The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1878-04-03

understand.
"Joe, if you only believe in what you
understand, your creed will be shorter
than that of any man know"
Can you give us any proofP Can
you mention one instance in which the
specter has appeared to any one you
know p
"a hundred, if you wish it," said
the old man.
Zone will do; give us one genuine
case and we will believe"
''I will; listen. The story that i am
about to relate is an incident that hap
pened to myself some twenty years ago,
and for the truth of which 1 can vouch.
"Well, proceed"
ct would give you the history of the
specter attached to this house, but that
only appears to favored few, and l
have not YET seen it, although have
often enough heard the noises it
makes"
eve should prefer a ghost that can
be seen, If you have ever met with one"
"You must understand that the vii
lage in which lived, like many others,
possesses its spectral visitor. About
100 years ago, an ancestor of mine start
ed for London in his travelling carriage,
one evening about the latter end of
June. He was an exceedingly irascible
maA, and, the coachman was not suf-
ficiently quick in preparing the vehicle,
he became much enraged, and used ex-
ceedingly passionate language. For.
some time the coachman bore his abuse
patiently, but, at last, he lost his tenn
per, and struck the old gentleman in the
face.
"1n those days everybody wore
sword and my ancestor, who was al
ways ready to draw, snatched his wea-
pom from his sheath, and, with one
blow, severed the unfortunate mans
head from his body.
I" Conscience-stricken at this fearful
crime, and terrified by the dread Of its
consequences, he gazed upon the head
less body for few moments, and then,
being seized with a fit Of apoplexy,
was carried into the house by his SER
wants, where he died in few hours"
"Well," said Joe, although the
story is horrible enough, it has nothing
OF the supernatural in it. 1t is quite
possible that an angry old man may
commit murder and die OF fright"
Eyes, you are right ; If the tale ended
there, there would be nothing to doubt
but what an going to tell you, am
afraid, will be scoffed at by my skepti-
cal young friends, who disbelieve every
thing they do not see or hear.
"That's meant for me, said Joe, with
a laugh. Never mind, uncle I; go on
with your story"
"Yes. my boy, now come to the
marvellous part. Every year, as the
hands of the clock point to the hour of
midnight, a travelling carriage with
four horses, driven by headless coach
man, leaves that village, and passes
down the London road"
"He must be clever If he can see to
drive without his head" interrupted
the still skeptical Joe.
"That cannot explain some ghost
seers say that it is possible for people
in olairvoyant stat to read from tie
pit of the stomach at all events, a
dead nan may b possessed of faculties
that we do not understand for a man
becomes considerably altered when he
is dead
"He does, admit"
And if you allow that a dead man
can drive at all, the small matter of a
head more or less is of very little i'm
pOrtance."
"Just So"
"You know that when man dies he
becomes a spirit.
That's rum" said Joe.
"No, sir, it's not rum, nor whisky
either and, if you cannot listen to my
story without endeavoring to turn it
into rid ;cule, had better leave of, T"
replied Uncle Ben, who was as peppery
ashis ancestor.
"Oh pray go on, uncle," exclaimed
all the listeners. "We'l try to keep
I Joe in order.
"Well, as was saying, this appari-
tion made its appearance once year,
as the clock was striking twelve Many
of the villagers had heard the tramp of
horses and the rattling of wheels as the
ghostly cortege went by. Now and
then some favored individual Witnessed
the headless driver, as he whipped his
horses on towarl London. But, in all
cases, the coach passed too quickly for
any one to see whether the old gentle
man was really inside or not.
And. did no one ever zee him p
asked onessof the party.
You shall hear. / will confess that,
until the night when the incident which
/ am about to relate took place, was as
great an unbeliever as any of you, and
always treated the whole account as an
old woman's tale, only fit to frighten
children. But, one evening, as 1 sal
smoking with some old friends, one OF
them, a devout believer in everything
supernatural, began to talk about the
family legend, /, as usual, threw ridi.
cule upon the affair. Mortified some
i of the company by stating my intention
of venturing out to wander down the
road, and see if could meet the phan'
] tom cavalcade. swore that if did,
would ask the old gentleman to give me
lift, and offered to bet el00 that the
} whole legend was pack of lies"