Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-03-14

A STRANGE DREAM-STORY.
There is an inexplicable story-which
l believe, has never been published Fl
among the traditions of the fat, fertile
hill country of Western Pennsylvania, he |
most unlikely quarter in the world to
serve as breeding-place of mystery. 1t |
was settled most wholly by well-to-lo
farmers from the north of Ireland, CO.
nomical, hard working folk-God-fearilg
too, after the exact manner described "
John Knox, and having little patien,e |
with any other manner. Not a Likely
people, assuredly, to give credence to an,
fanciful superstitions, and still less p
originate them. This story, indeed has
bold, matter of-fact character in ever
detail which quite sets it apart from It
lations of the supernatural. l have new
er heard it explained, and it is the bes
authentical mystery in my knowledge.
Here it is IN brief: Among the Scotch
Irish settlers in Washington County il
1912 was family named Plymire, who
occupied comfortable farm and house
Rachel, the daughter, was engaged to
young farmer in the nelghberhood. Or
Saturday evening in July, having finish
ed her weeks work, she dressed herself
tldily and started TO visit her married sis
ter, who lived on farm about five miles
distant, intending to return on Monday
morning. She tied up her Sunday gown
and hat in checkered handkerchief, and
carried her shoes and stockings in the
ether hand, meaning to walk IN her bare
feet ana to put them On when she came
in sight Of her destination, after the cannv
Scotch fashion. She left home abou;
seven o'clock, in order to have the cool
evening for her walk. The road to the
farm was lonely and unfrequented.
The girl did not return home on Mon
day but no alarm was 1elt, as the family
thought that her sister would probably
wish to detain her for few days; and it
was not until the latter part of the week
that it was found she had never been at
her sisters. The country was secured,
but IN vain; the alarm spread, and exclt-
ed degree OF terror in the peaceable do
mestic community which would seem in
expllcable to city people, to whom the
newspaper has brought a budget of crime
every morning siuce their childhood. To
children raised in the lonely hamlets and
hlll-farms murder was a far-otf, unreal
horror; usually all they knew of it vas
| from the doings of Cair and Jael, set off
in the family Bible.
The girls get home on Saturday at sev-
en- o'clock. That night, long before ten
o'clock Farmers go to bed with the
oh. ckens), woman living in Green Coun-
ty, about forty miles from the Plymire
farm, awoke her husband IN great terrG,
declaring that she had just seen murder
done. and went On to describe place
she had never seen before "a hill country
with a wagon road running through anil
a girl with bundle tied in checkerea
handkerchief, her shoes and white stock.
ings in the other hand, walking brisl1ly
down the grassy side of the road. She
was met by young man-the woman
judged from their manner the meeting
was by appointment-they sat down on a
log and talked for some time.
The man st last rose, stepped behind
her, and drawing out Ratchet, struck
her twice On the head. She fell back
ward on the wet, rotten leaves, dead.
Presently the man was joined by another,
also young, Who asked, "Is it done2" He
nodded, and together they lifted the
body and carried it away out of her sight.
After while they came back, found the
bundle of Sunday finery, and the shoes
and stockings, all OF which were stained
with blood. There was ruined old mill
near the road they went into it, lifted
loose board in the flooring, put the bun
die, shoes etc., with the Ratchet, under
meath, and replaced the board. Then they
separated and went through the woods
in different directions.
The farmers wife told her dream to
her husband that night; the next day
Sunday going to little country church
she remained during the intermission be-
tweenIthe morning and afternoon services.
The neighbOrs, who had come from cir
cult of twenty miles to church, gathering
according to their homely habit, in the
churchyaId to eat their lunch and ex-
change the news. Our dreamer told her
story again and again, for she was i'm
pressed by it as if it had been reality.
After the afterl Don service the congre-
cation separated, going to their widely
scattered homes. There were thus
many witnesses ready to certify to the
fact that the woman had told her dream
the morning after the murder was COM
mitted at distance of forty miles, when
it was absolutely impossible that the news
should have reached her. There were
no telegraphs, we must remember, and
no railways, in those days-not even
mail. carriers in those secluded districts.
When the story of the girls disappear
ance was told over the country at the end