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

face of warming and wore them.
Somehow or other, though. Brainard's
folks didn't seem to be nble to see Just
how 1t wos that he wouldn't have been
struck by the rattlcspnlic IL he hadn's
had Claudius Smiths boots on, and so
The boots remained in the fnmilyr
There was no one big enough yet hi tha
iamily to wear boots, and so they
"cre put to one eide. Ani there they
fcmnned unused for ten years. Thcr,
tho house was robbed one night.
Among the property stolen were the
haunted lDais. There was great
time among folks when this became
known. They declared that they ought
- ride IN all directions on fleet horses
hnd iImt the robbers down.
mot so much bccnuse he's n roh-
lcr,' they said, but to keep him from
wearing tlsm haunted boots. We cut
Jail him for being u thief. TN he a
capital punishment IL we let him wcur
Claudius Smiths boots
IF they did any riding they dldn't
ovcrtakc the robhcr In time to warn
, hlm nglliint the fatal boots. Two tinys
after the robbery young George Piers
son. lrn!nard's son. was hunting orr
srvcn Springs mountain, and. going
over 10 enc OF the springs to get a
dhink. he found dead man lying near
II. black In tho fncc and swollen. Near
by the body lay u big bundle. The dcad
innn had on the stolen Clnudius Smitb's
boou Young picrson pulled Off tle
boots. On the mans right unlle wna
a little purplish-rcd puncturc.
IA rnttlcsnalsc had struck him, ns
sure as fntcl' exclaimed young Picrson.
"Thc bundle contained the things
stolen from the Picrson family. Gcorge
bnckcd them homo, and brought this
boots along. Then he spread the hcwa
. out finding the robber on Seven SprlnEd
mountain, dead fiom d rnttIcsnnke.s
bite.
"'And the haunted boota?' folks
asked.
"'lIc Ind 'cm on EnId young George.
"'Clnudius Smith mlclt Just ns wcit
be living and prowlng and butchcrint
along old Suhunncnunk again. they
sn'd. 'if we're going 10 keep them
haunted boots of His WORKING for hlm.'
But still the Picrsou folks couldn'a
zee wha. Claudihs Smith'a boots hnd 10
Ito with rattlesnnlscs biting people, and
they kept the boots. No one ever knew
who the 'lcad robber was, nnd they
buried him oil tie mountain.
Seems queer, too folks sdid, that
n GlnAiI Smith y hunting the boots
he'd turn 'cm against roBtcf.~.
Several years went by ngnin brfofs
anyone else wore the haunted boots.
Then II relation OF the Picrson folks,
VINO lived down In the Ringwood valley,
came visiting them. He saw the boots,
ana took great fnncy TO 'em. Ils
wanted TO buy 'em. although hc lsne,y
the fate ~ thc only two persona ,yho
had Worn 'cm In ycars.
There mint my rattlcsnhlscs In tjtir
section,' snid he IN risk the haunt
"Ihc Picrson folks wouldn't sell hin,
the boots, but Ll,cA made him prescnt
~ rm. He took 'em horic with 'crn.
Somc folks Soy that lie didn't tell hia
iistaier-in-law the story of the boot
when lie made him q present OF 'oi
after he got home. and some say n,
did. at my rate, the father-in-lov
had II good deal of property whic,
would 20 to this Picrson relations wifi,
when her father died. and her fnthe,
was In the lest of health. The son-n
Inw made him II present of Brulnnr,
fierson'B haunted boots. The fnther
in-iaw put 'em on one day and wen,
for walk. Not long nfterward ht
came staggering back home.
lie was II dead man nm hour later,
with black swollen fnce nnd body.
On his right ankle was the mark OF q
rht'lesnake bite, as there Ind been on
Erninnrd Persons and on the dead rob-
hers. And there was not IL rattlcsraltd
In NIL that countryl The fnthcr-in-law
or the Pitrson relation was dead before
the doctor could ret there. The doc.
tor was told the story of the haunted
boots. Scizing the right boot he slnshed
u down to the nnkIc with his Lnif..
Something white fell from t. 10 tho
floor. The doctor picked IL up. IJo
examined IT. for n moment.
a rattlesnnke's fang said he And
there's poison enough yet In It's channel
10 LII another mani
ut wns the missing fang OF the snal,d
That had bitten Brainnrd Picrson. III.
had been pulled from its socket by thu
firm hold the leather of the boot had
taken of II. Held fast thus, with its
point on the Inside, contact with IT. had
Teen of sufficient force 10 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 ns when 1t lay In It's snck in the
rattlesnalses jaw. That was what thd
doctor said.
"'S'posin' he does say SOP schunne,
tnunk folks said. IF Brainartl Pierson
hadn't worn Claudius Smiths boots the
tattlesnakc wouldn't left his fang In
en-. would it? So 1t was BrainarI
Persons haunted boots that done iii
and that's all there Is to i'll
"And good many Schunnemunk
folks think so To this day."=N. y. Sum
with the bIinstfeIs.
Say. Nose. duz 20 fink dat w,heii,
adam got dat rib turned Tito woman
dat was de Important business oh biz
e.,