The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-09-11
ABSORBING MUCH SLUSH,
THEY ALL GAN TO GUSH
Veracious Account of Gentlemen who Wanted to KISS
Each Other, to Give Away Millions, to
Play the Fool

the nineteenth century, and those who
believed in it saw, heard and related
many wonderful things connected
Herewith had a friend who did not
think nor talk of much else, for he
fully believed in what he was pleased
to call Spiritual Communication with
the Departed" Nothing gave him
more pleasure than a ''Seance," for he
was a medium" and had the power.
SO he said, to converse with friends
long since dead; could call them up
at pleasure, and get any information
any one desired. l never attended a
seance, therefore L have no knowl-
edge as to how the dead made known
to him the things he asked them. but
suffice it to say, he received answers
to all his questions, whether for him
self or those who came to him to have
a talk with their dead friends.
Near the southeast corner OF wake,
near Leachburg, there lived in my
boyhood a man named Hardy Jones,
who was killed by a negro, one night
while he was out where he had
brandy still running. He had lain
down on pile of wood and gone to
sleep, and while asleep the negro
struck him on the head with an axe,
his head in the furnace, that it might.
appear that he fell forward and was
burned to death. But a. negro boy,
whom the murderer did not know was
there, saw the negro give the blow
with the axe, and also saw him drag
the body to the furnace and push the
head into the fire. Upon that boys
testimony the negro was convicted and
hung. Mr.. Jones was a wealthy man,
and Just before he was murdered had
sold a plantation and negroes in Ala
bama, the money for which, it was
said, he drew from the bank, it all
being in silver, and that it filled good
zed key, which was carried out from
Raleigh on a wagon, but never carried
to Jones'S house. 1t was taken Off ana
buried in the woods not far therefrom.
That was the report before ana after
his death. Two things were true; he
sold a plantation for a big price, and
his family never saw the money that
he received. SO mucn Tor tnat part
OF the story.
Some twenty years ago L stopped in
Greensboro at a private boarding
house kept by a Mr.. Edwards, 81 broth
Ell of Rev. John E. Edwards, who once
was pastor of Edenton Street Metho-
dist church of this city. In CONVEX
sation with Mr.. Edwards, spiritualism
was alluded to, and he proceeded to
tell me of trip he had made to Mont
gomery, Aabamal and of circum-
stance that made him, well nigh,
believer in spiritualism. He said:
II married daughter of man
named Hardy Jones who was killed by
a negro, who before his death, sold
very valuable tract of land in Ala
bama, the money for which his fami-
ly never saw. 1t has always been a
mystery what became of that money.
/ stopped him at this point to say
that / was raised within ten miles OF
where Hardy Jones lived, and that my
father hired. for several years, the ne
gro boy Mack, who witnessed the
murder, and that / had heard him
tell, dozens of times, how the murder
was committed.
He then went on to tell me that
while he was in Montgomery on that
visit, he heard that a celebrated spir-
itualist was astounding the people by
her revelations, and he determined to
go to one of her seances. 81 told her
he said, II desired to have a talk with
the spirit of a friend that had been
dead many years. She did not ask
my name nor place of residence, but,
iii a moment she remarked: you
are a long way from home" and, be-
fore l had time to reply, almost rising
from her seat and looking as if she
was terribly shocked, she exclaimed:
80, what a horrible murder" Then
assuming a more quiet mien she said:
"Iie was a very wealthy man; but,
and she seemed to heSitate-'but, his
buried treasure has never been found
She hesitated again, while, from eX-
element and amazement, great beads
of perspiration stood on my face, as /
waited to hear what she would say
next: cit can be found" she said, at
length "Go q due west course from
the house in which he lived, one-half
nd xyn1t a
tie an ordinary pillow line to that tree
and make circle at the end of that
line and, your dead friend tells me,
YOU will find the lost money inside of
that circle
did you ever do it, I asked?"
NO said Mr.. Edwards, Il was
ashamed to; but, | always wished
that somebody else would. 1 don't be-
lieve in spiritualism, but, it was a
strange thing to me how she should
speak of a horrible murder and lost
money, when she knew nothing of the
affair."
Mr.. Nf,dwards is dead. but there are
many people living, some of them the
descendants of Mr.. Jones, who have
heard the old story. Since 1 think of
it, / believe Mr.. Jones lived just over
the line in Johnston county. If any
of my readers should go in search of
that keg, and unearth it, it is under
stood, OF course, anr TO be well pald
for telling this story, which suggested
the search. The place is some II or
Ia miles southeast of Raleigh. Find
the old residence, go due west, find a
tree half a mile away, tie a plowline
to it and make circle around the
tree, and there you are. An easy way
to make a fortune
=
SUIT Lovengood said there were three
kinds of fools, to-wit: The fool for
the lack of sense, the fool overstocked
with sense, and the natal born durn
fool" 1 have never put myself to the
trouble of looking into the matter to
see whether or not SUIT was right in
the classification and number of fools;
nor have / made the effort to ascertain
to which class the greatest number of
fools belongs. but, 1 am inclined to
the opinion that the natal born has
the majority up to date, and that when
all the boxes are counted out he will
have it by two-thirdS. If the reader
Will give the matter a moments
thought he cannot fail to see how
numerous are the natal borns''. For
instance, if to that class belong all the
moderate drinkers, AN the drunkards,