The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1854-11-08
REVEPORT, LOUISIANA, WEDNESDAY,, NOVEMBER 8, 1854

\ A TRUE GHosT SToRY.-Most ghost stories
are only foolish and laughable, but this one is
certainly melancholy in the extreme:
Within the past year the people Of village
in western state became greatly excited by
the alleged nightly appearance Of ghost in |,
the village graveyard Few Of them, indeed,
had dared, but some had, and they, without
making too familiar with it, had still seen it
come and 60, walk about, seat itself, DC, and
the statements of all those were too well au-
thentcated to be dlsregarded. What the few
saw the many believed, and the whole commp-
nifty soon became excited upon the subject OF
) the strange nightly visitation to the graves OF
the dead Ofcourse the ghost was in the usual
!, grave clothes, in which, so far as we know
!, ghosts always appear. and twas entirely regu-
lar in its hours-always arising among the
tombs atjust midnight, and leaving at near early
dawn. 1t had often been seen to come and go.
passing over fences in its course, but no one had
!, learned whence it came or whittier it went.
At length the matter from being the town talk
, became the town dread. Numerous indivdu-
ais got excited and superstitious ones grew mel
: ancholy and taciturn, people looked doubtingly
at each other, as they passed, in twilight, and
all contrived their journeying at that hour, 50
as not to approach the distressing place of then
departed friends.
i The growing dread at length became insult
ferable. and engaged all minds. There chanced
to be in the village, youth OF nineteen, from,
; western New York, whose domestic education
had carefully excluded all faith in supernatural
( agencies, and who, therefore, looked only to
natural causes for explanations of the events
and occurrences of this life. This youth re
] olved to fathom the mystery of the grave-yards
ghost He found one associate, and the two
+ after nightfall secreted themselves among the
2 tombs, to observe. Punctualy as the hour OF
l2 drew nigh, the ghost which had caused SC
, much dread was seen approaching. The moon
? was shining brightly, and the white robed OBJ
ject was seen most distinctly. Overcoming two
fences, this entered the graveyard within actual
t reach of the youth who had set on foot the in.
r vestigaton, and as the light fell fully upon the
] face of the ghost, he recognized the we'll known
E features of an acquaintance, who was then II
S her early widow hood Her husband had re.
K Gently been buried there, and SO dreadful had
S been the sh pck that the reason Of the wife had
. been dethroned by it, and she was now a wan
; dering maniac She saw not her observers, ,bu
[ seated herself as she was want, upon the grave
l of him she had loved but too fondly. The two
| then approached the unfortunate, and addressed
| her in kindness. She knew them not, but con
| verscd freely with them, calling them angels
f and craving their protection. She was in he1
p night clothes, and her wandering thus, through
t the agony she had suffered and her nightly oc
g cupying this sad seat, had converted that poo1
t mental wretch of humanity into a ghost. Or
n this occasion she could not be induced to aban
y don her post land Of necessity she was leftthert
Il to complete the hours of that nights pilgrim
d age. She is now in a lunatic asylum.
j. -~~~,>-~~-o~1-o4~~~
The VEHM1c TR1BuNALs.-We read in Galig
e mani: Although most minute researches hav
e been made at different times respecting the Ter
rible Vehmic or secret tribunals, which flour
IS ished in Germany in the middle ages, mo record
| of their proceedings, nor any Of the instiu
e ments which they employed in putting to oeat
d the victims whom they condemned, have ye
It been discovered. This has been ascribed
the fact that they were accustomed to hold thei
sittings in caves and in the midst of forests, O.
n mountains, and that they did not deem it pru
II dent to have recourse to writing. The remain
is of one of these strange tribunals have at lengt
TT however, been discovered. NJ. de Mayenfsch
e marshal of the court of the prince of Hohen
zollern- -Sigmaringen, fancied that he perceive
in the wall of one of the galleries of a amuseun
n of rare and curious arms, the trace of a secre
covered with plaster. He caused the plaster
h which was very thick, to be removed, and dis
9 covered a wooden door. The door was re
e moved, and behind it was found one in iron fas
ft tened with four enormous locks With grea
- difficulty the locks were opened, and subter
ranean passage, of rapid descent was seer
IS M. de Mayenhsch, accompanied by the employ
cs of the museum, entered with torches, an
after walking upwards of three hundred yards
ut found that the passage was entirely blocked u
h with rubbish. The rubbish was removed-ther
were not fewer than 68 cart loads of it. The
rt a vast saloon was open.s On the walls at Gel
tain distances were wooden figures clumsily ex
I ecuted, as the holy virgin and St. John the baE
y tist, together with a number of crucifxes. Be
Is tween these objects were instruments of tortur
S such as heavy chains, pinchers, polgnards, iro
II rings, and sort of cap in iron with sharp point
destined apparently to be put on the head. /
the middle of the place was large stone sla
y or table, and around it were ten stone seats. @
l. the table was a hammer, FIVE balls in blac
$, wood, and copper plate-at the bottom {
1T which were in bas relief crucifx, the holy VII
is gin and St. John the Baptist. On the table ais
Of was the iron seal Of the Saint Vehme. Thi
e seal it was which more than anything els
IS proved the purpose for which the cavern ha
l. been employed. The hammer was probabl
d that with which the initiated were accustome
l. to strike three times on the doors of the pei
sons whom they were charged to summon be
d fore the secret tribunal, the plate and the ball
le were probably employed in yoting-four vote
e being sufficient to cause condemnation
e death-the only punishment the Saint Vehm
n was accustomed to inhict. 1t is on record thu
e in the principality of sigmaringmen the las
T. Vehmic court was heldin l417, under the pres
e dency of duke Uric of Wurtemburg. Som
d time after, when the two counts of Zollern, ,wh
st had been cited before asecret tribunal possess
Of ed themselves Of the country, they abolishe
sc the secret jurisdiction, and caused the place
S, which it had been accustomed to hold its si
e. tings to be fastened up. 1t is very likely ths
Of this place is that which has just been discos
/: cred.