The New York herald., 1871-01-15
A VIRGINIA GHOST.
Extraordinary Ghcstly Antics and Mys.
terious Demonstrations.

The People In Bachanns Excited and Alarmed
by n Miduishs vi.iter-Pillering Combiued
with Fastassic Feass-MyIeFious Knock
ings and Atiduisht OperasioDs-A Baptist
Clergy .as the vicsia Of the Ghest-AlI At
senpts Discover the Hobsobliu Fruitless.
RICHMOND. Va, Jan. H. 1871.
A letter has been received here which gives an &C.
count o; the most extraordinary operations OF q
supposed '.ghosri at Buchanan, In Botetourt
county, which has caused considerable excitement
and alarm among the inhabitants. The writer
thinks tnat nobody with common sense VIII aamit
tia: they believe
IHCoRrcREAL SPIRITS
visit for good evil this terrestrial sphere: yet there
are occurrences sometimes which puzzle our
minds that We slmost tempted to attribute them
70 the agency OF some perturbed spirit Wen, thus
promising our opinion OF ghosts, we would relate
some very curious and unaccountable circumstances
ranspirng In thIs quiet little village In the suburbs
OF which resides the Rev. G. q. Thrasher, whose
house has been for six weeks the theatre OF many
curious and
aHosTLY EXPLOITS.
The hobgoblin, or whatever else II may be, CON-
menced operations by extracting from the reverend
gentleman's corn CRIB through padiocked door,
o sack OF corn and pouring it out some twenty
PAGES nom the CRIB; and this circumstance proves
that spirit mast be al least whte for one bear
ing the hue OF the fifteenth amendment" could
never have resisted the temptation OF 'toatins'
1t to his haunts. Then night after night II came,
performed Its fantastic tricks, opened windows
barred the inside doors locked and guarde d,
scattered furniture and the utensils oil the culinary
department hlther and thither. and went away un-
perceived despite the fact that each night the house
was guarded inside and around by vlgilanI neigh
bors
ARMED TO rHE TEETH
and eager 10 capture or detect the bold hobg,bn
who had Tune and again passed through their ranks
unseen. One evening last week, While Mr.. Thrasher
was writing In his study. about three O'Clock, there
was bold knock on the door several times re-
peated; but ON Mr.. Thrasher's SELLING pistol and
rushing TO the door, 10 nothing was there ana notn
Ing was 10 be seen In The vicinity, although the
minu,cst search was made; aud this knocking
OF undoubted veracity.
Three evenings ago Mr. Ihrasher went over 10 Dr.
children, whom he mad lert Mt nome, nngng n BELL
aud at the same time heard
VIOLENT KNOCKING AT Tng DOOR
and On approaching, being armed with shoigan
and accompanied b. Dr. Wood, distinctly heard nis
little son inquire Of the unwelcome visitor what NJ
wanted. reply was gwen, ba; m an nndis-
tinguishabe humble, resembling. as Dr. Wood de-
scribcs IT, confusion Of voices coming from the
ground. Both gentlemen afflrm that not the least
trace or any person or tning visible, although
every nook and corner VI the premises were care
fully examined nor could any person IN the house
produce the sounds they heard no one beins al
home at the time except lis three little children the
GRAYEA asADs IN sscHasss
Some two weeks ago Mr. Thrasher Wa watching
In his yard, armed with a adoape-barreilcd shotgun.
wnen. as ne SAYS, something n1e . thin shadow,
bearing resemblance 10 human form passed ~ bln,
but swiftly as the wind. aud uty diSappea arsd.
This Is ali that he has seen and npe cnsneu ncs
track or trace las ever been left behind, although
night after night m moonshine and darsncss, m
calm aud In storm. the mysterious stranger has
come played his curious prxnks. tae hall of winch
have not told. ani went--wncret One woul1
naturally ask II there might he some place m
which person might conceal himself lor the put.
pose of playing JoAe upon tue reyerend xcn.le-
man. plt answer there is none Every nook has
been examined time and again by many persons,
and there cannot possibly be ans
sUBrERRAsEAN RETREAT FoE FI.Xsu AND BLoop.
The surrounding grounds are plaln and clear ana 10
seems impossible Thai any person coull pass rom
the house unpeIceiyed. even IA partial darkncss.
THIS is aoax--I mean this state le..ent-and AZ you
doubt 10 would refer you TO the most respectable
gentlemen in buchanan aud lis vicinity, and 20 gne
Rev. Mr. Ihrasber himself who IL gentleman %
high standlng'snd mnister OF the baptist church.
Now, what Il 4 and Is II not strange that any
person
WOULD RISE MS LIFE
for ak weeks together, and In the DAYTIME even,
for the purpose OF playing foolish practical jokef
And what object could any have IN trying ~ I'M
press Oh the mind of minister the assertion 81
Hamlet, that 'tnere are more things In Heaven and
earth than are dreant Of IN our philosophy" when
II costs his ghosship many seepless nights TO do
so? And Ii IL Is the devil unclaimed aud permitted
TO roam ut VIII 'seekin. whom he dcvOur, ~ IL
not singular that the nrst person he seizcs upon
should be Baptist ministers
correspondent OF the Lewiston Mel 10 sTJsal
says the Bowdon Bank robbers as well as the Rock
land Bank robbers, recently sent 10 Tnomason. are
nearly all New Workers or intelligence cracAsmen IN
profession of crime, aud have influential connec-