Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1881-06-04
a'irajnia free gres6.
june 4. 1881.
WIzlRDs CLTP--I LEGEND.

his j. the lf$1no WHICH lcF mary. tN'un
was populaIly given TO town Of some 500
inhabitants legally Incorporated as Smith
field, and now known as MIDDLEwAY. At
the date of the transactions hereinafter re-
,terrcd to, which occurred near acentury ago,
il was situated within the limits Of Berkeley
County. State of Virginia but Il nov en-
braced i'm the County OF Jefferson, West Nir-
rinia. Its location is about seven miles
from Chaslcstown, the county-scat OF Jeiier-
son. and ,hii af frog. Martinsburg.
IL would be unpardonablc il a-wOr& de-
voted 70 West Virginia antiquities to omit
all mention Of remarkable legend which
for so many years cast 2 amour over the
fortunes Of that little tov'r. Undoubtedly
the story IL mary Of its details cen tnd but
little credence in this sRcp'ic5laee, end yet,
when we refer to the general belief OF that
community in the marvellous facts OF this
narratives: when W consider how many
purc. able. pious and distinguished clergy
men cave countenancc to it, extraordinary
details. and. above all, when we know the
fact that foi hSlf centtfy No clleged witch
crv Of this tale oAlitcratcd the legal appelia-
ton Of Il town and gave to ii name charac-
tcr;zcd by the incidents TO which we are a.
bout to refer. 1t must be conceded th.t IL
is worthy f cnc historical notice, even If
we are compelled 20 class it among the me-
dicyal dclusions of the human mind.
The earliest written record OF these re-
markable spiritual manifestations was from
the per Of the Hey Nemctrius \. Gallit7in,
Il Prince of the Russian Empire, but who
subsequently became priest OF the Roman
Catholic Church His memoir was prepared
in 1871. and in the same year there are let
ters to the same effect still preserved of Mrs.
Anasta,ia McShcrry, wife ct Richard Nc
sherry. lady of great intelligence and Of
fervent and exalted pietv. Numerous other
memoirs have been written upon the same
subiCcl tihco that time which wiilbe noticed
i'm the close 81 this article. The storyas ex-
trsctcd from these publications IS briefly as
follows:
Adam. Livingston. becoming dissatisfied
with his rcsidcnceiu Lancaster County, Pa,
determined to remove to the State of Nir-
gina, and carried his purpose into effect by
the purchase of a house and lot in Smith
field and seventy acres contiguous thereto.
This was about the year 1890. He had the
reputation of being an honest and industri-
Gus farmer. of fair intelligence, and brought
with him his wife and family of three sons
and four daurhterS. of whom Eve and Cath
arnc are the only daughters, and John and
Henri the only SONS. who are referred 10 IN
anv of these memoirs. Livingston contin-
ucd to reside there without attracting any
particular notice until l19i; when stran-
ger. of middle age and Of respectable ap-
pcarancc. made visit to the place and was
received as a boarder in his house. Ina few
davs after the arrival Of this traveller he
was taken sick and, rs his illness became
more threatening, he called Livingston to
his bedside. informed him that he was a
catholic and inquired of him if there was
not q priest somewhere in the nelghborhood
whose services he conld procure. should his
maladv prove fatal which he had reason
then. to fear It would Livingston, who was
and intensely bigOtted member OF the IN
theran Church. very gruiily replied to HIM,
that he knew Of no pries. II that neigh
borhoOd and if there was one, he should
never pass the Threshold Of his door.
The diving man repeated his ont-eatics fol
the spiritual aid of ? Catholic Priest bat
Livingston was inexorable and refused "a
countcnancc his request. The stranger died
his name being Urknor'h To- his host, and
there being nothing among his papers to
throw anv light upon his history On the
nirht of his death IjviPgstaR onplcyed q
man Of the Lamo Of jacob Foster to sit up
with the corpse. But 80 soon rs the can
dies were lighted in the chamber of the
dead. afte- giving weak and flickerlng
light. they went out and the room was leii
in darkness. They were relighted several
times. supposing it to result from some re.
mediable defect IN the article, but with the
same result Iirinr5tin then brought tive
/ cafd'es into The room which he had beer
using in his own family, which were a thirc
burnt down and which he knew to be good
F But 90 soon as they were placed in the same
room Nth the corpse they became immedi
ately extinguished. This 80 alarmed Eoste
that he abandoned his vigils and left The
house or thr rext day as the corpse wa;
being carried to TIE grave one Of the pail
bearers stumbled, the coffin came to I'm
ground with great violence the lid fell OF
when apparently fresh blood was seen COZ
inr from the nose Of the corpse. This le'
to 4 medical examination, when the thre
Doctors of the town pronounced life eXtinc
and the corpse proper subject for burial
{ Fifty years ago, the grave Of the strange
could be distinctly pointed out.
On the night succeeding the burial tn
Z I III tfrrhel T..