Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1869-07-22

IN, 1.s..1sse H.ilr.eA ru..sa haunt
ed bxe M.rdsred Man-A Mystsry.
Haunted houses having become too
common, the wheeling Inseligencer oc-
cupies over column in telling story
of q haunted tunnel near the city on the
Hempfeid road. After laying the ground
work Of the story BY reciting the num-
ber of murders that have been commit
ted in the tunnel, the .Inteligencer pro-
ceeds to relate the experiences of foui
men who passed through the tunnel on
Thursday evening, about six o'clock, as
follows: st'<% t'i~ - -~t
The darkness ofthe cavern had setin-
to an appalling STERN, bat still they
held their way. Soon groans and sup
plicstions for mercy fell upon their start
led ears. The usual cavernous echo was
doubly apparent, as the tone ofthe voice
was unnatural and sepulchrsl--the men
stood transfixed with horror and fright
the atmosphere was close and sitting. =
All at once issuing from the ssiid rock
which forms the ceiling, directly over
the spot where the murderer slaughtered
his victim, q ghastly form appeared
All around, as we have said was impen-
atrsble darkness, but the spectacle itself
was clearly visible as In the MONDAY
It descended feet first till it reached q
place about equal distance from the floor
and ceiling OF the tunnel, where it stop
ped and remained for few seconds
Although covered with the slime and
earth Of the grave the features of the
ghastly spectre were distinctly visible,
clad in the habilments Of the tomb. Its
appearance was horrible in the extreme.
With one arm extended, and the bloody
fingers Of the hand hanging half severed
from their stems, with the forefnger
of the ether hand it pointed to a gaping
wound in his temple. The wound seemed
fresh, but the drops of blood seemed
clotted and stood out in bold relief on
the face of the ill-starred wrech. With
out movement Of the lips, q voice ap
parently issuing from the throat of the
ghost. exclaimed in q tone 80 unnatural
as to be totally indescribably 'let the
dead rest!" The horror stricken witness.
es Of this appalling spectacle rushed
from the scene. At the mouth of the
tunnel they met other parties whose
credulity was not sufficient to believe
the story Of the witnesses. They there
fore obtained lantern and returned to
the spot where the apparition was first
seen. They were not long waiting when
the spirit, in the same place repeated
the words he had before used, in, i'll
possible, q more horifying tone, and
rapidly through the sir towards the
western mouth of the tunnel. The
individuals thus made sure Of the au-
Of the appartion, were de-
prived Of the power of speech for some
hours, and even after the intervention
Of days their fearful reccollections are
90 vivid as to render them almost afraid
of speaking on the subject.
The persens who witnessed this ap-
palling spectacle lin the tunnel being
men Of respectable and truthful char
scters, their statements created wide
spread and profound sensation in the
eastern part Of the city where they re-
which were disclosed yesterday morning
by q gentleman who lives q couple Of
miles east Of the city, And which are re-.l
lated as follsws: He was coming intoi
the city afoot, by way of the railroad,
late in the evening and was approach
ing the tunnel on the east, and had no.
ticsd Q couple of persons walking about
, hundred yards ahead. He was short
this side of the school house, |
on the track and looking down |
TO guard his steps, when he suddenly felt
= strange shivef and sensation Of horror,
and looking up saw man standing q
few yards ahead directiy,over the stohe1
culvert twhere Cirich's body Was hid |
den.) His arms were held up above his |
head a. IL guarding against apprehend
blows, and the blood was streaming
down his face and neck! There was an |
awful stony glare in the eyes, which |
rooted the bsholdsr to tbs ground 81 His |
first thought was that it was one of the |
men who had been walking ahead of
him who had been assaulted by the 9TH |
er; but before he had time to follow out |
the thought he glanced past the horrid
spectacle, and saw the two men just
sbaat to PISS int the tunnel. AT that |
instant the man, sceptre, or whatever it |
was, vanished, and was nowhere to be |
Been. Utterly cOnfounded the frightened
and horror stricken .;behOlder stood |
Raxing 1t the vacant Sir, trying to com.
prehend what he had seen. In q mo-
ment or two he had recovered sufficient
Iy to think commercially. He looked
around. Nothiag Whatever
was to be seen, though it was still light
enough to see objects with perfect dis
tinctness. He says he thought at one
of running forward and telling
the men who were ahead, and asking
them IL they had seen anything, but he
reflected thst of coarse the apparition
was not there when they passed, and
that he had been looking
forward over the very spot VIII ere itI
stood, in the alterations between look
ing ahead and down at the track. Be
sides he felt sure he would be ridiculed
and called fosl for his fright. He
fou,d Il ;vv,ro.,;hl. houa.,>- * - e.,