The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-08-06
A Louisville Legend.

| ell servants IN the nCi9hbOrhOOd aver That
mysterious rings, without corresponding
movements of the bells, rouse them ut the
dead of night. the windOw-panes rattle
and the lights burn blue, as there comes a
mighty rush through the air without.
But these are but the efects-the dread
viSitants have been seen, even recognized
\ by some more bOider than the rest, and
this is the frightened story which one of
them told an eager-eared listener, who, in
turn detailed it to a COU11eT-JouJnGt re-
porter, and who again gives it to the pub
/ lie, neither enlarged nor diminished from
the shape in which it was first received.
Every Wednesday night. at the orthodox
/ hour, as the various clocks OF the city
chime midnight, booted and spurred
! horSeman starts up from the bowels OF the
earth Just at the center of the vacant
/ places, halts moment, and looks around,
and then plunges at headiong speed across
the space. As he spurs his phantom
steed, two other ghOstly attendants first
/ put in an appearance, and discovering the
one hOrSeman, madly pursue him. The
/ first figure and his horse make for house
/ looking upon the lot, and pass directly
| through, followed by the twain behind.
/ The three are then lost to sight; naught
! but the gradually fainter pat of the horses
/ hoofs being heard until the clock strikes
/ the third quarter of the first hour of the
morning. Then, by the same avenue, but
| two of the three return, the pursued being
absent, but with the riderless animal ac-
cOmpanying them, led by one of the num-
/ Der. All slowly procC ed to the spot
where the apparitiOnS first have their
/ birth, and as the hour strikes, the place
/ that knew them bur the moment before, at
| the instant knows them not.
These mysterious circumstances have
| been so frequently repeated during the last
| few months, and the neighbOring house
holders have been so often annoyed by
these nocturnal visits, that the matter has
| been Thoroughly Investigated. Watch was
| instituted, and the discoveries were as
above stated. The reason for these super
natural visitors again returning to earth
| has been shrOuded in mystery, and con-
| lecture was rife to account for the cause.
| The story came to the ears of a reporter
of this paper, and diligent inquiry salts
| fled him that there was at least Il fOunda-
| ton for the account. An old gentleman
living near, who had, indeed, been born
within call of the spot, was said to know
something of the matter, and an inter-
view brings the following tale, perhaps
- over true" to light. Credence may be
given, or not, to his story, but he seemed
| worthy of belief.
| AN OLD MANS TALE.
! He says that his father moved to this
vicinity when Louisville was but a village,
and this part of the neighbOrhOOd pre-
sented only an occasional clearing in a
wilderness of forest. Just where these
| disturbances are said to have taken place
| the best house in all the country round
/ nh ha1 hoar h1iIf hx- a man who had
come to Louisville from Virginia, he be-
/ ieVed, but of whose antecedentS nothing
was definitely known. He seemed, how
ever, to have plenty of money, and made
| this house larger and more cOmmodlous
/ than any of its neighbOrs. After having
lived in it alone for some time, he sud
denly left the place, and was absent for
several months, leaving the house in charge
of two servants. He returned at the eX-
piratiOn of this period, bringing with him
a lovely woman, and represented her, as
was the case without doubt, as his wife.
| No change was made in the interior ecOnO-
my of the house, the pair and the servants
| living entirely to themselves, having only
such communication with the nelghbOrS
as was absolutely necessary. Affairs went
on in this wise for a year or more alter the
return of the gentleman with his wife,
when one day young fellow rode by the
cabin where our informant then lived, ana
asked the direction to this house, which
was given by himself. He noticed the
young man particularly, and was struck
| bv his remarkable resemblance to the wife
of this gentleman. The young man
thanked him for his information and rode
on. He felt some interest in him, and
| quietly followed him to the house. The
| young man dismOunted at the door, and
| knocked with his riding whip upon 1t.
/ The man of the house answered the call,
and, on seeing him. slammed the door in
| his face, exhibiting marks of great aSlta-
| lion. The stranger then applied for adj
mittance, and, in response to his repeated
| knocks, the wife opened the door and
came out into the yard. The two engaged
| in close consultation for some time, and
! then went into the house. Our informant
says that he then went up to the house,
and. inventing some excuse, went into the
| kitchen. No one was in the room, but,
while waiting, he heard an alteration IN
/ the next room, and distinctly recognized
| the voice of the gentleman threatening
| the stranger with death if he did not in
stantly leave the house and never trouble
him again. One of the servants then came
| in and sternly ordered him out Of the house,
]
and watching him until he disappeared
within the shade of the forest. Feeling
convinced that something was wrong in
| the house, our narrator concealed himself
within sight, and patiently awaited the
| turn of events. Nothing more happened
at the time, however, and he finally went
home. About midnight he was aroused
| from his bed by the sound of horses feet
outside, and some one clamOring for ad-
mittance. He got up, and, looking out of
the window, saw by the light of the moon
the stranger of the evening before with
out. The young man, recognizing him,
hurriedly said he had just had difficulty
with the villain ''Over thersSaand that it
had resulted in his killing -13n ; that the
man had run away with his sister from
| Virginia, and that his mother and father
had died from grief in consequence, and
that on their dying bed they had conjured
him to seek out the author of the desOla-
ton that had come upon their home, and
that he should exact vengeance from him.
Before our informant could unbar the
door, the sound of horses, seemingly in
pursuit, caused the young man to turn
/ round, and, after listening for a moment,
put spurs TO his own horse and, in spite
| of his shouts to him that he could take re-
fuge within his house, the horse and its
rider rapidly disappeared in the forest. A
| few moments afterward two mounted
men rode by, and followed the direction
the first rider had taken. He heard moth
| ing more until an hour afterward, when
the two men returned with the horse OF
the stranger between them. They rode
back through the woods in the direction
of the ''mansion," as it was called, and he
then went again to bed.
The next day the report that the gentle
man at the house had been murdered
spread through the neighborhOod, and
some of the people round about visited the
house. They were all repulsed at the
door, no one being allowed admittance.
Neither the gentleman, however, nor the
stranger was ever again seen, nor could
any trace of the latter be found. The
times were not such as to demand especial
examination of the facts in the case. and
nothing ever came of 1t. The widow lived
in the house for few years afterwards
with only the two servants as companions,
and then left the neighborhOOd. The house
was for long time empty, but finally an
other party took possession of il, and it
| ras-aI suaoassivelxy throuoh rnanx hands