Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-06-17
lily APPEAL-SATURDAY JUNE II, 1852.

least, not then-and revealed to my aston
| ished sight a female form, apparently of
middle hight, somewhat indistinct, but suf-
fciently defined for the form and features to
be plainly visible. The face was ghastly
pale, fixed and expressionless, like that of
corpse; the eyes had stony stare, like
those of dead fish, and the throat was
/ gashed from TO ear with a horrible
looking wound that showed the severed
| trachea. / raised myself on my elbow
As THIS FIGURE GLIDED TOWARD NE
/ with slow, undulating motion, and stopping
| near me beckoned me with hershsnd without
| speaking. l rose and nodded my head. 1t
or she, for it resembled a womln, turned,
passed through the door by which she had
entered, ard ascended a staircase; following.
1t or she threw out a mild phosphorescen
| light, by which objects were dimly visible.
During this time my mind had recovered
from the first stupor of surprise, and all j
had heard or read of supernatural appear
ancy flashed into it. / thought-well, /
have never believed in ghosts, but here is one
and therefore i must a init that my former
belief was incorrect, and that ghosts were ac-
cording to natural laws-ie., not supernatural, |
since here one was. The figure sscerdedShe
| staircase, passed along corridor in the attic
or half-story, to the end of it; then pointing
to the door of q closet or small room, with q
yelling, hysterical laugh disappeared, leay-
| ing me in darkness. 1 felt and scrambled
my way back TO the staircase and down 10
my room the best / could, thinking it rather
rough treatment of a man who exhibited
every wish to be accommodating. Tearing
off some more of the psneling / rebuilt the
fire and reflected upon the strange circum-
stance. Could it be that some one was
amusing himself with a magic lantern to
| brighten people? No, not likely, for these
are not times for foolish amusements. Could
ii be that counterfeiters had made this iso-
lated house their quarters, and wanted TO
scare me off or rob me? No; had nothing
! 10 be robbed OF, and one would be fool
enough 10 counterfeit Confederate money
when it was not worth much more than s. a
bushel. 1t can't be that
| AM DRUNK OR HAVE MANIA-PoTU,
unless / have got drunk on too much water,
| Tor l have had nothing else for three month";.
Yes, it must be ghost; and, contrary to the
| generally received opinion at this time,
| ghosts do exist. Perhaps that thing will
pay me another visit; il so, would like to
see what is in that closet. So thinking,
split some OF the pine into fragments TO an
| swer for torch, and resuming my place on
my blankets, awaited further developments.
l did not wait long. Again heard steps
descending the staircase; again saw the
pale fingers pushing open the door-which
had closed on returning TO ny room-and
again the figure, ghost or woman, entered
and beckoned to me as before. ] nodded my
| head; and, thrustiDg the torch into the fire,
lighted it and followed. We traversed the
stairway and corridor, and at the door of
the closet the apparition, pointing at it,
yelled Historically, and disappeared as be-
fore. This tune, however, thanks to
my torch, | was not left in dark
ness. Examining the door and finding it
locked, L burst it open with my foot. 1 fully
expected, on entering, to find traces of
murder, bones, blood-stained knife, mil
dewed hair, or something else. l found
nothing but cobwebs and one solitary cent?
pede. Crushing this with my foot thought
over the situation. There L have been fooled
twice by this joculsr, but by no means jocu-
lar-looking ghost and if it visits me again
| will not follow it any more; it may go to
the devil, where it came from, for all / will
do to accommodate it. So resolved, / re-
turned to my room, and, throwing the stump
| OF my torch into the fire, resumed my place
on my blankets, but by no means inclined to
sleep. Now the
| STORM APPEARED TO INCREASE IN FURY.
| The old house trembled, the boards ratified
from roof and sides, ard the wind howled
and shrieked around the corners. Soon
through this uproar L heard steps again
descending the staircase; the same figure APP
peared and beckoned as before. / remsined
| immovable. Again it oeckoned. l did not
| stir. A third time il waved me to follow;
then l raised my revolver and fred two
shots successfully at the visible object. l
could see where the bullets splintered the
wall after passing through the object 1
dropped my pistol and stared silently at it.
The figure then moved slowly toward me till
| its feet were near mine, deliberately laid
down by my side, placed its mouth at my
ear, and yelled and shrieked in my ear, end
ing in a hystericaI, sobbing sound that was
chillingly awful. This was more than /
could endure. l sprang to my feet, and in
doing so my left arm passed through the
| figure. / do not know what l did next,
or how 1 got out of the house, but when
L came to myself / was in my
buggy, my horses properly harnessed, my
blankets and food, but with my pistol in my
belt, driving at breakneck speed down the
Houston road, and several miles from the
grove of trees surrounding the mysterious
house in which had just had such strange
experience. BY 10 o'clock next morning /
was at the next station, some fifty miles fur
Their on my way. / observed that two cham
bers of my revolver had recently been fired.
Can you, can any one, explain this occur
renee? | cannot. ZENo L. ASHTON.