Old Alton Bridge
Chapter 1: A Typical Summer Day.
It was a typical summer weekday in the mid-afternoon. Oscar, a black farmer, felt the warm sun radiating down his back. The smell of freshly cut grass, mixed with the musky smell of the damp dirt stretching along Hickory Creek, and under the Old Alton Bridge, near where Oscar, was tending his goats on his farm facing Hickory creek.
Suddenly, Oscar could hear the heavy sound of horse hoofs as he noticed riders covered with white sheets coming across the bridge. Their dress indicated they were not friendly townspeople looking to buy goats. He bit his tongue in his surprise, as he anxiously waited to see if he would go unnoticed by the group of mounted men.
Sweat started to row off his face as the blood from his freshly bitten tongue started overpowering his taste buds. Once over the bridge, the riders, still not knowing where Oscar could be found, started to methodically guide their horses they rode into search paths looking for Oscar.
Oscar’s wife and daughter screamed unexpectedly as several of the mounted Klansmen surrounded them in the front yard of their farmhouse.
First mounted Klansman: Where is your husband at?
Oscar’s wife and daughter, staggered by their unexpected, visitors found themselves speechless.
Oscars’ wife: Uh…
Oscars’ daughter: We don’t know, Mister.
Second Klansmen: Maybe the whip would help their memories.
Soon, one of the mounted Klansmen spotted Oscar near a barn about fifty yards away from the main farmhouse.
Two of the mounted Klansmen abruptly started to pursue Oscar. Simultaneously, Oscar noticed the Klansman chasing him. Oscar dropped the feeding bucket he used for his goats and began to run.
The only chance Oscar had of evading the Klansmen was to make it across his bear farm field over to the woods that were approximately fifty yards away.
Oscar ran with all his might, but inevitably the mounted Klansmen caught up with Oscar before Oscar had reached the woods.
One of the Klansmen lassoed Oscar while the Klansmen were still mounted. As the lasso tightened around, Oscar, the Klansmen holding the lasso’s horse quickly stopped as if this action had been done more than once. This caused Oscar to fall from his running stance.
The mounted Klansmen then began to drag Oscar back to the farmhouse. Oscar’s wife and daughter went back into the farmhouse, seeking shelter. The shelter of the farmhouse was a facade, but at least it prevented them from being lassoed like common farm animals.
Oscar didn’t scream; he didn’t want to further panic his wife and daughter, and he didn’t want to give the Klansmen the gratification.
After the Klansmen had drug Oscar to the front of the farmhouse, most of the way on his belly, the Klansmen stood Oscar up. They then secured Oscar’s hands behind his back and tightened the loop of a hanging rope around his neck.
First, Klansmen: Make sure you get those hands tied tight, and the hanging noose tightly around his neck. We wouldn’t want him to slip out of the noose and get wet.
Second Klansmen: Ha, Ha …
Third, Klansmen: That’s funny.
Oscar: That noose is too tight. I can hardly breathe.
Second Klansmen: Don’t worry. That’s the least of your problems.
The Klansmen had secured Oscar’s wife and his daughter by their hands behind their backs. As they guided Oscar’s wife and his daughter from the farmhouse to the area where they were imprisoning Oscar near the Old Alton Bridge, they kept asking the Klansmen questions, hoping to get an idea of what was happening. The Klansmen ignored their questions.
Oscar’s wife: Where are you taking us?
Oscars’ daughter: You have the rope around my hands tight too tight, It’s hurting me.
Second Klansmen: Just like I told your father, don’t worry. That’s the least of your difficulties.
Oscar’s wife: Please answer my question.
Once again, the Klansmen ignored her question. Oscar’s family started dragging their feet, which didn’t make much of a difference, since the Klansmen only pushed them harder.
Oscar, sensing his end was near, tried fighting the tide the best way he could, which was by talking in an attempt to change the outcome of what was likely his future.
Oscar: I have some money I could give you if you wouldn’t kill me.
First, Klansmen: Oh yea… Where do you keep it at?
Oscar: Untie my hands and take this noose off my neck, and I’ll show you.
Second Klansmen: That’s the oldest trick in the book. Don’t fall for it.
Oscar: No, please. I’ve been running a successful goat farm and I really do have the money.
Third, Klansmen: Shut him up.
At this time in history, the Klan hated most a successful black man,
First, Klansmen: Here, stick this in his mouth.
The first Klansmen then produced a handkerchief that he gave to the second Klansmen. The second Klansmen then used the handkerchief to gag Oscar with. Oscar continued to scream through the gag, but he was muffled considerably.
Oscar: mmm…mmm… mmm…
Oscar’s daughter: Dady…
Oscar’s wife: Please don’t do that.
First, Klansmen: They’ve seen what we wanted them to see. Bring his wife and daughter back to the farmhouse.
Other Klansmen then escorted Oscar's wife and daughter back to the farmhouse. While the women were being escorted back to the farmhouse, they both started screaming.
Fourth, Klansmen: That screaming is giving me a headache. Gag them.
Some Klansmen take the women the rest of the way to the farmhouse and lock them in a room, leaving their hands secured behind their backs and the gags in their mouths. Those Klansmen then rejoin the other Klansmen.
All the Klansmen were together with Oscar. They were grouped on one end of the Old Alton Bridge!
The hanging rope noose was fitted tightly around Oscar’s neck, and his hands were tied tightly behind his back. They fastened the end of the hanging rope that Oscar wasn’t attached to a rail of the bridge.
Suddenly there was a burst of wind in the atmosphere. The wind whistled as it passed through the trees. It also sent shivers through the bones of the onlookers.
First, Klansmen: That was spooky.
Second Klansmen: Yes… It’s starting to get dark, let's get this lynching over with.
Third, Klansmen: I agree with that one hundred percent.
Chapter 2: Oscar gets lynched and a tornado appears
