The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-04-21
THE "MULE-WIFE."
How n Wicked Spanish Priest and
His COnsOrt Were Punished.

How n Wicked Spanish Priest ana
His COnsOrt Were Punished.
From the City of Mexico Two Republics.
In the year 1870, In the street known to-
day as La Puerta False de Santo Domln-
go, and in the house bearing the number
3, lived a priest, but not as priest lived
he for, wicked man. contrary to the rules
of his order and religion, he surrendered
10 the weakness of the flesh and took unto
himself a wife, but this marriage was not
sanctioned by the church, and, notwith-
standing the angel OF this bishop and his
people, he still pursued his evil courses.
Now there lived i'm the street Las Rejas
de Balvanera below the university, a
blacksmith, a holy and religious man. as
no doubt all b.acksmiths are. and he was
one of the sinful priests best friends; and
all in vain were his expostula lions and
remonstrances to the latter on the wicked
ness of his conduct, for, as he himself
afterward said zone might as well have
preached to the moon"
But all pleasure, sinful or not must be
paid for at some period. BE sure thy
sin will find thee out" says some one (;
and listen to how this wicked man was
made to see the error of his ways, though,
unfortunately, he was not the principal
victim.
One stormy night the righteous black
smith was awakened at the hour when
"churchyards yawn and graves give up
their dead" by a loud and clamorous
knocking at his door. Arising from his
virtuous couch he opened the window and
in an angry voice asked who dared dis
turb an honest citizen, who paid his taxes
at this hour OF the night; but he received
no answer. AS mad as a hatter--and
everybody knows that hatters are the
maddest people In the world-he descend
ed and opened the door, where he found
two negroes holding a small black mule
which they said belonged to his friend
the priest who, DESTROYS of making
journey early the next morning, requested
as a special favor that the mule be shod
The blacksmith, not over-we.l pleased az
being awakened at such an hour CONSENT
ed to shoe the mule. Soon the shoes were
ready, and quickly they were nailed to
the mules feet; nor peacefully, however.
was this done, for the mule Kicked like a
mule" and II was only by tremendous
blows from the negroes, blows enough to
kill an ordinary mule. that the operation
was performed. Again, and as II to let
il know that the work was done, was II
severely beaten, and so cruelty that the
smith had to interfere. Bidding the ne
groes goodnight, the honest and virtuous
blacksmith returned 90 bed, but not to
sleep, for this strange conduct OF the priest
in sending a mule 20 be shod at midnight
and by two negroes, surprised him too
much to permit the drowsy god to come.
At break of day the smith, anxious to
see his friend before he set out on his
Journey FASTENED 90 his house, but, much
10 his surprise, found him asleep.
What. still asleep, and you have such
an important journey TO maker" he cried
awakening his friend. i
"A Journey, hombre! you must be
dreaming. Who told you that?' inquired
the clergyman.
The smith related what had occurred the
previous night. His friend laughingly as
sured him that he must have been de-
celved, for first OF all. he had no black
mule, and, lastly. no negroes IN his serv-
ice. and that some rogue had had his
mule shod al his (the priests expense.
As this was too good Joke to keep
the honest clergyman decided TO tell II to
Juana, who would enjoy his story al the
smiths expense. the latter always having
been an enemy Of hers. SO he fastened
10 her room, and, much to his surprise.
found her dead.
SEEING one OF her hands. he dropped on
his knees at the bedside, ard Mortified
he was 10 perceive that il was stained
with blood and black from innumerable
blows, and that the other hand was the
same. but his surprise and horror were
even greater when he observed that mules
shoes were fastened 20 each The smith
now entered the room. and he was struck
with horror when he perceived that the
shoes fastened 20 her hands ana feet were
those he had 70 carefully aud frmly ham