Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1868-04-14
From the Now Albany (Tnd.) LedgerI
4 Ghost in a Bridal Chamber-A Wife
Burned to a Crisp-Her Apparition
Confronts Her Successor.

We know the parties referred to, and know
some of the facts to be strictly true. Before
the war there lived in this city man and his
family, consisting of wife and son !; the man
was we'll known here in business circles and
highly respected He was man of wealth,
but his home was for him the most miserable
place or earth. His wife, who had once been
handsome, sensible, industrious. and cheerful,
lost her health and temper, and made all
associated with her very unhappy For
long time her husband did everything in his
power to make her happy, but in vain. His
efforts seemed to increase her discomfort and
misery. at last he became Indifferent to her
complaints and deaf to her scoldng. This
drove her mad but still she lived with her
husband and was cared for by him. In time
paralysis was added to her numerous 'infrmi-
ties of body, and she became almost as help
less as a child. The family removed to the
country, and, while the husband, his afflicted
wife, and waiting girl were sitting by the fire
one evening his wife rose from her seat and
made an effort to cross the room just in front
of the fire, but her paralyzed limbs refused to
serve her, and she fell so near the fire as to
be in imminent danger of being seriously
burnt. The waiting girl sprang forward to
rescue the PROSTATE and afflicted woman I; but
should either get up herself or be burnt
She lay before the fire until the pain induced
by the burning of her diseased flesh restored
her senses. In her agony she turned her
head her eyes fell upon him and, with the
eloquence of one suffering from excruciating
pain, implored him to take her from the fire.
With inhumane coldness he babe her get up
herself. She made an effort to rise, but failed.
Her husband then picked her up, to find her
NECK and shoulder burnt to q crisp. The
miserable woman died.
In less than a year from her death her hus~
band again married. His second wife was
handsome, sensible, and less than eighteen
years of age. The happy couple took the
usual bridal tour, and returned to the home
of the bridegroom. One evening soon after
their return, the young bride sat in the very
room which had been the chamber of the
husbands first wife she was gazing into the
fire which was smouldering on the hearth,
when suddenly there rose before her the form
of woman clothed in the habiliments of the
grave, with the gear of frightful burn upon
her neck and shoulder the ghost, the spirit,
or whatever it was, spoke not word, but
with its fleshless hand pointed first to the scar
upon its neck and shoulder, and then to the
smouldering fire upon the hearth of the young
brides chrmber. che was so overcome by
fear that she could neither cry for help nor
fee. While she sat in this helpless condi-
tion the object vanished. Soon as she was
fully recovered from her fright, she left the
room, to return again with her husband
She told him of the strange and frightful OBJ
ject which had appeared to her, but he
laughed and pronounced it delusion. To-
gether they took their seats by the fire; the
wife insisted she was not mistaken, but her
husband doubted, not long, however, for the
form again appeared, painfully distinct in
form and feature.
The husband doubted no more fear froze
his very blood; he was motonless, speech
less, helpless, unconscious, until his bride
seized his arm and screamed, "Who is it 2"
All the time the form stood before, pointing
first to the scars upon her neck and shoulder,
and then to the fre-then it vanished, and as
it vanished, tie miserable man exclaimed as
if in answer to his wife s question, "My God,
it is Mary's ghost!" (Nlary was the name
of his first wife.)
His new wife began to inquire how his first
wife was treated, and soon learned the story.
She wrote her father, who lives near the city,
all the facts, and asked his advice. II told
her to come back home, and it is thought she
will do so, though efforts are being made to
fix the matter up. In the meantime the hus-
band is anxious to sell his Haunted House"