Year: 1871

A Ride with Dead Man.


THINGS do occasionally happen now


that are not caught up by the daily press


to-day, although the reporter of modern


times is supposed 10 hunt out everything


and miss nothing of Interest to any reader.


In Detroit, at least, fifteen or twenty years


ago, the case was different, and many Incl


dents and adventures occurred among law


yers, doctors and officers of the law, which


never found their way into print The


other day, in conversation with we'll


known member of the Detroit bar, he


called up little adventure of his own


which has never been published and which


is worthy of It.


One day in January, 1855, the lawyer,


who asks that his name be published as


Blank, was called upon to go to the vii


lage of Farmington and conduct the de-


fence in lawsuit of considerable impor-


lance. Being in possession of horse


and sleigh, he chose to go by his own con-


veysnce, and, as the weather was extreme


ly cold, took care to be well provided with


robes and blankets. Whether he won or


lost the suit, or how he spent the time up


to seven O'Clock in the evening are matters


of no interest to the reader. The night


having set in still colder than the day,


Blank was entreated-to remain in the vii


lage until the next day, but he would not


hear of such plan, as an important mat


ter would claim his attention in the city


next day. So he bundled up, got jug of


hot water for his feet, and headed his


horse for home, calculating on ride ofnot


more than three or four hours. The wind


blew piercingly cold into the face of man


snd beast, and Blank was soon half frozen
in spite of his coverings. He had pro-


ceeded about one-third of the distance


home, the horse going at sharp trot most
of the time, when he overlook a man
plodding at slow pace and of
fered him a ride. The man had
on an old ragged overcoat, was otherwise
poorly dressed, and declared that he
was nearly frozen to death. Blank asked
his name, where he was going, and other
questions, but the stranger was just then
busy settling the coverings around him,
and did not reply; and further on his |
silence was accounted for by the lawyer |
on the ground that the man was deaf or |
deeply engaged in thought. Soon after |
picking up his passenger the lawyer felt |
that he must do something or freeze to |
death, and concluded to take run behind |
the cutter He offered the lines to the |
stranger, explaining that he was going to |
get out, but, as he did not accept them,
Blank passed them over the fellows head,
saying to himself that he was expressing
but little gratitude for the ride so kindly
offered. Getting out, the lawyer seized
the back of the sleigh and ran until thor
oughly warmed up, and then climbed in
beneath the robes again. Feeling much
better, and being a man given. to sociabil
ity, Blank nudged his passenger sharply
and began to question him. The fellow
could not be drawn out by anything which
the lawyer advanced, and so he was left
to himself for a time. Perhaps it is even
now the habit of lawyers to take
"pocket pistol" with them when they
ride out, and it certainly was then. Blank
was thus provided for, and he concluded
that pull at its contents would be good
for himself and the stranger. After drink
inG, he held it up before the mans face,
and politely requested him to take sip,
but this offer met with no response.
Drawing away the coverings from the
man's face, it was seen that he was wide
awake and looking full at the lawyer, and
when Blank held up the fash again, he
thought he saw the man shake his head.
Concluding that he had a temperance man
aboard, the lawyer returned the flask to
his pocket, and made no more advances of
the kind


During the trial that day, one of the
witnesses had given utterance to scme ex-
pressions which greatly pleased the law
yer, and he now related it in hopes to get
a word from the stranger. Blank went
all over the ground, laughed heartily at
the joke, and even gave the man nudge
in the side without receiving a word or
q sign. Then, a sort of fear came over
him. He began to think that the stranger
was either lunatic or else had DESIGNS
against his life. He had heard of men be-
ing assassinated at their own flresides, in
their carriages and sleighs, and might not
this man who maintained such mysteri-
Gus silence be there for the purpose of
securing victim? And the lawyer drew
further away, and scanned his man more
closely to see if one of his hands did not
grasp pistol or a knife The eyes of the
stranger looked full at him, the man sit
ting q little sideways on the seat, and they
seemed to the lawyer to fash vengeance.
The two entered the suburbs at last, and
getting down to Perkins Hotel, Blank
asked the man where he should let him
out Receiving 10 answer, he drove
down to Woodward avenue, across. and
over to Ra ldolph street, where he resided.
Stopping the horse at the door, the lawyer
got out, and then informed the stranger
that the journey was ended. The man
neither moved or spoke. Provoked at his
persistent silence, the lawyer seized him
by the shoulder, gave him a shake, and
exclaimed: "If you don't get out of my
sleigh, will pull you outr


The man lurched heavily to one side and
then fell to the ground. The lawyer tore the
wraps open and found that he had been
riding with corpse for the last two
hours. The stranger was stone dead,
every limb and muscle as stiff as an icicle
At the inquest next day not a word or
line could be found to establish the mans
Identity. Men came out from Pennington,
but no one could say that he had ever seen
the stranger, and he was buried as city
pauper. The only thing of any value at
al about the dead man was q curious
looking tobacco box, made of some foreign
wood, and the initials &C. G.. N" inlaid
with silver on the cover. This was in
time handed to the lawyer, and is yet in
daily use to hold his fine cut.-Detroit
Free Press.


A PERSON walking into the counting
room of the late Mr.. c., wealthy and
and shrewd merchant, inquired of the
nlark the rent of q store which his em-