Daily Los Angeles herald., 1881-08-07
gus angeles Asrald.
rhrookmorton'. Gho.t

pS uykAkS sSk"s"'
Throokmorton's Ghost.
louisville oourier-Journsl. July ~
Information received in this city
Yesterday announced the death OF
Major John r. Throckmorton, one
Of the oldest and best known OF
Louisvfile's citizens. Major Throck-
morton died on y plantation owned
by Col. M. Lewis Clark Jr, In Mis-
sisslppi, whittier he had gone for
the purpose of looking after Col
Clark's Interests. His remains will
be inferred there for the present for
the reason that 1t Is impossible to
obtain transportation, but in the
Fall they will be exhumed to be
brought here to Louisville to be
laid beside those of Major Throck.
morton's father in the family
lot at Cave Hill. The nature of
his illness has not been learned yet.
THRoCKMoRToN's "GHosT."
1t was a woman. Her name was
Ellen Godwin, and twenty-three
years of her life were passed in
teaching the man contrition. AS
early as 1852 the public began to
talk of John Throck morton, and
John Throckmorton's "ghost."
Wherever John Throck morton was
SEED t shabb,ly dressed girl fol-
lowed after him, dogged him with
her presence and haunted him like
. nightmare. II he left his hotel
in the morning to walk down the
street this shadow in dipgy black
appeared promptly at his heels,
saying not word, nor breathing
to those who observed an intima-
tion of her purpose. If John
Throckmorton was at his club this
woman hung faithfully about the
doors until be made his appear
ance, and then wherever he went
che followed until perhaps he
sought refuge in his private cham
Der, where bolts and bars kept her
back. No matter If it Tained pitch
forks, II 1t were hotter than Hades
or colder than the breath of the
Arctic, John Throckmorton ap-
pearsd not In public but that his
shadow was close at hand to tor
ment him with her presence, to
taunt him with his crime, to teach
him repentance. Her image was
ever before his eyes; she perched
about him as relentlessly as Edgar
Allen Poe's raven sat upon
The pallid bust of Pallss,
Juat above his chamber door,
not . prophet or thing of evil,
but q woman full of vengeance, full
ofdetermination,a woman scorned.
Throck morton went to Boston, to
New York, to Philadelphia, to New
Orleans, but it was all the same.
His shadow was faithful in it's pur-
suit. It couldn't be dodged. Even
when this man sought refuge and
release in the army, his shadow,
like q Nemesis, was still on his
track. John Throckmorton grew
gray and thin, and shaky with age,
the girl grew into d woman, and
with her maturer womsnhood
came increasing determination.
She would make him suffer, che
wo0id teach him contrition. The
picture has been seen q thousand
times on the streets of Louisville.
A tall, slim man with white side
whisker, white hair, and face ex-
pressing mingled modification and
reck lessness in front, a woman
sliabbiiy dressed and closely veiled,
shrinking along behind.
"Throckmorton and his ghost"
whispered the spectators, AS the
two marched silently down the
street.
"The woman he ruined,n speaks
another voice.
"The woman he scorns, rather"
says somebody else.
1.-THE woman who will die at his
heels,n says another still, and So
they all talk.
John Throckmorton and Ellen
Goodwin keep up this weary JOUR-
ney through life. 1t Is rare that
they speak to each other. Occa-
sionally Throckmorton breathes an
oath or q threat, but the woman
only smiles. She is carrying out
her purpose. What does she care
what Tbrook kmorton says, or what
the world thinks2 Some say she
fsiusane, but those who know her
hsst say not. ThrOok morton,
among his friends, laughs the N at
ter away and refers to the woman
aA"His HELPS Delight" But his
pfets nsion of carelessbess Ia all as
sumed. Upon one OCCASION, as the
story goes, he meets her on a bitter
cold day In the Second street mar
ket and curses her. For once the
woman's temper gets the better OF
her. She seizes an IRnoble weapon,
frozen RABBIT, and in the twink.
ling of an eye John Throck morton
hss received a blow across the face
and Is lying stretched out upon the
sidewalk. Upon another occasion
there lie, according to public tssli-
moDy, dramatic scene in the
mouth of an alley. Throck 10 ortou
has become desperate. He meets
his "Heli's Delight" and brings
forth = razor to cut her throat. She
throws back her veil with a smile
of acorp, and says:
"Kill me, John Throckmorton,
but kiss me first" The man bt
comes power,ess with awe at tbe
reck less bearing of the woman aud
fees from her sight, but soon she IL
on his trail again, and 1t Ia the old,
old story of "ThrOckmorton and
his ghost"
AT the expiration oftwenty three
years q trial takes place in the
Louisville Chancery Court. e len
Goodwin is charged with lunacy
by John Tbrockmorton, and sn iu-