The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1879-01-31
NUMBER 3.
II GHOST STORY.


sleepy old village, founded by Albert Gal
ATTN, and called by him in honor OF his ma
live place in Switzerland, we extract the
following
Just above New Geneva, overlooking the
little town and bold bend in the river,
stands an old stone house. It is now patr
Of Friendship hill, and Is just within the
entrance TO the place Beyond IL is deep
wood, through which tho road winds 10 the
Gallatin mansion. But il never, / believe,
belonged to Mr.. Gallatin. In his day il was
the property OF n registering bachelor Irish
man, named Tommy Glare, and was tho
scene of all wild revels, such as Lever would
have delighted to paint, but which in those
times no decent rustic community wou!d
tolerate. Clare's fine bottom lands were
covered with n l1xuriant peach orchard, and
peach brandy and honey was the tap at his
feasts. 1t was in the days of slavery, before
Tom the Tinker and the whisky insurrectiop.
that old Tommy Clare had barbecues, and
horse races, and dances, and all sorts OF
furous froics, under sinister patronage ia
and about this old house. But the time
came when Tommy's purse gave out, and
his liver swelled uu,ler this course OF life
and his bones now rest in ruGe and neglec--
ted enclosure near his house, surrounded o3
those negro servants. The briers grow
densely over the graves, the Ortcr has
crumbled from the wall, and the loosened
stones have rolled down 70 mingle with,thosu,,
which mark the graves, and fill the cavities
made by the sinking earth. 1t is said that,
Tommy did not die peacefully His can
science was loaded with n dark secrS6.- Ira
dition relates that, when Tommy exchequeT
had run low, pedlet sought accommodation
at his house one stormy night, and was
never seen again. He was murdered ty
giant negro slave by Clare's command nd
his body buried IN the sand bank across the
road. But on the floor of the room whore
he was killed n blood spot had'resisted soap
and sand ever since, and the struggle of the
doomed peddler and the black giant is Ie-
TfpatpN " he frpu ietI nirfta
It was during some conversation about.
these old traditions-and rs traditions only
| have given them-that Mr.. Osburne Hare,
arespecfable carpenter of the ueighhOrhoO
whom 1 have known for many years and
for whose high character 1 can personally
vouCh, told me the most remarkable ghost
story l ever heard.
One morning, about fifteen years ago Mr.
Hare left his house, after sunrise, to 90 10
his work in the direction Of New Geneva
He wolked rapidly, and, inst before the
road entered piece of wood known as the
Fallen Timbers, he saw iu advance of him a
tall man walking slowly. Supposing il to
be one Dugan, of his acquaintance, he quick
ened his pace, but before overtaking him he
discovered his mistake, and then began to
examine tie man narrowly for n stranger
in those parts was uncommon. He was yerv
tall aud thin. H had no coat, and his shirt
sleeves were rolled up to the shoulders. file
arms were as thin rs pipe stems and as white
as snow His shirt aud trousers were of the
same colo-, sOmbre drah. BY the time Mr.
Hare had made these observations he per-
ceived another man coming i'm an opposite
direction. This was Jim Dougberty stone
mason, going to his work across Cheat"
DOugherty, like Hare, was n man of goos.
character, iron nerves and proyerbial cOur-
age. Hare observed him say good morning
10 the stranger, then shrink 10 one side OF
the road and hasten by. When he came nm
TO Hare his face was pallid. Hare said
he, do ySu know that man - Mo-
We'll, don't overtake him." continued
DOugherty. "ftll scare you 10 death. "Irs
n dead man. The look of the stranger as
he partially turned his face in reply TO
Dougherty's CHEEKY salutation bad almost
paralyZed the latter. He could not tell Dre-
cisely what it was that seemed to freeze the
blood in his veins whether the CHASTITY
pallor of the skin, the shrunken features
or The unearthly,glare of the fixed eyes but
he knew and declared to the day OF his death,
that hs had spoken to a walking CORPSE.
Hare was startled, but being in a hurry and
ashamed to be frightened bya ghost in broad
daylight, he said he would go on. Just then
the stranger, upon whom the men kent their
eyes fixed, turned the corner of tie fence
which divided the woods from n field
There he seemed to sit dovnsn the first cor
ner, and Mr.. Hare took the opportunity "a.
push past Dougherty going the other wav.
When a few steps beyond the corner Hare
could not resist the temptation to lock hack
There was no inan to he seen. He had sunk
apparently into the earth. He could nor
have gone farther than the first corner he
hind the fence without being seen by Hare
and DOughcrty, and could rot have dodOeJ
off into the woods, for the space he In1st
have crossed was, like the fence i'm full
view. Mr.. Hare now turned about de-
termined to explore the mystery. lie seareif.
ed the fence, the field, and the voods ~.
found no trace of him. Hare was an g.
psrienced woOdsman, and is convinced that
no man OF flesh and blood could have co...
in and ont of that fence corner viiIont
leaving some trail or sign which he vronIJ
have detected, even IL the whole affair boJ
not occurred within his actual view NJ
Hare is Christian man. His faith is hot
toned on the rock of ages. He does not be-
lieve in ghosts. He believes that those NJ
go to a place OF rest do not want to refnrn
and those who 60 to the prison house of tbs
lost, cannot if they would. But he SAYS
that if the dead are ever permitted to walk
the earth, ''Ihis man, to use his own Ia,'
guage, twas one of that stripe" !"
Several years after the adventure related
above one Clemmer. farmer, went 10 Ne,,,-
Geneva TO buy coffin for a dead neipI,bor
1t was in the winter. He had Dlacrd a.
coffin in the sled, and having been ioipc,t r.
anc.her man, whose name / have forpofta,,
they drove through the Fallen Timbers snii
the spot where the apparitior
had disappeared from the view of DouOI,erty
and II are, they saw She same fieure drcsso5
precisely as before, coatless and bare armed
M TO the knees in snow beside t1,e
road. II did not speak or move. bDt ~,
dreadful aspect OF the man had il,e sarro.
effect upon Clemmer and his coInDaI,;o,, a.
upon Dougherty, and they whipred mast
him in terror This was IN the afferuoop
About five years later still, Dr. CIemrre,
n praciieing physician of Brownsville, was
leisurey riding by the same SPOT on borss
back, when he heard curious noise lit
one drumming with his fingers on his no
II seemed TO come across the field but lon.
ing in that direction and seeing no one, Ife
rode on. Presently, and just as ne was
abou. to enter the Fallen TimbeTs. ana on
pOste the fence corner, he heard. the same
noise behind and near him. Turninr in ~
saddle and looking back he saw the an
partition. in all points the same as before =.
the very rump OF his horse and ben,linc
upon him the same drealfEi iscol,n,enance
He struck his horse a smart cut. and dasSed
through the Fallen Timbers, without tdarj,e
10 cast glance backward. This was abou.s
midday.
The pecuiiarity of the ghcss of the Faller,
I1mbers is that it appears 1lsSays in dav-
light and at long intervals. Z lns been seen