THE BLACK CRIPPLED BOY

This story happened in the town of Three Lakes, near Campo Grande - MS.

In the year of 1914 was founded the church of St. Anthony, a beautiful church that lets clear the mixture of our people, because it brings the architectural influence of various cultures, including Japanese. In this church worked a charismatic black boy with a large smile on his face that was always good about life. He had only one hand, but was a devoted caretaker and one of his tasks was to ring the bells of the towers of the church in times of Mass and Ave Maria, telling the people that answered the call of the heavy bronze bells.

But in one dark night the little church was invaded by a thief who was determined to steal anything of value that he could find there. The poor janitor heard the noise of the unexpected visitor and went to check what it was and see who it was, but before he could have any reaction the criminal stabbed him several times with a knife, killing the poor guy.

The next morning the silence of the bells showed that something had happened. The residents went to the little church and saw the terrifying scene of the death of the poor boy so dear to all. Outraged, they formed a task force to take justice into their own hands, the most determined of the group was a farm worker who swore to kill the bad guy at all costs.

Days passed followed by the constant search of the killer and the silence of the bells. Until one night when everybody heard the twelve midnight beats of the church bells. The farm worker went to the tower thinking it was the bad guy and there he saw the soul of the dead janitor, who asked him not to kill the murderer, because only to God belongs the right to take someone's life. And this was done. The search for the killer stopped.

But even today some say that at some nights the spirit of the dedicated young man still commits to his former role of ringing the church bells...

The name of the poor janitor fell was forgotten, until today he is known affectionately by his nickname at that time, the Black Crippled Boy.

This fact has become such an old story that the story became legend, known by few, but always admired by all.