The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1869-01-08


. to be made throughout the frigate, bu
D without any discovery. The ghost COZ
tinued to appear evadiug capture c
surprise. Once, it emptied tobacc,
box, and at another time made free wit
fragments of supper which had not bee
e cleared away. In the Bay of Alg5sirs
it spoke, and offered its hand to mes,
. mate, and saying "Good by, Tom,
vanished as usual.
By this time the whole crow wer
r terror-stricken, afraid of their shadow
and even the officers began to share tn
infection. The sailors we're permitte
: to take an occasional turn on shore
To the Tom Brown named above, MOI
gan had left his watch and chest q
5 clothes. Slrolling down dark lane, i
the suburbs of Algesiras he heard
: well known voice call out "Tom
, d-n you syesI Don't you knoI
your old messmate 2" Tom recognize,
the tones, and, turning round, saw him
self confronted by Billy Morgan's ghost
Having no wish to renew the acquaint
iance, be took to his heels, without look
iing to see if the ghost gave chase, raj
to the boat, and told the story as soor
as be could find breath. ia bis berth
that very night the ghost visited hin
again, passed its cold wet hand owe
Pom's face, who bawled Justify, but tht
apparation absconded before help ar
!, rived, muttenug, in a hollow whisper
You shall see me at Malta"
After some weeks, the frigate came
TO the last named place. As nothing
had been seen Of the ghost in the inter
wal, it was concluded that the shade
was either tired or appeased, and little
more wss thought Of its visitations
Soon after the ships arrival, party o.
sailors, including the heir of Billy Nor
gan, were frolickiDg ashore, at small
tavern in Valetta Between three and
four in the morning, Tom went to bed,
not quite as clear headed as he might
have been. He could not tell how long
he had been asleep, when he was rous-
ed by voice whispering in bis ear,
"Tom, Tom, wake upr On opening
his eyes be beheId, by the pale light Of
the morning, the well known figure OF
Morgan leaning over his bed, and glar-
at him with eyes ike saucers. Tom
cried, "Murder Ghost! Billy Morgan p
as loud as be could yell, until be reused
the landlord, who came to know what
was the matter. Tom related the whole
affair. Mine host utterly denied having
ever seen or heard of such a figure OF
appearance, and so did all the family.
| The report reached the frigate. "Heaven
aud earth !" cried Captain R., ''shall
we never get rid of this internal spectre,
or whatever else it may BET" He was
10 despair. Never was man so perse-
cuted by a ghost in this world before.
The ships crew were so disrnayed, that,
had an Algerine come across them, they
might, preadventure, have surrendered
at discretion. They signed a round
robin, suggesting to the captain the
lproprietY of running the ship ashore
and abandoning her entirely to the
lgbost, which now appeared almost every
| ghtsometimes between decks, at others
at the end of the bowsprit and again
cutting capers on the yards and top
gallant masts.
From Malta, the squadron proceeded
to Syracuse. There, the ships we're
placed in quarantine, aud fumagated
with birthstone, to the great satisfaction
of the crew of the frigate, who we're in
hopes that this would drive away Billy
MorgaiL who had net troubled them
for some time. But Immediately, on the
expiration Of the quarantine, be again
visited lis old chum and heir, Tom
Brown, lark and dripping wet as usual,
and after giving him a soul-tbrilling
shake, whispered, Tom, l want to
speak to you about nv watch and chest
of clothes But Tom roared Murder!
with all his might, when the ghost
vanished, muLtering, as Tom swore,
You internal bludder.
The reappearanc3 doubled all former
CONSERVATION, and nothing but the most
severe aud unrelaxing discipline preven-
ted the greater part of the crew from
desertiug, Poor Tom, to whom the de-
voirS of the spectre seemed most espec-
isny directed, left of swearing and
chewing tobacco, and dwiudled to a per-
feet shadow. He became very serious,
and took to singing psalms. In addi-
tiOn to this diabolical persecution, of
which be was not the only victim,
strange things we're repeated every day.
Tobacco boxes left full at night were
found empty in the morning. Sailors
would be missing for a whole day, and
return unable to give any account of
themselves. Sometimes they were
found by their officers in a state of
stupor, though not one had tasted a
drop of liquor.
On these occasions they always saw
the ghost of Billy Morgan flying through |
the air or dancing on the tops Of steep |
els, with fiery tail Ike comet. Atl
eDgth Tom Brown, after the usual |
nightly visit, disappeared, and was
never heard of afterwards. As the in-
lerited chest of clothes was found
empty, it might have been surmised
hat he had deserted, had not sailor,
"a watch, solemnly declared that he I
Jaw the ghost of Billy Morgan Jump /
,verboard with Tom in his arms, in a 1
lame of fire, and that they missed like I
red-hot ploughshare in the water.
With this bold feat tbe spectre took his
inal departure. After an absence of
between two and three years, the frigate
eturned the crew were paid off and /
discharged; and as an additional wonder
her memorable CRUISE, tits re-
Qrded, On good evidence, that their
hree years pay lasted some Of them
early three days. Not maa Of them 1
yer doubted the reality of the ghost.
japtain r. himself spoke of It as
ne Of those strange, inserutable things 5
'hich battle the efforts OF human ig- !
enuity, and seem to justify the most {
Extraordinary relations Of past and !
resent times. In
Some years subsequent TO his return
ON the Mediterranean, Captain r., :
eing on journey to the westward, had
ccasion to seek refreshment and lodging
a log-house on the borders of Tennes- I
se. A man came forth to receive him, a
HON he at once recognized as his old @
cquaintanee, Billy Morgan. Heavens ? 7
lought Captain r. here's Monsieur L
onson c1rre qcrain with a veDraanco y a