Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-07-29
SAVED BY A WHEEL.

| had come to Florida to take up an an.
pointment as assistant engineer on new
line one of the great millionaire hotel own
ers had decided to construct down the east
ern coast of that low, sandy peninsula
The work was, of course, all done by ne
| groes, a rough, half civilized lot, good
| workers when well looked after, but very
dends when fired by drink OF gambling.
There were five white men only in resi-
dence at the camp, and the number Of
darkies varied generally between 70 and
100 Lately we had been hard put to it To
get sufficient hands in these sparsely popu.
lated wilds and had in consequence taken
on all who came to us and asked for work,
without any sort Of inquiry as to their
character or antecedents
There were several Coughs, as they
say in the states, among the new hands,
and of these the worst was big mulatto
known as Gilead Mack.
1.-Two weeks after his arrival the catas~
trophe occurred. Marriott, the paymaster,
with his colored servant Cicero, drove to
Warrenton one Saturday to draw the week q
money from the bank there. His usual
hour of return passed, dusk fell and there
was no sign of him, s O'Clock, and, Sc
riously alarmed, we started search party
Five miles from camp, where the road
ran through moss hung oak scrub, the
pale starlight revealed horse, broken
buggy and two riddled bodies, Marriott's
and that Of his faithful servant, stretched
on the bloody sand.
-Four furious men were soon securing
the country for assistance, and ere morn
ing strong party Of white settlers and
planters were following with bloodhounds
the trail of the cowardly scoundrels.
In little more than "a hours after the
crime had been committed the perpetrators
were caught, run down in the black depths
OF the inland swamps There were three
OF them-camp negroes, as we had sus-
pected.
Portions OF the plunder--poor Marriott's
watch and ring-were actually found upon
them. There could be no defense, SO ius-
tice was melted out, short, sharp and terri
BILE, and three dead bodies dangled from
giant live oak, a warning to the rest.
During their examination two of the
three implicated Gilead as the planner and
instigator of the whole thing. But he was
proved not to have left the camp that
night, and though some were for putting
him also out of the way Of further mis-
chief, it was eventually decided he should
simply be logged and turned out of camp
And f1ogged he was! Such fearful
thrashing with heavy hickory switches as
trust never again shall see
This was in March. In May I had ten
days leave, which 1 was to srend with
the Warburtons, old friends l had known
at home, who had come out to Florida
chiefly for the sake of Mr.. Warburton's
health. They lived on the coast, about 30
miles due south, and to reach their place I
took steamer down the Indian river.
Rarely have l enjoyed myself SO thor
oughly as during those few days. The
surf bathing was perfect as could well be
imagined, the fishing superb. Sailing ON
the river and hunting turtles on the beach
gave us other delightful occupation, while
perhaps the best fun Of all was long bicy-
Gle rides by moonlight.
We had splendid ground for spin. Be-
tween low and high water mark the smooth
beach was as firm as turnpike road, and |
except for here and there a soft stretch 100
yards or SO in length, one might drive the |
flying wheel many a mile north or soutb
Two wears before. something more than
a friendship had grown up between Lena |
Warburton and myself. Before q week |
was I'M we had come to an understanding
and nv happiness was AZ nearly comnlefo.
az human happiness ever is in This world
MY leave of absence was not ND till |
Thursday. NV disgust. then. NAV he
IMAGINED when on Tuesday 4 darby how
appeared on pony back with note from
Northcott. the snperintendent requesting
me to return at once. Vale the second
engineer was i'll and nv nresence Urgent.
Nv reouired
Tbero was no river boat GOING north no.
fore THURSDAY. so nv onlv wav of ret,,r,,
led mn the beach Twas ahont ~ 10 ovar
a. port Tea 40 bir, ~ anir1ol With
could ride or drive when IocE worhnrfon
az mo IN INV ossisto,,ca viii, tho otfa, ~
1,,ono,o ~ had 49,, ~, .,,h;aI, - 49,
sa;G I conId oet nal r. camn yorv ,n,,ch
ouicter thar on anv .ni,nal sho,,id no
l;Lelv to cot in tho nai.hhorbood
r. ,yos ohont o,c,oci ,uham +,r+od
SUMMER nisbt whose Mat WAS