The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-10-25

was riding on his return to Okalona from
MS plantation. When he arrived oppo-
site the witches rendezvous he was be-
by the sight of unnumbered
tents, wagons, horses and figures NOV
ing to and fro. He had passed by itin the
and seen nothing. While gaz-
ing upon the ghostly vision, it suddenly
faded from his sight, and squirting his
horse he went galloping away with the
speed of the wind.
About a month ago four young men,
two of them named William Akers and
Samuel Hudson, repaired to the
at midnight, armed for often
sive or defensive operations, as exigency
might demand, and determined to re-
main and witness what demonstrations
were visible. They stationed themselves
the rendezvous, and about fifty yards
own statements, which was published
the same week in the Okalona Pilot, they
witnessed the following extraordinary |
manifestations: The four young men
were seated on their horses in the |
shadows of grove of oak trees. The
moon was shining brightly, the heavens
were aglow with stars. Exactly at the |
midnight hour the stiffness that brooded
upon the hill and woods was broken by
a shrill laugh, that came from the center
of the open space. The laugh was wild,
piercing and tremulous, and was SO loud
that echoes came from every direction.
The horses seemed cOnvulsed with fear,
and their bodies trembled and quivered
like the leaves stirred by the night wind.
The young men themselves were filled
with terror, but being resolved to stay,
agreed to dismount, tie their horses, and
see it out. In about five minutes there
was another wild laugh, similar to the
first, and then a series of similar sounds,
making jargon that resounded mile
away through the deep forest. Sud-
denly light flashed upon the scene or
rather a profusion of globular-shaped
phosphorescent flashes travelled through
the air with unnatural rapidity.~ and
making visible the thin and bony forms
of five or six old hags dancing round a
circle, laughing, gibbering and singing
at intervals. No word or syllable of
what they said could be distinguished;
it appeared mere like a meaningless and
idiotic jabber than any language ever
known to mortal beings. The faces of
the old jades could plainly be seen.
They were all lean and scraggy, with
wrinkled skin, peaked nose, mouths that
moved with horrible and diabolic grins,
and eyes glaring and glittering like those
of some huge serpent. They seemed to
be dancing around some object that was
to the young men invisible. Within
ptwenty minutes they had finished their
horrid incantations, with loud laugh
retreated-the laugh dying slowly away,
being heard hundreds of miles away.
Simultaneously with their disappear
ance the luminous flashes faded and
darkness again prevailed. Though nc
lights were visible for some time, strange
sounds fell upon the ear, and the
branches of the trees, bordering the
circle, were continuously stirred with
,. great violence, though no strong wine
was blowing. About two o'clock in the
!, morning, pale lightgradually extended
over the open space, and from th'
, shadow of the trees ON the far side,
horseman rode forth. 1t was an Indial
l brave, in full war dress and paint. HI
was large man of powerful frame, an,
1 his long black hair flowed in long, thicl
: locks over his broad shoulders. Hi
=, face was painted red, yellow and black
and, under the mild illumination, locke,
: horrid and CHASTITY. His waist wa
.encircled with huge string of scalps
$ and these seemed to number hundreds
y His legs were encased in buckski
leggings worn by the Chickasaw:
3 and over his tawny breast was thrown
q panther skin. In his right hand h
L carried bow and arrow, and attache
l. to his belt was rude tomahawk and
e club, such as were used in warfare b
e the early aborigines. The horse he b,
strobe was an animal of great beauty
e and small, and walked with it's hea
u bent almost to the ground. Slowl
e horse and rider crossed the open circl'
u pausing at intervals moment or tw
l. while the ghostly warrior sat like
statue and gazed into vacancy. Reacl
e ing a point in the circle opposite til
d place where he started the horse pause
l. and turned, and slowly retraced h
y steps, moving with indescribable graz
'r to the starting point. Up to this tin
+; not sound was heard. Although tt
'r ground was very hard and solid tt
y hoofs of the animal made not the sligh
lie est noise. 1t was like shadow see
III through a transparent canvass. Whe
lc the grove of trees from whence tt
IN majestic figure originally emerged WI
r reached, however, the stiffness W.
es broken by war-whoop loud and lon
lg and the clattering sounds of gallopir
e, horse were borne back upon the nigl
a. wind. Though greatly terrified, two
er the young men, Henderson and AXE
Il determined to investigate the charme
Of circle and take the consequences, wha
ut ever they might be. Leaving the
d, horses in charge of their companion
ut they proceeded on the road, and were
OF the point of crossing over in the dire
oy tion of the rendezvous when there a
i'll peared before them beautiful fema
Id figure, first floating in the air and tn,
ne decending to the ground, where it i
g, dulged in an extraordinary dane
Ike executing movements with a grace al
At rapidity impossible to human being
nd Overcome by this strange spectacle, t
ne young men beat hasty retreat to whe
nd their horses and companions we
" stationed, and related their experiens
to Though their companions were loo
lir ing on all the time, they saw nothing
he the supernatural vision that had filled t
i'd bold adventures with unbounded av
ie- Thinking that they might have be
lid deceived by their imaginations,
he young men again essayed to appoach t
raj haunted spot. Reaching the same poi
af- in the road where they had been met
be the mysterious figure, they were aga
.y- intercepted. This time two airy fem.
th forms foated through the air, and beg
at, to dance in a way that bewildered a
zee awed the bold intruders, who, for
of second time retreated, and with mu
be- greater haste than in the first instan
he Succeeding this visitation there was
Die succession Of ghostly sights and sour
IN, that made the daring explorers qua
ir, with fear, and to gallop away as fast
ed their horses legs could carry the
First came the witches, with their w
of laughs and their incoherent songs, dal
lat ing hand in hand round small cir
ta- with dazzling rapidity; an Indian loo
ht, of bark, with a squaw and papoo
- wailing and weeping inside, float
ng slowly through the circle, and was /