The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1871-06-03
GaIes, Shdtbts, 9ntt0otss, 1T.
SPECTRE WITNESSES.

Much as the disembodied spirits of the
dead have associated themselves with
mems actions, it ia a rarity to find the
intercourse between the world Of life
and that of spirits forming an item in off,
cial and practical business, and holding
place in the record of its transactions.
The conflict of intellects in the practical
business of life is great exorciser of evil
spirits; and while the strong-minded, the
educated, and the learned, in the solitude
of cloisters, in old graveyards, in caverns,
or on ''blasted heaths," have every now
and then professed to be visited by appa>
ritions, twelve of the most superstitious
men in the world, empanne!ed as a Jury,
would hardly be found to attest a ghost
story by verdict returned in open court
Defoe, 1t Is true, presents to us the history
of a murderer who, in giving false evil
dence against an innocent man, is con-
fronted by the ghost of the victim, with
which he carries on a dialogue in open
court, ultimately fatal to his conspiracy
But the ingenious writer leaves it unde~
termlned whether the spectre was sup
posed 10 be present, or the diseased imag-
ination of the perjured murderer, working
upon his organs of sight, had called up
the impression, and made the suggestions
of bis evil conscience, like those of Mac
beth, appear to be embodied before his
eyes. And here, by the way, let US just
note how preposterously the stage, in rep
resenting this awful instance of the force
of conscience, outwis itself in the belief
that it is gratifying the tastes of the null
titude. The true impressiveness of the
guilty mans terror consists in his seeing
hat the onlOokerS see not. The table
is full, - TO him only-not to the wonder
ing guests, or to his own iron-nerved wife.
I ei, at this moment, in the usual perform
ance of the piece, some big stout man,
dressed in tartans, with his throat painted
to represent its being cut, stalks in and
seats himself right in front of the audi
ence, who should see the ghost of Banquo
| only in the horror that distorts the coun-
tenance of Macbeth.
To return to our Immediate subject
Sir Walter Scott having discovered, in
the criminal records of Scotland, a trial
for murder, in which some information
IoColfeu Hoin the PnOst OF Inc murdered
man was a part of the evidence, thought
the record of sufficient interest to be print
ed for tho Bannatyne Club, with the title,
'Trial of Duncan TerIg a6as Clerk and
Alexander Bayne Macdonald for the mur-
der of Arthur Davies, sargeant in Gen.
Guise's regiment of foot, June, f754."
The sergeant was commander of small
party, employed in the obnoxious duty of
enforcing the act against the Highlanders
carrying arms and wearing their native
costume. He was stationed at Bfaemer,
where the quantity of game on the sur
rounding hills tempted him to make soli-
tary sporting excursions. The spot
where he met his death was on the hill
of Christie, one of the range of mountains
which extends from the Dee in Aberdeen
shire towards the Spital of Glenshee, in
the Braes of Angus. II is at this day q
savage and solitary district, where human
habitation or cultivated lands are hardly
to be met with, and body might lie in
the deep heather till the flesh fell from
the bones ere the usual course of chance
might bring a visitor to the spot. We