The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1882-03-30
Misrellany.
CRAZED WITH FRIGHT.
An Ohio Young Man Shoots at
Supposed Ghost---Sad Results
of q Practical Joke.

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An Ohio Young Man Shoots at
Supposed Ghost---Sad Results
of q Practical Joke.
A most remarkable case Of insan
ity resulting from a practical jok
has come to light in Youngstown
Ohio, but rs yet little or no public
ity has been given the matter. Liv
I ing about two miles from town is
family by the name of Waters
They are well-to-do, pain countr,
people. who enjoy the respect Of al
their neighbors. and have a lar9'
circle of friends and relatives. Th'
family consists of Mr.. and Mrs
Waters. now we'll advanced in years
two fine appearing and sensible
daughters, both grown; and ont
son named Henry, who is u hand
some, manly fellow of twenty-three
whose pleasant face has made hin
many friends.
Henry had been brought up OF
Tho farm, aad his experience be
sond the limits of his home and The
nsisEis arin estowns has been restrict
Va d Single visit to Cleveland u,
stie lIne 81 she Garfield funeral eb-
sequies. He was much given tc
reading light literature OF the blood
and thunder kind, and his associ-
atcs say he was very superstitious
and at various times expressed him
self as believing in spirits and theil
visioned terrors. In fact, these
strange fantasies had so worked up
Oh his simple nature that he always
slept with large oldfasllionec
Colts revolver at the head of his
bed, where he could place his hand
upon it in al instant.
knowing his weakness, some o.
the neighborhood boys planned, ir
the best of humor, a scheme tC
frighten him with a make believe
ghost at midnight's evil hour. A
night was set for the perpetration Of
the joke, and during that afternoon
one of the young men carefully
drew all the bullets from Henry's
pistol, leaving the powder in eacl
cartridge undisiurbed, and placed
the weapon back in It's accustomed
place. Henry retired as usual at
half past eight, and about midnight
just as the moon was throwing a
dim ray of light across the floor
one OF the boys, clad IN ghostly at.
tire, stealthily entered the room and
stood with outs1retched arms, slow
ly muttering unintelligible sen
tences.
With an awake Mtg tremor, Hem
ry convulsively grasped his pistol
and sat uprighC in bed, dumb
through fear. The ghost advanced
a step, the mutterings continued,
till Henry, wrought up almost to
frenzy, drew to an aim the weapon
he supposed was charged with
death, and stammered, 'if you are a
man, l shall kill you; if you are a
ghost this wont hurt you;' and with
that the loud report of his pistol
startled the nights stiffness. There
was quick motion of the shrouded
arm, and the bullet was thrown
back, striking the head board at
Henry's side. This sent a cold
chill through his frame, but sec
ond time he took deliberate aim at
the figure and fired. Again mo-
tiop as if catching the bullet, and ii
was thrown back upon the bed.
Almost paralyzed with fear, Hen
ry fired a third, a fourth and u fifth
shot only to have the bullets hurled
back with noiseless motion from
the ghostly figure. Then for brief
moment he sat as If transfixed, gaz-
ing with mute bewilderment, when
with a wild shrek Of terror, he ired
the last blank cartridge and hurled
the pistol at the ghost.
With a merry laugh, the ghostly
visitor threw off his flowing gar
ments, and through the door came
those who had gathered without to
join the sport, when, to their horror,
they saw depicted on the face of
Henry an expression which told the
sad story had, alas! been too well
played. His mind could not stand
the strain. He was raving ma
MAC
The sadest. part of the story is,
that, although several weeks have
elapsed since young Waters was
frightened, he has not showed the
least signs of returning sanity; and,
while not violent, is constantly
shrieking cut and pointing at imag
mary ghosts. 1t is sad story and
a frightful warning to practical
jokers.