Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1880-04-10
A Strange Dream Story.

- &c.
A Strange Dream Story.
There is a strange story--which l be-
Iieye has never been published-among
the traditions Of the fertile hill country
Of Western Pennsylvania, the most nn-
likely place Of mystery. 1t wss settled
almost wholly by well-to-do farmers
from the north Of Ireland, economical,
Woodworking folk--God fearing too after
the exact manner described by John
Knox, and having little patience with
any other manner. Not likely people,
assuredly, to give credencc to any fancl-
full superstitions, and still less to or'gl-
nate them. This story, indeed, has
bold, matter.of-fact character in every
detail which quite sets it apart from re-
lations of the supernatural. nave
never heard it explained, and it is the
best authenticated mystery in my
knowledge.
Here 1t is in brief: Among the Scotch
settlers in Washington county in 1917
was family named Alymire, who occn-
pied q comfortable farm and house. Ra-
chcl, the daughter, was engaged to u
young farmer of the neighborhood. On
u Saturday evening in July, having fin
ished her weeks work she dressed her
self tidily and started to visit her mar
ricd sister, who lived on. a farm about
five miles distant, intending to return
Monday morning. She tied up her Sun
day gown and hat in checkercd hand
kcrchief, and carried her shoes and
stockings in the other hand, meaning to
walk in her bare feet and to put them
on when she came in sight OF her desti-
nation, after the canny Scotch fashion,
She left home about seven o'clock III
order to have the cool evening in her
walk. The road to the farm was lonely
and unfrequented. Tho girl did not
return home on Monday, but no alarm
was felt, as the family thought her sis
ter would probably wish to detain her
for q few days; and it was not until tho
latter part of the week that 1t was found
TINT abe had never been at her sisters.
The country was secured, but in vain
the arm spread, and executed a degree
Of terror in the pcaceable, domestic com.
munity, which would seem incxplicablc
to city people, to whom the newspaper
has brought q budget of crime every
morning since their childhood. Ia
children raised in these lonely hamlets
and hill farms murder was u far-of,
unreal horror; usually all that they knew
of it was the doings Of Cain and Jael
net off with hidcous wood-cuts in the
family Bible.
The girl had left home on Saturday a'
seven o'clock. That night, long before
ten o'clock Farmers go to bed with tn
chickens) q woman living in Gree,
county, about forty miles from the Fly
mire farm, awoke her husband in grea
terror, declaring that she had just seel
murder done, and went on to dcscrib
q place she had never seen before
hill country with wagon road running
through it, and a girl with a bundl
tied in q checkered handkerchief, he
shoes and white stockings in the othe
hand, walking briskly down tho grass
side of the road. She was met by
young man-thc woman judged by thei
manner the meeting was by appoint
mcnt; they sat down on the log an
talked for some time.
The man at last rose, stepped benin
her and drawing out Ratchet strnc
her twice on her head. She fell bacl
ward on the wet, rotten leaves dca,
Presently the man was joined by anoti
er, also young, who asked 'Is IL done
He nodded, and together they lifted til
body and carried it away out of h'
sight. After awhile they came back
found the bundle of Sunday iinery ar
the shoes and stockings, all of whie
were stained with blood. There is
ruined old mill near the road; they wei
into it, lifted loose board in the foo
ing, put the bundle, shoes, etc, vii
the hatchet, underneath, and replace
the board. Then they separated al
went through the woods in differe
directions. The farmers wife told h
dream to her husband that night; q
next day, Sunday, going to lit
church, gathered according to TIN
homely habit, in the chnrchyari TO c
their lunch and exchange the new
Our dreamer told her story again a
again, for she was impressed by it as
if it had been reality. After the aft
noon service the congregation separate
going to their widely-scattered hOm
There were thus many witnesses rea
to certify to the fact that the WON
had told the dream the morning af
the murder was committed at distau
of forty miles, when it was absolute
impossible that the news should la
reached her. There were no Telegram
we must remember, and no railways
those days, not even mail-carriers
those secluded districts.
When the story of the girls dis
pearance was told over the country
the end of the next week, the people
whom tho dream had been repea,
recalled it. Nowadays the mat