The Boy John. (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1897 edition. Excerpt: ... it which enabled us to form any idea who had sent it. And we do not now know from whom it came, but it is our opinion that it was found in the effects of an old Odd Fellow with directions to forward it to Howard Lodge after his death. The writer, whoever he was, must have been a former member of this lodge, and have had access to our records, as there is a great deal of matter in the narrative which could only have been obtained from our records. I know that there are several persons present to-night, and several more in this community, to whom much of this story will be familiar, and who will be able to convince the most skeptical person that this is a true history of the Boy John as far as they know that history. Until to-ndght they never had an opportunity to hear what was the final outcome of the affair, which had been undoubtedly common talk in this community fifty years ago. The dates in the manuscript were left blank, but a note stated where we could find the correct dates, and we have filled all of the blanks with those dates. I will now read a true and accurate copy of the manuscript received; the reports of special and standing committees to the lodge, and other matter pertaining to the ease, making this preliminary statement: That this is not a story founded on facts amplified and colored to suit the taste of a morbid public curiosity, but it is a perfectly true account of what really occurred without embellishment, and is abundantly substantiated by our records. THE MYSTERIOUS MANUSCRIPT. "At a meeting of Howard Lodge No. 15, I. O. O. F., located at Shelbyville, Ky., held during the early part of the winter of 1846, we had the lodge room filled to its utmost capacity. Indeed, so crowded was the room that an empty seat could...