Stories and Folktales – The Liberty Graverobber
Stories and Folktales – The Liberty Graverobber
There is a legend of a Native American burial ground in Macon County’s Liberty community, just above the old swimming hole.
The story goes that sometime near the beginning of the 20th century, a certain man went around the area desecrating Indian graveyards and robbing them of their artifacts. He would then sell the stolen items to dealers who would, in return, sell the items to tourists as souvenirs.
One October afternoon the man was robbing the burial ground at Liberty, digging up pottery, arrowheads, jewelry, and other items buried there. As he dug, his shovel struck something hard. He worked the item out of the ground and found it was a human skull. The happy graverobber was sure he could get a good price for the skull from his customers. However, he had just made the mistake of his life.
As soon as the graverobber dropped the skull into his large leather bag, strange things began to happen. First, it became suddenly dark. The man acted unconcerned by the unexpected nightfall. However, he decided to return home and to continue his immoral hunt the next day. He lit the lantern he had with him and began to gather up his gear.
Then, the earth began to shake as if a massive earthquake had struck the graveyard. A bit confused, the thief made his way to his horse that he had tied to a nearby tree.
Next, the startled man observed the earth break open, and he saw a number of Natives rise up from the cold, hard ground. Their eyes glowed a bright crimson red, like fireplace coals.The graverobber was horrified. He jumped upon his horse and attempted to escape the ghosts. Had he dropped his bag, they may have let him be, but he was a greedy man and he clutched the ill-gotten treasures as strongly as he could. The Indian ghosts mounted spirit horses and made after the thief.
The desperate graverobber knew that only a reckless act could save him. He turned his horse toward the bluff above the Liberty swimming hole and spurred the animal hard. The horse bounded off the bluff at full speed. As soon as the robber went over the bluff, the Native American ghosts and their horses disappeared.
The thief did not survive the fall. The crash broke his neck. His lifeless body floated in the water for several hours before he was found. The thief’s loot drifted from the grasp of his lifeless hands and returned to the burial ground where they rightfully belonged. Hopefully, they will remain there forever.
The story doesn’t end with the graverobber’s death. To this day, some claim that at certain times one can hear the sound of the graverobber’s horse galloping wildly towards the bluff. They say one can hear the horse and rider hitting the water, and can hear the anguished cry of the thief as his neck snaps. Yet, so the story goes, the ghost rider and his horse do not cause even a ripple, and the water in the swimming hole remains undisturbed.