American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1869-04-17
Sf(isttllaneous.
Il GENUINE GHOST STORY.

Some years ago | was laid up sev-
eral weeks with lame leg in an OBJ
scure village in North Wales. Ii
was the dullest of places. and /
should nearly have died Of eRnui were
it not that being familiar with the Ian
guage, l was able to get acquainted
with the people and study their
household habits and household lore.
Many were the strange tales they
told as we sat around the cheerful
peat-fre in the long autumn even
ingS-tales Of farics and goblins; of
spirits and demons; of corpse-candles
and wraithS; Of witchclaft ana
glamor of the evil eye. Most of
these made little impressions beyond
the moment, but the following, part
ly because it seemed to illustrate a
characteristic feature Of Welsh super
stition, interested me so much that
the outline, and with some exccp-
tionS, the exact words, became firmly
fixed i'll my memory. If Robert
Pritchard-this is the story -tcIler's
name still walks in the flesh, and
should chance to see these pages, he
will do me the justice to bear wit
ness that l have faithfully reported
| him.
| You dou't believe in ghosts? do.
When you have heard my story You
shall Judge whether my story is well
founded.
You know " clshmen arc supersti-
tiouS. The belief in supernatural ap-
partitions is sacredly cnshrincd
every glen, and mountain defile, and
ruin, has its familiar spritc. There
is not . town or hamlet-there is
| hardly a farmhouse or cottage
from the Dee to the Severn. but
boasts its began. TO Ceny that the
spirits Of dead men walk the earth al
night, is accounted the ranIlest here
. sy. Yet [ was an unheliever.
would argue by the hour against tho
possibility of such a thiag as a visi
cation from the other world. And i
was not mere bravado. | can trlel,
say that | feared neither man no
devil. Many and many a time have
| L IJttU Ill NIllDbu W ilit ltcl "
visiting haunted places in the dea'
of night, sometimes simply to sho7
my more timOrOuS companions hoy
superior | was to the common i'll
firmitica of mankind. | spent ON
whole night lying wait for the famou
demon Cader ldris, on the very tracl
of his goblin rounds. Another tim
| slept in the old ruined nil wher
the spirit OF the murdered Roll
Cock held nightly rcvel. a fey
weeks later | made bet that
would pass the small hours in til
society OF the terribly Bwgan Uch
Mynydd q. ghost whose uncarthI
shrieks were wont, on stated nights
to disturb the sleep OF the good pee
pie for miles aromd-and woi
Finally, to cap the climax OF IN
audacity, went out one wild mgl
to meet the spectral Snugglcr OF Mae
Melit, who, according to universal +,
port, was accustomed to ply his ol
tradc-anchor his n doWN craft i
the cove and land his Shalowy carg
Yet, nor ghost nor goblin came ne5
me.
But was destined to have f;
dlitercnt-mOre terrible cXpericnc
An cd man named Iiu IIirwan w.
found murdered in his cabin oI
morning. He was strange ere
tUre-half savage, half idiot, vi
lived alone, his only companion :
enormous i'll favored black cat. /
had the appearance ofthe most ahie
poverty, yet it was generally h
lieved that he posse Ssed consider
bic money concealed somcwhe
about the premises. The more
norant OF his neighbors insisted t.r
he had dealings with the Evil On
and some went even SO far as .