The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1879-06-13
A WELSH STORY.

WELSH SIOR1.
An old man named Hu Hirwan was
found murdered in his cabin. He was a
strange creature--half-savag ,half-idiot.
who lived alone, his only companion an
enormous, ill-favored black cat Hehad
the appearance of the abjectest poverty
yet it was generally believed that he pos
SesSed considerable money concealed
somewhere about his premises. The
more ignorant of his neighbors insisted
he had dealings with the evil one, and
some went even so far as to affirm that
he came to his death by no mortal hand.
\ belated peasant, going home from the
village tavern after more than usually
heavy orgie, declared that as he passed
the hut he saw the old man struggling
with his satanic majesty, in the shape of
a gigantic black cat and as the cat. his
only companion, was seen no more after
the murder, the story gained considerable
credence. The authorities, however,
took somewhat different view of the
case. An examination of the body re-
vealed an ugly wound on the side of the
head, as if inflicted with bludgeOn.
Suspicion rested on worthless fellow
named Dick WiriOn (Dick the foolish, J
who was seen prowling about the place
on the evening of the tragedy. He was
arrested, brought, according to the Gus
tom of the country, to the presence of
the murdered man and made to stand
over it. According to this time-honored
test, if the prisoner is innocent the de
funct ''makeS no sign" if guilty, the
wound opens and a squirt of blood flies
on his person. Poor Dick was hit square
in the face with a thin stream of gore,
fell to the floor in fit and was carried
back to prison. y bloody club was found
back of his cabin, several SOVereigns
were taken from his pocket, which, adj
ded to the accusation of the corpse,
seemed to make the case against him
clear as day. In those times it did not
take long to prove a man fit for the gal
lows. Dick was tried, convicted and
sentenced at single sitting of the court,
! and a week later was comfortably and
quietly hanged.
Hardly was the poor fellow under
ground, when strange stories began to
be whispered around the peasant fire.
sides. 1t was said the cabin of the muir
dered hermit was haunted. Cnearthly
noises were heard in the dead of night,
4 sounds as of men struggling in mortal
conflict shriekS and groanS such as new
1 er came from human lips cries for help
and peals of demoHiac laughter were teS-
titled to by reputable witnesses. y fish
/ erman Swore that, passing by one night,
/ he saw the spirit OF the old man standing
by the garden wall, the CHASTITY wound
on the side of the head bleeding freely,
( the hollow eyes glaring wildly at him.
A cattle-drover deposed that going home
from the market-town, shortly after
midnight, he saw near the scene of the
murder strange lights dancing, and heard
distinctly the noise as of a heavy chain
dragged over pile of stones. y young
man, who had been visiting his sweet
heart, testified that passing the place he
heard his name called three times, and
looking toward the hut saw it lighted up
and the murdered IIu beckoning him tC
come in.
The ghost became the absorbing theme
of the town. Nothing else was thought
OF talked Of 1t was made the subject
of a special meeting of the local authorl
ties.
1t was at this time the incident hap
pened that exercised such a controlling
influence over my future life. y lot OF
us young fellows had been carousing al
the village tavern. Wehad madea good
haul at our herring fishing, and were
spending our money freely. The con
versation naturally turned to the subject
of old Hu'S ghost. All were firm be
lieverS in the apparitiOn, except myself
who stoutly insisted that the whole thing
was gotten up by some interested person
in order to get possession of the cabin
''Now, l will tell you what III do,
says Shon CadwalleT, captain of our fish
ing smack; ''I'll lay wager of five
guineas that you dare not go to the
haunted hut. and stay there all alone
from midnight till three in the morning.
l had been drinking heavily. and prompt
ly replied, 4 agree.
The matter was soon arranged, th'
money was put down and [ started TO
the hut, accompanied by three of IN,
companions, who were to see me enter
The night was dark and dirty-so darl
you couldn't see the length of your arm
[ must say | felt little uncomfortable
as ] approached the haunted tenement
but / walked boldly UP To the door
pushed ii open, entered and eXtemporl
Zing a light matches were not invented
them lighted a candle with which | hat
provided myself, and took survey o
the place. 1t was a miserable matched
roof. mud-walled hut, with hard earthel
floor, nearly bare of furniture, and in
eXpressibly dreary. The air was dank
as if the faint of the bloody deed, enac
ted a few weeks before, still fingered
Everything remained as it was whe
the murder was committed. | though
l could even see traces of the struggl
on the moulded walls. The floor in sey
eral places bore the dark stains of tn
dead man S blood. Altogether, tn
sight was one to make even as hal
Drained fellow as timid. But sough
to drive unpleasant sfancies away.
lay quietly some time-so quietly, | coul
: hear my heart beat The stiffness wa
: oppressive. / grew nervous under tn
awful hush of the midnight, and fancie
a thousand horrible sights and sounds