Omaha daily bee., 1883-02-28

4 grave, 'Oh, my! On, my M
deep, heavy breathing, and the sound
of q struggle. We didn't stay long.
1t wasn't q comfortable place to be In
just then, and no investigation was
made. 1t was rumored that some
time after the mans ghost had been
zen perambulsting through the grave.
yard.
"well, 1 can't say that 1 do believe
in ghosts altogether. It's kind of
natural you know, for q oolored man
to be q little superstitiou,. MY father
believed In them, and so did my moth.
or. But then, you know, there are
plenty of white folks. highly educated,
too, who have the same notions. Why,
when the old Puritan fathers of New
England believed In witchcraft, In
ghosts and the like, you ought not to
wonder at the poor black man, ignor.
ant and illiterate, being inclined to
such seemingly unreasonable and
ridiculous things. I remember ono
morning, now many years ago, as I
was on my way to town, going past
the graveyard-it was In the dark that
Immediately precedes the dsy-when
suddenly there appeared strange fig.
ures filing Indian style out Of the
graveyard. They ranged themselves
In front and ON either side of me. /
couldn't move. They were little fell
lows with long, peaked faces, sharp,
black eyes, bony Arms, spindle legs,
and each o different kind of a hat
which ran to a point high up, and
each a sort Of . stick In his
hand. They made all kinds of
grimaoes and signs, danced around In
a sort of hellish delight, seated them.
selves on stones, stumps and on rails.
Suddenly they remained motionless.
Then a fire sprung up in the middle
of the road. 1t was o sickly sort Of o
light and had q great deal of smoke
about 1t. Then q little black dog
came quietly out of the graveyard and
walked around the fire; then another
and another, until seven had done the
same thing, and all disappeared as
quietly as they had come. The fire
went out and in its place sprung up a
huge man with long horns, who had q
long pole In his hand which no waved
three times when each little man van.
ished out of sight. Seeing my way
clear, and fearing the reappearance Of
the big devil, having regained my con.
aciousness a little, I started off on a
run, looking over my shoulder
occasionally to SET If all was right in
the rear, and feeling somewhat re-
lieved, shot off like q deer, not stop
ping till I got full we'll into town.
"Again, too, In daylight once when
1 was taking a load of wheat to the
mill. I had to cross a buggy In which
wac a sorrel horse driven by a tall
man with a long flowing beard. That
we might not meet on the bridge. I
saw them distinctly. All of a sudden
the man sprapg from the buggy, leap.
ed over the bridge and was Lost in the
creek. The horse and buggy disap.
peared and the way was left clear for
me to pass, but I was frightened and
b%ewildered at this strange phenome-
non, and 1t took q good deal of Skin.
mishing around there before I made
up my mind to go over the bridge. I
never pass there now that I am not
reminded of that sight.
30, I could tell you of q HUNDRED
or more such stories that / hove heard
or been o witness to. don't believe
In ghosts or witches, bat, as / said be-
fore, raised as I was, I can't get rid
of the Thought that supernatural be-
ings sometimes make their appearance
in auosr shapes and strange places,
DR.. Disk and many other scientific
men have demonstrated the absurdity
of such things. But, Notwithstanding
that, I often get weak In the knee
and experience queer sensations q
such sights % I have mentioned"