Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1883-06-06
Goblins.
Cup and down, up and down;
viii lead them up and down;
l am fear'd IN field and town;

eyes it is the pee-wees that have nest
up yonder in the spout that have scared the
people," SAID lawyer A. J. Patterson to the /
editor of the Sentinel and Republican as they /
together came around the north west cor
ner of Muddy Run school house, in Milford
township, about a mile and half from Pat
terson, last Friday evening. We looked |
up and saw pee wee fly away. ltwas the |
first time to our knowledge that the little |
bird had been accused OF playing at spirit |
rapping. 1t has been told over and over,
OF how long ago, married preacher and a
single woman were seen IN the twilight at
the back door OF the cellar OF the Lutheran
church in this town, and when the young
lady was asked what they were doing there,
she said that the preacher took her there to
show her pee-wee nest that was IN the
cellar of the church. But the preacher was
not playing at spirit rapping. The school
house is u substantial brick building that
will seat so pupils, in a seat. There is
no cellar under il. The floor is Is inches
TO feet IRON the ground, and the fOunda-
tion wall is as tight as a drum with the ex-
ception OF veuIiatOrs, two ON the south
high from the ground that neither toad or
reptile can get up 10 pass through even
If they were open enough TO pass such liy-
ing things through. The purpose Of the
yentilators is to allow air 10 circulate under
he floor. The floor OF the school house is
as close as a floor of pine boards can be
laid. There is no possibility of any
thing larger than an humble bee passing the
bars OF yentilators SO as 10 get under the
| floor TO create noise, and Yet in that drum
/ tight building an un-accountable noise was
heard by the school OF Miss Emma McCach-
rem on the 22ud of May 1888. The teach
er and pupils thought the sound came from
under the floor, yet they could not definite
/ ly locate il. Ii could not come from be-
meath the iloor unless 1t had been sent in
| through the yentilators from the outside or
down through the floor through tube, and
| who in the school could have art enough TO
1 do such thing! The pupils were all 10
young to engage in such work.
What could II be That was the question
when Mr.. Patterson and the writer visited
the building. We called on Miss McCach-
ren at her fathers house ON our way out to
the building. She had taught month and
heard no noise. She advanced no theory
as to the cause Of the noise. From the 22nd
to the 18th, noises continued. On Mon.
day the 2Sth, the excitement in the COM
munity was wide spread and many people
visited the school house. The superstition
that had come down from the grand par
ents manifested itself in the most remark
able talk OF spooks, goblins and SO forth,
and it was deemed best TO close the school,
/ till the disturbing cause could be found
out. Some that were less superstitious than
I 9th int mad bat ba
ed by some imprisoned living thing under
the floor, and soon the the theory got
abroad that a foul deed had been perpetra-
ted, and human being had been murder
ously delt with and had been put under the
house as dead person but life was not
extinct and hence the noise Or groans. The
excitement was intensified on the evening
the 2Sth after dark by a number OF the youth
from this town going over and play ing oil
/ series of grOanS on the willing hearers.
The boys ana 1t up completely. 4 number
| of them that were lD the secret OF the trick
would form close circle around ventila-
tor SO that the pLTty that was to moan
through the CRATE could not b. detected by
one not in the secre: OF the movement.
1t did not require many groans to cause an
almost general demand from the crowd that
the rour Uf the building be raised and that
the poor imprisoned thing whatever IT might
be, set free. Men were appointed 10 call
on the nearest director and nave him raise
the floor and examine the cavity underneath
but that was not done then. On Tuesday
May 29, however, the directors met and
directed that an examination OF the under
part OF the building be made. y hole large
enough TO admit oI the body OF man was
cut in the door III the north west corner OF
the room. i man was sent down, and of
course he found nothing not even toad.
That examination settled the question Of
the imprlsonmeut Oi wounded man, WOm-
an or child, but only to bring the supersti-
tioUs people to the front one person came
forward with the story that a former
school board had cheated Mr.. Hersh, and
that his spirit had come back to torment
J them and their children. An other person
came i0rSard with a statement that some
. years ago an effort was made TO have the d.
rectors bulld u school house not far from
Milford railroad station, but that they
would not do it, but built the present sub
| staniial house. The question then, as to
: the location of the site was such warm
one that ii caused law suit, and Mr.. Pat
terson whose suggestion about the birds,
which We have mentioned above, was one
= of the lawy yers in the case. Mr.. Cioyd
: Guss, deceased, who was killed on the rail
, road near Black Log station, was one Of the
parties that was opposed 10 the present build
ing, and the superstiiious men of the COM
munlty have talked around that perhaps his
= spirit had come to torment them tor building
: the house where 1t Is. There seemed TO b.
scarcely an end 10 The talk and excitement,
even the children were talking about the
peculiar noise heard in Muddy Run school
house. Ii was no wonder that lawyer l..
: ID. Parker cUnclUd,d To go over. He took
, with him . COMPANION Daniel Pannabaker,
of this town, most lifting thing TO do, iOs
Pannabaker Is the grandson OF a famous
[ witch doctor that used 10 live where David
Siebcr lives in Ferinanagh township. iu
the days OF PannabdkeT's grandfather the
belief IN gOblns, SpOOks aud witches, was
80 general that witch doctors were uecess-
airy and they held A most influential posi-
tlOn IN the community. OF course the
grandson could not be scarey on the sub
Ject Of witches. When he and Parker
! reached the scene OF the disturbances the
school house was open. 4 number Of peo-
pie were there. Pannabaker obtained q
l lantern and light al the house of Mr.. EnOch
McCruni, near by and with it, went down
r under the building 10 see for himself, as he
. went down under the house lie did not say
but he felt Ike saying,
''Weaying spiders, come not here;
Hence you long lceg'd spinncrs hence,
Black snake approach not near;
T Wcrm, nor snail, do no offence"
When he was down, some one in the
building called for him 10 look for grave.
, He said yes, and when he had made a
/ thorough search he came up and reported
the thing a humbug, and then went outside
and discovered the pee-wee's nest that
Patterson drew our attention 10. Parker
r came home as proud as if he had the Car
OF Russia by bis side, and declares Dan to
10 be as good a witch doctor as his grand
Daddy. The Pannsbaker Of three genera
tions ago always doctored them out of a
spook trouble, and that is what Daniel has
done in this case. The trouble about If now
is II viii not pay to follow witch dOctoring
as profession. Ii is one OF the lost profess
ions Tor the reason that people are learning
MOTTO believe in witches. Pannebarker's the