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Three Deaths, Occurring With in Short Time Last Winter, Reduced Family That Was in County Be fore Indians Left. By J. A. ROBERSON. It was a strange fatality, indeed, that befell the Owens family during february and March of this year, that three members of it—two sis ters and a brother—should die in thirty-five days, thereby removing from the walks of men all save one of the family of nine children of John Owens. Mrs. M. J. Mount was the first to pass away. She was attacked on February 8, and died on the 10th. Mrs. Sarah A. Mostello grew ill on the 7th day of February and died the 7th. Thomas Owens was stricken with paralysis on February 1, and died on March 10. The sisters were widows, and the brother had never been married. They were all old in years, but active and strong to a good degree, until midenly smitten unto death. The nine children of Johnnie Owens, who lived to a great age at the old Owens place on the Jackson ville pike, near Four Mile, were, ccept Mrs. Mount, born in a log house built by their father on that farm, full eighty years ago, and part of that old house {s still standing. Several years ago a new frame house was built to the west end of the log house, but one of the rooms of the original structure was preserved out of respect to the wishes of Tom Owens, the brother, who claimed it him own, and occupied it in pref erence to any other. In fact, he re fused to occupy the new building and never did until after he was smitten with paralysis, when, because his sis ters believed he would be uncom fortable in the old house, in his sick ness, they removed him to another tom in the new building. But it is said that in his delirium he plead ed to be taken back home, refusing to believe that he was really at home in the new room, though it stood on the same plot of ground Were he was born. Built in Early Days. When John Owens built the old bog structure, Indians roamed at will t hrough the forest. Just over the n, to the north, a band of sav ees was camped. The chief lived Mara cave in a shack that was cov ered with small stones imbeded in some kind of cement. A quarter of a mile away was the “medicine man's” hospital, where, it is said, he “sweated” the heil out of his pa rents or burnt their sores with fire id then “doctored” the barn. Signs of both the old habitation of the chief and of the “sweat-shop” of the “medicine man” still exist. At that time there was a sort of toad that led by the Owens place. Pretty much as now runs the Jack sonville pike. Older member of the family have often told of the Indians passing the house. Partic ularly remembered were the squaws with their papooses oddly swung up on their backs and the gibberish ut tered to keep them quiet. Only One Survivor. But the Owens family are now all dead save one—a sister of Tom, in Texas. There are surviving relatives more remote, among those being Mrs. Chandler Johnson, who, with her husband, occupy the Owens home. Mrs. Johnson has in her pos session a family relic in the form of a Masonic medal of silver, that has been handed down from generation to generation, for probably hun dreds of years; she knows not how long. It is a valued heirloom of the Owens family, and it is intended to keep it so. I forgot to say at the proper place, that John Owens, the builder of the old log house, assisted in the official removal of the Indians from this country in 1835.
Newspaper Details
Anniston Evening Star and Daily Hot Blast
Anniston, Alabama, US
Sun, Jun 03, 1917
Page 7
Full Page
Clipped by
Tami J.
USA 05 Jul 2026
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