say SOP Schunne.
tnunk folks said. IF BIainard Pierson
hadn't worn Claudius Smiths boots the
yattlesnakc wouldn't left his fang IN
en-. would il? So it was Brainard
Persons haunted boots that done III
and that's all there is to it,
"And good many Schunnemunk
folks think so To this day."-=N. Y. Sun.
with the HIiustReIss
SAY. Nose. duz go fink dat when
Adam got dat rib turned ihto a woman
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