Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1853-11-30

ance of ;s dead man, in his own proper
person. among them. According to the
popular superstition. this ghost BODIES
harm to some body. and it seems that one
man is likely to have his neck put in jeo-
pardy upon the strength of his visit. But
we let correspondent from '' the sod. -
to the Wheeling Argus. tell the tale. as
one most likely to get it correct.
N. MARTINsvrLLE, Nov. a.
Mr. EDITOR II see in your last week s
issue an article in reference to the appre-
hension of a man in this county for the
high crime of murder, and the ground of
the accusation rests upon revelation
from the other world, and that the whole
evidence of the guilt of the party charged
was communicated to a certain individual
by aghost. and upon the ghosts represen-
tation man was deprived of his liberty
and incarcerated in prison. Now. sir,
my object in writing this communication
is to disabuse the public mind in reference
to the whole matter. and to vindicste our
courts from the imputation of acting up
on evidence derived from ghosts. In
the first place, it is case that has pro-
duced a wonderful excitement in this
and the surrounding communities. But
sir, to the facts of the case Three years
ago the 18th of this month. one John
Gamble was in this place. and in the
evening he left to go home. some four
miles, in skiff When he left he had be-
tween two and three hundred dollars in
money with him. About two miles
below town some raftsmen that were ly-
ing at the shore, caught the skiff and some
barrels that were in it when he started
Gamble was found afterwards down near
Rays run. and he had no money or pa
pers or any thing else on his person when
found, and his pocket in his pantaloons was
cut off. Many circumstances went to point
out Leban Mercer as the guilty person, and
public opinion had settled down upon the
fact that Mercer was guilty, if the evidence
couldI be got at. Things rested SO I'M
til two weeks weeks ago, when party
left town to go to neighboring town to
corn husking, and on their return home
two o'clock at night, it being a remarkably
clear night, and the moon was full, so
that it was as light as moonlight could be,
Mr.. John II. Hindman, the worthy propri-
etor of the Wetzel House. in this place,
took across Robert w. Cox's farm, whilst
the company went around the road, and
out in the middle of one of Cox's fields he
states under oath that person all at once
appeared to him. and when he first saw
whatever it was, it was little to the left
hand and about three feet from him, and
the person or ghost was in the act of spea-
king, and he stated that the first words
me-" and Hindman answered that he did
not. Then the person. or ghost. or what
ever you may call it, said &" L am John
Gamble. the man tina: was murdered by
Leban Mercer: Your courts have not
done me justice. l want you to have him
arrested, and they will do me justice. -
And after some other conversation the per-
son or apparition disappeared all at once
from his view in the midst of a large level
field on the river bottom. and what is We
ry remarkable about the case, Hindman
is, like myself, great disbelieyer in ghosts
and hobgoblins, and perhaps if had told
the story the people would have ridiculed
the matter, but Hindman is man of such
strict truth and veracity. and above all,
so cool and self-possessed under all cir
cumstances, and free from excitement,
that all who knew him did not for a mo-
ment doubt what he stated was true, and
especially the next morning after, (al-
though he had never seen Gamble and
was not acquainted with him, he desert
bed his size, appearance and clothing ex-
actly as they were when Gamble left
town. Friend Cox saw Gamble on the
evening of his death. and he says that the
description that Hindman gave of him
(without knowing anything about how
Gamble vas dressed, his size, &c. was
correct. Then after all this, Hindman had
an interview with Mercer, and from certain
statements and confessions made by Mer-
Ger to him. which in his mind convinced
him of MERGERS guilt. and accordingly he
swors out warrant and he was apprehen-
ded, but not G2on the evidence drawn
from the ghost, he was brought up for tri-
al and it was found that Gamble loaded
his skill below town, alongside of R. w.
Cox's farm, that he went out to the hill,
where man by the name of Whiteman
lives. tina: Mercer came along. that they
started to the river to CANDLES ski6 that
after dark. two boys coming up the river
saw them, and Gamble had great deal
of money, and was little intoxicated /;
that he started down the bank to go home,
that after his death. Mercer had note of
ffty-three dollars given by NJ. & White
man to Gamble, which GAMBLE had in his
possession when he left Whiteman's to go
to the river with Mercer. about dars, and
that Mercer went home that night wet
and muddy, although it was dry night :;
and the fact of his having money alter
wards, and various contradictory state
ments made by Mercer about where lie
saw Gamble last. and many other circum-
stances pointing to Mercer as the guilty
person. and the court sent him on for fur
Their trial. Now you have the ghost story