New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-05-07

Some vague and illdefned rurnors have reached
rs of late concerning wierd and mysterious phe
nOmenOn, or succession of supernatural scenes
and outre developments, occurring some five Or
six miles from Middletown, in the town Of Mount
Hope. For reasons which will readily occur to the
reader the parties Immediately affected by these
strange demonstrations have been very reticent in
the matter, and request that names and locality
may be withheld from the public until further in.
yestigations shall unrave the mystery, Or an AIDE
quate cause be assigned for what now seemsto be
unearthly If not demoniacal in its origin:
Some time in the latter part of March lasti the
residents of a quiet and humble hamlet, standing
near the confines of a densey wooded lot OF some
four acres, and near the highway leading 70 the
village of Mount Hope, were awakened IRON sleep
by novel and singular sound, which at hrst fell
family but definitely upon the ear. IL was as IL a
large choir or a multitude of voices were harmo-
niously humming, or singing with closed lips, q
solemn funeral dirge, the refrain, after regular
intervals of silence, resembling as nearly as 1.-THE
sound could be rendered the WORD zinzah-znzah--
zinzah-three times repeated, and after moments
pause, succeeded by the same sad monotonous
Inurnuring as before. This continued for nearly
half an hour, when the awed family were sum
moned to display Of some Of the most discordant
and unearthly signs and groans that ever fell on
mortal ears. Every phase of suffering, every ex-
preston Of mental and physical pain which .may
be conceived Of was uttered forth with al fierce
intensity which it would be hard to initiate or excel
this side of Tartarus. a
1t is not strange that the animals on the premises
shared the wonder aud amazement which possessed
The people. This was manifested by the mingIing
OF their own peculiar cries and instructive utter
auces withthe general discord thus adding an ac-
compartment and chorus to the distracting din
and heightened the pandemonac effect of this dia.
bolical overture.
Amusement, of course, had now almost found
its extreme limit, and the people were prepared
FOR any farther change in the sardonc programme
which the invisible performers might still
have in reserve. They had not long to wait
Presently the darkness of midnight suddenly
changed to the broad glare of noonday. 1t was as
u thousand waving festO0ns of electric light
had swooped down from the murky heavens to
unfold, with gauzy wreaths of fame and tongues
Of fire, the trunks and limbs of trees, barren of
foliage They sparliled and shene now with a
wealth of flashing light and grotesque but entrance
ing forms OF beauty. Far off the northern heav-
ems seemed to catch and reflect from the horizon
to zenith the auroric scene and, evolving, ever
changing banners Of the tint and shades of the
rainbow Haunted up the broad expanse, or flashed
their ruby splendOrs across the bow of the slum-
herring Shawangunk. It was noon at midnight.
But darkness and silence soon settled upon the
earth; the rustling Of the trees and low moaning
of the winds alone broke the oppressive stiffness
of the hour.
But a new and more astounding scene was soon
to follow. While the family were exchanging, in
and seeking for some solution of the wonders of
which they had been the involuntary witnesses,
every door in the house was suddenly and violently
thrown open by power unseen, and through the
main entrance came stalking, and swaying from
side to side in frghtful contOrtions an object
neither or beast but bearing, in huge and dis.
torted proportions, the shape and form of the
upper extremities of the one, and the lower parts
terribly elongated and reeking with mire and filth
and emitting smell of phosphorus, of the other.
The single candle burning upon the mantel went
out, and in the darkness which succeeded forth
came from the nostrils and eye of the monocuIous
monster volume of smoke and flame which soon
filled the apartment, and SO effected the organs
of respiration that sufocation seemed to be immi-
nent.
With deep cultural groan, and still sending
forth his fiery breathings, this minotaur, man
beast or demon, lifted his disgusting and scaly
dgits and slowly and with provoking deliberaton
passed them over the face and person Of each
member of the affrighted family with a yell
that seemed to shake the building from founda,
ton to rafters, leaped through the open door
at the rear Of the house. rushed into the forest
and was soon lost in its pervading gloom and
darkness.
There was no sleep in that dwelling on this
eventful night and the next morning no traces OF
the phenomenon could be discerued, except that
along the track of the strange visitors were found
some small particles resembling crushed lava, and
the sulphurous and phosphoreseent odor which
filed the house was proof positive to the inmates
that they had not been dreaming.
LHiddletown IN. " Mercury.