Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-07-26
MISTAKEN FOR A GHOST.

A numbe. of Ladies and gentlemen re-
siding in Baltimore City and county a
few evenings ago determined tc give one
of the number, living in the upper end of
Baltimore County, pleasant surprise in
the shape Of phantom party Accord
ingly each lady and gentleman secured a
white robe and mask; large bus was
engaged and the musicians hired They
started, a merry, laughing crowd, for
their destination, about seventeen miles
distant from Baltimore. When within
h ali a mile of their friends house the
'kus was stopped and the ladies and gen.
tlemen donned their long, flowing white
robes and masks, which we're slipped over
their street costumes. They then drove
on to the house and were admitted by one
of the young lady members Of the family,
who had been previously notified of the
proposed party. The other members of
the family were soon in the parlor and
Hospitality welcomed their white robed
visitors, Dancing was at once begun and
kept up without intermission until IL
o'clock, when they were all invited to
partake of the supper which had been
prepared for them. Directly after supper
one OF the young ladies from Baltimore,
feeling the room rather warm, walked out
on the front porch. While s:an,ilg
there sudden desire to explore around
the grounds of the house took possession
of her, and, forgetting that she was still
covered with her long, white rode, she
walked down the carriage drive in the
direction oftEe gate. She had not pro-
ceeded over 100 yards when those who
were in the house heard two pistol-shots
fred in quick succession. accompanied
by a woman's scream. All rushed from
the house in the direction from which
the sound was heard, and they found the
young lady lying in the road apparently
lifeless. She was carried into the house
and an examination was made, when it
was found she had not been shot, but had
tainted from fright. She regained con-
sciousness after an hours struggle between
life and death, and is still confined to her
bed from nervous prostration It was not
found out till the next morning who had
fired the shots, and then the occupants
of the house missed an old family servant
named Ezekiel, who had gone home the
evening before to see his wife, and who
promised to return at II o'clock the same
night, but failed to put in an appearance.
A messenger was sent to his house, about
mile diFtant from the main house. The
messenger, upon arriving at the house.
found the old man in bed and no amount
of persuasion could induce him to leave
if. He said he had seen ohost tho
night previous and he was never going
out of the house again. When question.
ed he said that he had started on the
night previous about 1880 for his en-
ployer's house, and when nearly there he
saw ghost. He was SO frightened that
he drew a pistol and fred at it twice. and
then ran all the way home On being
told that it was not ghost, but a young
lady, and that he had nearly killed her,
he was more frightened than ever, and
prayed to the Good Man to kill him right
there. When the robe worn by the
young lady was examined it was found
that one of the bullets had passed through
the hood and another through the sleeve.
At the request of the young lady the col
ored man was not arrested, and the whole
affair has been kept very quiet. Bait
more american.