The times., 1899-10-13
6From the New YORK Journals


At the. mouth of Trinity River, in Texas.
between two narrow passes. is patch of
ground known as Dead Mans Island. 1t
is hardly more than ten acres in extent,
low and swampy, and almost inaccessible,
but it is the home of more grewsome
stories and strange vegetation than any
other piece of ground of equal size in the
whole State of Texas.
During Mexican rule, and up to the time
of the outbreak of the war for Texas in
dependence, the island, and much of the
land surrounding it, was owned by the
Anahuac tribe of Indians. Dead Mans
Island is said to have been the individual
property of the last, chief of the tribe. He
was murdered there when the Mexicans
were driven from the old town of Anahuac,
for treasures he had in his possession, sup
posed to have been left in his care by
some of Lafttes men.
From that day the island seems TO have
been fatal place to all who have settled
upon it. Some hunter or fisherman takes
possession of it every year, thinking to
break the fatal spell, but none so far has
been known to escape with his life. Some
die suddenly, without apparent cause; 9TH
ers disappear mysteriously, and are never
heard of again. Some are murdered by
unknown agencies; others take their own
lives, or lose them by flood or fire, or are
destroyed by Lightning and the sudden
coming OF storms.
Boatmen passing the island at night re-
port many strange sights and sounds. An
Indian maiden and spectral canoe have
been met by many, a mile or more from
shore, and at times when their stancher
crafts had all they could do to combat the
storm and waves and live. Often, in sail
ing through West Pass, piercing cries, as
if hxyf al in ha re
At other times, usually on calm, starlit
nights, the sounds of mirth and reveiTy
fill the air. These things happen, and are
heard and seen, when it is known that
there is not a living soul on the island
All this is acribed to the curse of the
murdered Indian chief. The scenes and
sounds at night are certainly uncanny
enough to come from such a source. But
if the nights around Dead Mans Island are
uncanny, the days upon it are no less so.
On the north side OF the island is
fringe of low, thorny bushes. the leaves
of which, toward autumn, turn cleaning
red, hang pendant, and resemble dripping
drops of blood so closely as to startle the
beholder The foliage is very scant, with
only two or three leaves to the twig. On
the topmost twig hangs a large fruit,
which at a distance appears to be blue,
but which, upon closer inspection, proves
TO be deep purple in color, and in shape
resembles human heart very closely.
When touched with the hand it seems to
shrink, and quivars yisibly, and feels cold
and clammy. 1t is said that the juice of
this fruit, pressed out and prepared in a
certain way, makes a very powerful intox-
eant. The bushes, from the shape of their
fruit probably, are known among the hunt
ers and fishermen in the vicinity as In
dian heart, and grow nowhere except ON
the island.
Near the centre of the island is a small
pond, around which grows a plant that
resembles the banana in LEAKAGE In the
late autumn it bears peculiar fruit. This
fruit is shaped like a human hand, except
that it has only three fingers and a thumb.
The fingers and thumb show the joints of
the knuckles very plainly the tips are
furnished with hard substance for nails,
and the palm shows the lines that are
seen in the human hand. The part OF the
fruit representing the hand and wrist is
coppery in color, but the fingers are red,
as If bloody with murder Some fishermen
claim to have eaten OF it, and say that
it tastes like half-ripe plantsin.
There is another shrub that grows on
the island which is a strange mixture, No
two leaves on it are alike in shape, size,
or color. 1t blooms profusely all the year
round, but the flowers are of every variety
imaginable, and no two of them smell the
same or bear the least resemblance to
each other.
The sights and sounds at night may per-
haps be due to old stories and lively imag-
nations. But the fate that oyertakes those
that try to live on the island and the
strange plants that grow there are facts
which no man who has been there can dis
pute