South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1874-07-10


where but TO the kitchen, never T. Cali Kite
Sunson,' said Mr.. PesTce add the court room
was agog with excitement a. the ghost seer came
TO the stand. He was . tall, bony youth, with
very long arms, decided stoop in the shout
ders. His hair ives . straight fAded yellow his
eyes pale blue, and staring, and his skin tam ed
and freckled TO the hue Of the beach sand AZ
ter little spairing among the lawyers as TO his
competency a. witness, Kits wac sworn. He
stood with his great bony hands resting on the
crers desk, bis wrists half a ward below m.
sleeves OF his thrsad-bsre lnsey jackets very
odd looking, unsophistcated fellow. Ii had cot
toward evening, the court room was growing
dusky, and the eager silence that prevailed made
the scene impressive.
>, rhats very strange story you told Parson
Fleming kise-whst did you mean by itp-
iwant the least bit OF a story about IT, sir, but
all as true As preachin',' insisted Kite. Eve
seed the old gentleman nigh on to a dozen times.
Seen who3 '0ld Mr.. Sudler; him what's gone.
Seen him when p Since his death seen
him whereT No end o. places. Out fishin'. in
the bow OF my Gunner (canoe, nights when !
was goin to sleep, daytime at work 'Io' a
dozen and more times l seed him onst settia'
on the ience when was at the wood pile chop
Fin wood Did he say much TO you Z? Marry
word, only berkoned and nodded kinder you
know 'Wernt you very much afraid of him p
NO, he never did me no harm. He used TO give
me many ten cent note What, the ghost
didF No, that was when he was alive Did
onst; that was the time telled Parson Fleming
about wen, suppose you tell these gentlemen
about ii, Kite
We'll, | will. You see, was at the oyster
pile one afternoon shuckin' away for dear life,
case it WAS cold and the wind a BLOWN sharp
and ! wanted TO git done. Then | see him,
standin' RICH, in front O. ME, noddin and beck'-
min TO me at great rate. SO / says To him,
tain no use to bother me now, m busy. Then
he kinder frowned aud keeped on n noddin' -
RatNI ..rtI gln IL 4
Then, fust thing knowed he was standin right
over me and putin his hand on the check hand
kercher had round my neck-heres the hand
kercher now, gentlemen and the hand burnt in
to me like fire. So kinder fell forred-li on
the oyster pile and dozed off for a INFINITE into
dream like, and what dreamed was this, gen
temen | was in kind of u strange room like
lnere the witness gave a graphic description of
the blue room aud tall man thar sittin'
wriin' ct table, and he got up aud folded the
paper this way like, and took a picture down
from the wall There he described the picture of
the Judgment of Solomon and took some
boards outen the back and put the paper in thar,
tackled the boards on agin, and hung the picture
up The same as 1t was before. Then didn't see
no more, but walked up, and found / was LAWN
on the oyster pile sprawled out So picked up
my knife and went on sbuckin for | was cold
and shivery, and wanted To git done. And
gentlemen, true as gospel, when | tuck Off the
neck handkerchief from my neck that night, this
HN'V hOiO was ouIut IL just ike the PRINT OF
a red hCt hand.
The court room was intensely silent as Kite
handed Mr. Pearce the handkerchief and Mr..
Pearce passed il to the jury.
Well, Kite, have you ever seen that tall man
since, whom you saw in your dream? p no, sir
Would YOU know him, do you think, if you saw
him now| 4 dunno, indeed sir well, look
carefully around the court room and tell me If
you See him now.
There was breathless silence as Kite went
methodically about his task, cranning his long
neck and peering around him in the gathering
twilight. Suddenly he lifted his bony hand and
held 1t out arms length, pointing with foreiin-
ger toward Mr.. Emory Sudler. 'Yons man
that he began, then cried, quickly, breath
lessy, That's him that's him ! and the old
ones behind him / see him point--he's frown-
IN back--he s-look out--he'l ii strike you downu
The whole court room rose with excitement. all
except Emory Sudler, who fell in a dead faint,
and Kite, who, crying hes gone crouched
and hid his eyes. shIdderiog.
Judge Robinson g1joui ned the court at once.
Next morning Emory Sader WAS missing, and
Matthew Merritt came into court and confessed
bis share 10 the conspiracy Testimony was ia
ken for two days longer, both to show what f.
mory Sudlers character was, and to prove the
atectionate relation that had subsisted between
Sylvester Sudler and his wife. Then the case
was given to the jury who had already agreed
uPou their verdict from the moment Of Kite Stin-
sons dramatic testimony, and the opportune APP
Pearance OF the ghost in the court room