The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-12-01
A Haunted Preacher.

In the volume of Dr. Sprague, on the Bap-
fist pulpit, Gov. Briggs communicates a very
interesting letter on John Leland, which con-
iains a fuller account of his personal habits
aud manner of preaching than We have ever
before seen.
He was little inclined to superstition, says
Gov. Briggs. Indeed, his practical sagacity
and startling common sense kept him from
any tendency in that direction but he chad
some peculiar experiences of the supernatural,
the following auecdote testifies:
While was at his home inquired of him
about q remarkable noise, which had, when a
boy, heard that he and his family had been an :
noyed by when they lived in Virginia. He gave
this account OF II:
His family, at the time, consisted of himself,
wife, and four children. One evening all the
family being together, their attention was at
tracsed by noise, which very much reese mbled
the faint groans of a person in pain 1t was
dis tinct, and repeated At intervals of few
seconds 1t seemed TO be under the sill of the
window, and between the clap boards and the
ceiling. They paid very little attention 10 il,
aud in a short time il ceased. But afterwards
ii returned in the same way-some times every
night, sometimes not SO frequently, and al
ways in the same place and OF the same char
acier. 1t continued for some months. He
said it excited their curiosity aud annoyed
them, but they Were not alarmed by it. Dur
ing its continuance they had the siding and
casing removed from the place where it APP
peared to be, but found nothing to account for
1t, and the sound continued the same.
He consulted his friends, especially some of
his ministerial brethren, about it, l think he
SAID 1t was never heard by any one except him
Self and family; but it was heard by them when
he was absent from home. Mrs. Leland said
that often, when she was alone win the chill
oren, ana while they We're playing about the
room, ana nothing being said, ii would come
and They would leave their play and gather
about her person. They had place Atty or
sixty rods from the house, by the side of a
brook where the family did their washing
IN hat MIA IL
there precisely as it had done in The house
AFTER the noise had been heard al brief inter-
walls tor, think, six or eight months they re-
moved their lodgings to quite an opposite and
distant part OF The house. but it continued as
usual, tor some time, in its old locality One
night, after they had retired they observed
by the sound, that it had left the spot from
which IL had previously proceeded and seemed
to be advancing in direct line towards their
bed, and was becoming constantly louder and
more distinct
At each interval IL advanced towards them.
ana gathered strength and fuliness until it
entered the room where they We're and an
preached the bed, when the eroao became
deep and appalling. Them said he "for the
nrst time since il began, l felt the emotion of
ieaf, turned upon my face, and, If ever
prayed In my life, prayed then. / asked tho
Lord to deliver ne and my family from tha,
annoyance, and that, if it were n message
from Heaven, IL might be explained To ms AMI
depart, that II 1t We're an evil spirit permit
Nto 0s0sAAo nha di>4utrt tuE ana INV family
it might be rebuked and sent away: or y
there was anything for me TO do to make in
depart, might be instructed what il was so
that could do it," This exercise restored his
tranquility of mind, and he resumed his
usual position in the bed. Then. he said il
uttered a groan too loud and startling 10 be
Initiated by the human voice. The next sroau
was not so loud, and il receded u step or two
from the front of the bed, near his face Ii
continued to recede in the direction from
which ii came and grew less and less until
1t reached its old station, when IL died away
to the faintest sound, and entirely and forever
ceased.
NO explanation was ever found. II have
gwen yon," said he, "a simple and true history
OF me facts, and you can form your own
opinion. have none" His wife confirmed
all he said. l think / can saw thai + nexer
knew person less given TO the marvellous
than Elder Leland