Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-10-24


The New Albany Journal tells the following
sad story: We are confident that all judicious
persons viii agree with US in pronouncng the
restless pranks of this dead peddler extremely
reprehcnSblc.
From a letter from a friend at the little town
Of Huron, on the Ohio and Mississippi railroad
we learn the particulars of some very singular
spiritual manifestations. Our correspondent
states that fifteen or twenty years ago a peddler
was in the habit of passing through that coun.
try, selling notions, who drove a two-borse
team. That one night about nine O'Clock he
passed the house of a Mr.. Rubeck who lives
some miles east Of Harrisonyille on the Bryants-
vile road, going towards the former place. This
was the last that was ever seen or heard of him.
The fact of his being missed and failing TO make
his regular visits created some talk in that
nel2hborhood at the time, but soon died away,
and the peddler was soon forgotten.
"On this road, about one or two miles from
White River and some Two and half miles
from Harrisonyille, is a very rough hill. M
which the road runs, and on the ton on the
southwest side of the road, is an open field lonp
since abandoned. Near this field and right nv
the side of the road, stands an old dead tree.
Some three weeks ago Mr.. Rubcck was PASSING
along this road, on his way home from Uarri.
sonyllle, at about eleven O'Clock at night The
night was quite dark and il was with cOnsid-
cradle difficulty rhat he could keep in the road
or prevent his horse from stumbling over the
stones that obstructcd the highway. He
finally, however, reached the top of the hin
and when about twenty rods from the tree he
heard noise over in the old waste field above
described, which he took to he two dogs en-
gagged in a desperate fight. Their growing
barking, swapping and scratching was fcarfu1
1t was apparently the most sanguinary dog fight
he had e,er heard. At the moment it created
LITTLE or no surprise. He only wondered thar
OpTg CIOull 10 a b1t tit,,o af nj.
distant from any human habtation, flor there
Is no farmhouse within a mile of this fadO
engaged in such desperate encounter On
second thought, however, be concluded that
they he'd been out on a shcep-hunting expedi-
non, and, having accidentally met there got
into the 6Lht. =
'He had not long to consider upon this. how
ever, for soon the clanking of chains attracted
his attention in another direction. and loolino
toward the tree, to bis astonishmeut he bebeld
large broken links of what seemed to he a hoat
chain, red hot, falling around the tree sizzin,r
and scorching. There seemed to he m least
twenty OF these links falling at the same limo
and confined to fall about minute, when Mr.
Rubeck was startled almost out of his wits NV
a heavy groan which seemed to come from, +Ic
earth beneath him. Strange as it NAV annoor
up 10 this time his horse had not manifested the
least uneasiness, and Mr.. Rubcck himself had
not imagined anything connected with what no
had seen or heard but what could be accounted
for upon rational theory. The falling of rcd
hot chains, he admits, he thought a 1.-THE eS
traordinary, but had concluded within his own
mind to revisit the spot the next morning and
gather them up, believing, rs he did that tbev
were meteorS that had fallen from the sky in
that peculiar shape. At the groau his horse
reared aud curvetted, plunged forward and
sUaitea 10 run. NOW came the most irving time
70 MIR. Rubeck,s nerves, for Just in front of
n.. nun ne neafd the plunging, rafting noise Of
runaway mi,
noise manifested every Indication tbat ~
course would be directly over him, He tried m
rem BIS horse out Of the course it was tolin,r bmt
ms eHorts were to no purpose. On, on came the
frightened 'eam; on on toward it plunged the
ungOYernable horse Twas moment 81 +rr;
bic suspense. All the deeds of an hoy,g VI ~,
came crowding upon his mind He offered ono
snort prayer Tor safety, and gave himself nm for
lost, when, more astOnished than ever tho nnisos
as suddenly ceased as they had Commenced
His horse still lretted and tried to run. but IL
Rubeck held him steadily in the road
"At this moment Mr.. Rubecl heard a voice
calling for help, and then the cry Of murder feli
upon his ear; and as he was getting out Of rho
way he was more than ever startled by the ok.
clamation, the voice apparently coming directly
from the old field: "For Gods sake jim, don't
murder mep
Having by this time passed the old field, he
made his way home without seeing or hearing
anything further, but i'm a state Of mind better
Imagined than described. He spent very rest
less night, and the next morning rode over the
country, telling his experience of the night be.
lore, and requesting the aid of his neighbors TO
assist nm in solving the mystery. He gathered
some elsht or ten, who attended him the follow
ing inilght, when the same scenes were repeated
ne aSoss parked, the red-hot chains fell. The
s.i1,,e el5 -toans rose up from the ground the
Il-h'e. .1 teath came laundering down upon
Lhen me voice was again heard in the waste
held Gaining Tor help and begging Jim not 10
Most Of the witnesses to this second demon
stIat'oh OF the 9nearihiy visitants, if such they
may be called, became panic stricken ami ma
eipitately fed. Those who remained could INA
40 reasonable solution Of the mystery, tbon@b
one or two, who 'inew intimately and distinctly
remembered the missing peddler, are WILLING ~
swear that it was his voice that called for help