The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-03-18
A VERY MEAN NAN.
He Fought Coffin for His Wife.
Before Her Death
BUT SHE MADE him OCCUPY IT.:
JEFF Hackett, Formerly Of South
Carolina, But for Many Years s.
VJeinian, Suffered for
His Sins.

Sometime ago, says special dis
patch to The State from Roanoke
Va, a farmers wife in Floyd county.
Va, who had been i'll for many weeks
grew suddenly worse. The family
was small, consisting of two little.
children; and the farm house itself:
occupied a lonesome, out-of-theway;
spot, in a rugged mountain country
a good many miles distant from the
nearest country village. For weeks:
the roads had been in an almost im-:
passable condition from the efectssof:
the continued heavy fall Of snow and:
rain, and the only visitor to the sick.
woman was the country doctor he.
vent his weary rounds. The husband,
jeff Hackett, a native Of one OF the
upper counties of South Carolina, had
drifted to Virginia 35 years ago,-and..
ever since locating in Floyd county
had been {. man known through hout.
the section for his meanness and MIG.
gardly habits, and although by such;
methods he had amassed a comfort
able sum of money, few ever saw the.
color Of it,, and the numerous visits Of
the doctor to his sick wife were viewed
with increased alarm, as Indications
Of a good-sized medical bill grew more
apparent. just as the serious turn I'M
the woman's condition came about,
the miserly husband hit on the happy
idea, as it, seemed to him, Of killing:
two birds with one stone. he had:
come IT, Roanoke the following day:
to attend to some business, and TO get:
a frest, supply OF them expensive
drugs Just before his departure
the faithful doctor arrived to pay a.
visit to the sick wife. HaeEetsezasd
the physician to one side and ane
toned him closely as to the prospects
of his wife's early death. HeexplalneG
that bad as the roads were, they were;
liable to become much worse, and
that if he could bring back a coffin
next day, much Inconvenience and
probable delay in the funeral, etc.,
could be saved, should his wife expire.
The medical man assured him it was
bis opinion that his wife could not
last twelve hours: and that sheWould
in all probability be dead when here
turned from the city. The next day,
bright and early, the farmer bade the
sick woman good bye, and started on
his long drive to Roanoke. On arrly-:
ing there he purchased the necessary
drugs, and then sought an undertak-s
ing establishment, where be bought q !;
moderate priced coffin. Congratulate:
ing himself on his foresight, he p}oc-5
ded homeward and no sooner was Re
in sight Of his home, when the chill
dren awaiting his return, espied the
significant looking casket. Running
into the house, the little ones notified
their sick mother, who was apparent,
ly in very weak state, Of what their
father had brought back from the
city. The wife guessed the truth at
once and summoning her now miser-:
able husband to her bedside, she raised
herself by main force and despite her
condition, showered upon him the:
vials of her pent-up wrath. a new
resolution flashed in her eyes. She
vowed her husband would be the worst
disappointed man in the country, and
should have the coffin for his own use
So rapidly did she regain her strength
that inside Of ten days, she was boss
ing the house as Of old, and making
her parsimonious helpmeet's life a
burden. So much did the experience
weigh on the latter's mind that ne.
fell i'll and FIVE days afterwards was,
taken to the little country churchyard
in the identical receptacle purchased
by himself for his better and stronger.
ho1f