Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1866-03-14
Extraordinary Excitement In Braoken
rnrrs~, Knntontv


BAcKrN Co. Ky, Feb, IL, 1866
The people in this ncIghborhood
arcin the greatest state of excitement
in consequence of a remarkable visi-
taton or apparation, Of some demon
acil parsonage in our midst. /
am not believer in the doctrine
that discmbodicd spirits can "revisit
glimpse Of the moon" nor do believe
that epoch designated IN prophecy,
wien the CHAINS of Satan are to be
un,oosed, has arrived But the things
whereof ] now write are of such
s,lange import, so ineXplIacable,
that have determined TO pu. you in
possession of full and explicit narra-
tive ofthcm. merely promising that
every word is true, and the facts
sworn to, as witness the accompany
inl affidavit What it is, am unable
to Say. | merely give the facts, such
asI am personally cognizant Of, and
lewe it to wiser heads than my own
TO unravcl the mystery.
On Monday night last, after myself
arl family had retired 10 rest, we
Tsre aroused by great outcry from
t5c negro quarters-whicli were i'm
mcdiately to the rear of the house
in which prayers Wed for supremacy
with blasphemies, men, women and
children screaming "fre" and "mur-
derw at the top Of their voices, all
conspiring to create scene worthy of
a pandemonIum. Terribly startled,
my wife and sprang from our bed.
Tie room was Illuminated as brightly
as by food OF sunlight, though the
light vas of a blush east. Our first
AID most reasonable conclusion was
that the negro cabins were being con-
sumed by fire We rushed to the
windows and beheld a sight that fair
" curded the blood in our veins with
horror and filled our hearts with the
utmost terror. Ny daughter shrek
ing loudly, came running into my
room, hysterical with fear. This is
what we bchcld:
Standing 10 the right Of the upper
cabin, near the fence that separates
the negroes, garden from the house
yard, was a creature Of gigantic stat
ure, and the most horriiying appear
ance. 1t was nearly as high as the
comb of the cabin,an had monstrous
mead not dissimilar in shape TO that
Of an ape; two short very white horns
appeared above each eye; its arms
were long, covered with shaggy hair
Of an ashy hue, and terminated with
huge paws, not unlike those of cat
and armed with hooked claws. Its
breast was as broad as that of large
sized OK. Its legs resembled the front
legs Of a horse, only the hoois were
cloven. 1t had n long tail, armed
with a dart shaped horn, which it was
continually switching about. Its eyes
glowed like two living Goals of fire.
wAile from It's nostIis were emitted
sheets Of blush colored flame, with a
kissing; sound, like the Kissing of a
serpent, only thousand-fold louder.
It's general color, save its arms, was a
dull, dingy brown. The air was pow.
erfolly imprcgnated with n smell OF
burning sulphur The poor ne egroes
were evidently laboring under the cx-
tremest terror, and two of them, an
old woman and lad, were actuaily
driver TO insanity by their fears, and
have not recovered their reason up to
this writing ! do not know how long
this monster, demon or devil, was Wis
ible after we reached the window
possibly some throe seconds. When
It vanished it was envelopcd in q spir-
nj column Of fame that reached nearly
TO the tops Of the locust trees adjacent.
aud which hid his horrid form COM
pletcly from view. The extinction of
tie flame was instantaneous, and with
its disappearance we were relieved OF
tie presence of this remarkable visi-
tor.
1t would be impossible for me to at
tempt TO describe the effect of this
visitation upon the members Of my
family. Suffice it to say, that my wife
and two daughters arc firmly persuad-
ed that IL was tho veritable Satan.
For myself, | would willingly believe
that We all, by some curious coinci-
dcnco, had been the victims of hor-
rid nightmare, did | not know that we
were full lly awake, and actually wit
messed that which is above recorded.
Again it ours had been the only family
visited by this unearthly creature, /
should have kept silent, and, perhaps.
tutored my mind into tho belief that
II was an hallucination.
But precisely the apparition made
its appearance at my neighbor's Mrs.
VIM Dole. appearing there in pre-
else the same shape in which it pre-
sented liself TO us, save tho head,
which appeared TO those who witness.
ed it at Mrs. DIS to resemble that of
a horse. AT Mr.. Adam Fugua's
another neighbor, It's head was that a
vulture. On Tuesday nightit appear.