The Turnbo Manuscripts

by Silas Claiborne Turnbo
1844-1925


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FELL OVER A PRECIPICE AND WAS KILLED
By S. C. Turnbo

In the early spring of 1866 a sad incident occurred just over the line in Madison County, Arkansas the particulars of which I learned from John Fisher son of Mathias Fisher.


John Fisher was born near Kings River in Carroll County, Ark. August the 8, 1855. He said the accident happened in ¾ of a mile of Kings River which come about in this way. There was a heavy log rolling at Berry Johnsons who lived 10 miles west of Berryville. The name of the man who met death is forgotten but to go on with the story. The men was until night before they got done rolling logs, and the man we refer to started home from Johnsons Place carrying his axe and iron wedge with him. The night was extremely dark and the trail he was following was dim not having been traveled very much. It was two miles and a half from Johnsons to where the man lived and at one place the trail lead along a sharp crest or narrow ridge. It was supposed that when he made his way here he lost his way and got into a gulch and fell over a precipice 20 feet high and was killed. This cliff was only a short distance below the pathway. A man by the name of Houston discovered the remains of the unfortunate man lying at the base of the cliff. The hogs had found him first and had destroyed all the body except the bones. A few remnants of his clothes were found nearby where the bones were lying. The bones were all picked up and put in a small box and buried in the grave yard at the Rockwell School House which is in the edge of Madison County.

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