The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1872-04-11

sensations in crime and divorce, but
the following story, published by the
New Albany STANDARD, snrpasses any.
thing yet reported from there. and
seems like a return 10 The DAYS OF fhe
Rochester knockings:
..From a letter from a friend al TIC
little town Of Huron, on the Ohio and
Mississippi Railroad, we learn the
particulars of some very singular
spiritual manifestations. Our CORES.
pondent states that fifteen or twenty
Years ago a peddler was in the habit ol
passins through that country. selling
notions, who drove a two-llOrsc team :
that one night :sh..ut nine o'clock he
passed the house Of "a Mr.. Rubeck. who
lives some miles east Of lI?frsisonyillc
on the Bryantsvilie road going Toward
the former place. This was the lasi
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 neighborhood at the time.
but soon died away and the peddler
was forgotten.
"On this road, about one or Two
miles from White River. and some two
and half miles from Harrisonville. is
a very rough hill, up which the road
runs, and on the top. on the south
west side of the road, is an open field.
long since abandoned. Near this field.
and right by the side of the road.
stands and old dead tree. Some three
weeks ago Mr.. Rubeck was passing
along this road, on his way home from
Halrisonyille. at about eleven O'Clock
at night. The night was quite dark.
and it was with considerable difficulty
that he could keep in the road, or pre-
yeni his horse from stumbling over
the stones that obstrneted the highway.
He finally. however. reached the top of
the hill. and when about twenty rods
from the tree he heard a noise over in
the old waste field above described.
which he took to be two dogs engaged
in desperate fight. Their growing.
Swapping and scratching was fearful
II was apparently the most saBgninary
dog fight he had ever heard. Al the
moment il created little or no sArprise.
He only wondered that two dogs
should be ut that time Of night. SO dis
tant from any human habitation ffor
there is no farm house within mile Of
this field engaged in such desperate
encounter. On second thought, how
ever. he concluded that they had been
out on sheep-hunting expeditions. and
having accidently met there got into
the fight. @
s.He had not long to consider upon
thia, however, for soon the clanking Of
chains attracted his attention in anoth-
er directiOH, and looking toward the
tree. to his astonishment he bcheld
large broken links of what seemed to
he boat chain, red hot, falling around
the tree. sizzling and scorching. There
seemed to be at least twenty a. these
links falling at the same time, and con-
tinued to fall about a minute, when
Mr.. Rubcck was startled almost out
of his wits by a heavy groan. which
seemed to come from the earth beneath
him. Strange as it may appear, mp to
this time his horse had not manifested
the least uneasiness, and Mr.. Rubeck,
himself had not imagined ANYTHING
cOnnecreu VIII wnar ne had seen Oh.
heard but what could be accounted for
upon rational theory The falling
Of red-hot chains. he admits. he
thought a little extraordinary, but had
concluded within his own mind to re-
visit the spot the next morning and
gather them up, believing. rs he did.
that they were meteors that had fallen
from the sky in that peculiar shape.
AT the groan his horse reared and cur-
vetted, plunged forward and started to
run. Now came the most trying time
to Mr.. Rubeck's nerves, for just in front
of him he heard the plunging, rafting
noise of runaway team coming to-
ward him, and the noise manifesling
every indication that their course wo'd
be directly over him. He tried to rein
his horse out of the course it was ta-
king. but his efforts were to no pur-
pose. On, on came the frightful team !:
on, on toward it plunged the ungov-
crmable horse. Twas moment of ter
rible suspense. All the deeds OF an
honest life came crowding upon his
mind. lie offered one short PRAYER
for safety, and gave himsclfnp for lost.
when. more astonished than ever. the
noises as suddenly ceased as they had
commenced. His horse still frettea and
tried to run, but Mr.. Rubeck held him
steadily in the road.
All this moment Mr.. Rubeck heard
Il voice calling Tor help. aud the,, the
cry of murder fell upon his ear: and.
as he was getting out Of the way. he
was more taan ever startled by the ex-
clamation. the voice apparently coming
directly from the old field ..For
Gods sake! Jim. don't naurdeYme..
Shaving by this time passed tile old
field, he made his way home without
seeing or hearing anything further. but
in a state ofmind better imagined than.
described He spent aesyery restless
night, and The next morning rode over
the country, telling his experience of
the night before, and requesting the
aid Of his neighbors to assist him in
solving the mystery. He gathered
some eight or ten, who attended him
the following night. when the same
scenes were repeated.
The dogs barked, the red hot chains
fell. the nmearthly eroans rose up from
the ground. the frightened team came
laundering down upon them. the voice
was again heard in the waste field.
calling for help aud begging Jim not 10
murder.
"Mosi OF the witnesses 10 this second
demonstration of the uneartlily visit
ants. Ii such they may be called. became
panic stricken and precipitatcly fed
Those who remained could lind no
reasonable solution of the mystery,
though one or two, who knew inii-
mately and distinctly remembered the
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