Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-02-01
GHOSTS. HAuNTs AND WITCHES.
The Indian Ring-sturfle setzer's Fiery
Snectre.
CarneseiIle q Reqister.


CarResclle ga Register.
Sixty or seventy years ago belief in
ghosts, haunts and witches was almost
universal in this part of the country.
Startling stories were told for the truth
by truthful men and women, who claimed
to have been eye-witnesses to the ghostly
scenes and the wonderful effects of witch
craft which they narrated. Many of the
stories they told were apparently well
authenticated, and it is difficult to con-
ceive why or how so great a number of
honest and truthful persons could con-
eur in statement of alleged facts that
never did occur.
A man named Joseph Cline once lived
in the northern part of this county. who
had the misfortune to be ridden by witches
almost every night. They would whisk
him ont of the house, change HIM into a
large black horse, put a saddle upon his
back, and ride him many miles to attend
some diabOlical Orgie and return before
the dawn. One morning he arose weary
and exhausted from long nights tramp,
and informed his family that the witches
had given him hard ride during tle night,
and that on his return through the Barton
old fields, he struck his fore foot against
bell. Several of his neighbOrs repaired
TO the spot at once and fOGnd the bell. 1t
had been displaced by a horses tOretOOt
only a few hours before. Fresh horse
tracks were traced through the old field
upon the very route Mr.. Cline said he had
travelled. The witch doctors and NEGRO
mancers made many unsuccessful efforts
to break the charm that bound the unfor-
tunate man to his hard destiny. They
shot hair balls and silver bullets at d
drawing of the witch, but she was so
agile that she always passed in front of
the picture before the ball reached it and
escaped harm.
Ten and a half miles north of Carnes-
vile, on the Jarrett's bridge road, is a
spot called the Indian ring. 1t is circle
of raised earth with Q depression in the
centre, like many others in this section of
the State. This ring was once the trysting
place of ghosts and COLLINS. HOrsemen
were frequently arrested in their journey
at night by a huge barrel which rolled into
the road before them, and which
was impossible to pass without leap
ing over it. At other times
fearful animal, with protruding tongue,
fiery eyes, tail 80 feet long and voice
that struck terror to the heart of man and
beast, would leap upon the horse behind
the terrified rider and bear him company
several hundred yards. A headless man,
mounted on large claybank horse, was
often seen in daytime riding rapidly
through the woods and passing out OF |
sight over the brow of a hill. Emsley
Wolf, in passing on foot one night, was
confronted by man of gigantic size,
who emitted light. He had an immense |
Roman nose and large glowing eyes, and |
was dressed in strange white robe. |
His limbs were loaded with chains, that |
clanked as he strobe back and forth |
across the ring. iiT. Wolf fed in I
terror TO the nearest house, and fell faint |
ing at the door, and was not fully re-
stored to health tor several weeks.
oil fCh a..
Setter, who lived in Gumlog or Big
Smiths district, was the subject of very
strange visitation. His house was
situated about half mile from a grave
yard, out Of which a brilliant hit would
rise night after night, and, passing over
the tree tops, settle over his house and
remain stationary for time. Then it
would again rise above the trees,
sweep through the air in the direc-
ton from which it came, and
sink into the earth at the graveyard. On
the night OF SetZer's death it shOne more
brilliantly than ever before. 1t lowered
over the house for long time, and as the
dying man drew his last breath it arose
in the air and like great flaming meteor
moved swiftly to the graveyard, sunk into
the earth and was never seen again.
There are men yet living who witnessed
this strange phenomena, and saw the
blazing spectre on the very night that the
old Dutch doctor died.
l heard a truthful, religious old lady
say that when she was a little girl she
was sent to pick up corn stalks with the
child of reputed witch. Growing weary
of the work the child of the witch mother
proposed to collect the stalks without
further labor. A few minutes later the
wind began to rise, furious whirlwinds
made their appearance in different parts
of the field, the stalks were lifted in the
air, but my informant. becoming fright
ened, begged thai it might be stopped
The witch child waved her arms, the
wind subsidized, and the stalks fell back
in their places. These stories might
be multiplied by scores. They were
well authenticated and cor
rObOrated to produce conviction of
their truth, if only within the bounds
Of reason and common experience. They I
were thought to be reasonable, and ac-
cording to common experience, and were
believed to be true, from 80 TO 20 years
ago, and such stories are even believed
now by some few persons. The printing
press and the school teacher have wiped
Dut most of the grOsser superstitiOns, but
there Is much yet to be done, and the
work is still going OF, slowly it may be,
but nevertheless surely. There seems TO
be a superstitiOus element in human ma
ture that is prone to believe in the super
and to magnify and eXalt the
which nothing can fully cor
rect except solid education and extended |
experience.
There is often a shadow Of foundation
upon which marvellous and unnatural
stories rest. Ghosts are usually seen at
night. when the Imagination is most &C
tive and reason less potent. Things are
seen too obscurely to compare shape, size
and distance with accuracy; hence OBJ
jectS OF unusual appearance assume un-
due proportions, for lack of clear sight Of
known objects with which to compare
them. There are many optical Illusions,
which mislead those who are not IL formed
upOn the subject. Persons often think
they see objects which have no existence.
They see as they think. distinctly
men. women, children, animals,
vehicles, any and all sorts OF OBJ
iects that do not exist, that perhaps dis
appear in a sudden and mysterious man
ner. They known of no explanation, and
attribute it to the supernatural. such
illusions can frequently be accounted for.
Ouinine. stimulants, loss of sleep, and
slight fevers sometimes produce vivid
spectral illusions. They sometimes ap-
pear without any known exciting cause.
DR.. AbercrOmbie treats the subject at
great length, and attempts to account Tor
these illusions, in most cases, upon phil
principles, but mentions annm-
Der of instances that he regarded as in
of explanation. Among others
he mentions an old gentleman, in good
health, of temperate habits and clear,
strong mind, who received daily
visits from troups OF spectral
guests. They were generally grave,
courtly, pleasant looking people wearing
the dress of several generations ago.
Another gentleman had a company Of
spectral Visitors to join hIm at the din
ner table, daily, for a long time. They
never troubled him at any other time. He
mentions still another man, who for
number OF years was joined at the door
by pleasant sprightly old lady dressed
in the garb of a Scotch woman. She al
WAYS left him at the door-never entered
any house, but he always found her at his
side when he passed tie threshold, and
was never deserted by her at any time or +
place. except he entered building,