Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-02-15
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Fuily yeaehed res.

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Texas, w. Va, February H.-One OF
the best known men in Tucker county, Is
Lewis Kittle, who resides on the Indian
Fork Of Clover Run. His reputation among
his neighbors and acquAintsnces is shove
reproach, and the following story for which
be vouches may be relied upon as being the
facts as he knew and Understood them Mr..
Kittle is not q superstitious man, and is not
a believer in ~spirituslism. Ia 1861, Mr..
Kittle, in company with others, was engaged
in mining coal near the groand on which
was fought the battle OF Rich mountain
He with a cousin named Daniel COurtrght
boarded at a large house adjacent to the
battlefield, which Was used as q hospital
During the progress Of the fight a
man Was shot in one Of the rooms
the house, the very room
occupied by Kitile and bus cousin. At this
lime the house was occupied by q gentle
man named Hart. Beginning with their
first night in this room kittle and his
cousin beard strange and continuous noises
At FIRST they gave no heed, supposlng they
we're caused by the wind. One day they
were told BY a fellow miner that the room
was haunted, and ghostly forms had been
seen there. Undismayed at the iutelli-
gence, Kittle and his companion resolved to
investigate. On q Saturday night sooL
sitter, COPYRIGHT wasabsent and Kittle alone
alert in the room. During the night he
Was awakened by a strange chill in the
oom. A clammy cold light, outlined the
furniture like silhouettes against the gray
air.. There vas an oppressive sileLce
ave for a low uncertain sound that
seemed the echo OF a slight breeze. In
pelIed BY some unseen, irresistible power.
Kittle rose from his bed, and moved to q
place opposite and near the door. he felt
no fear, but was impressed with a sense OF
solemnity he could not express. Almost
Immediately he saw Undertaking. from the
air eight forms, clad in the Confederate uni
form. With uncovered heads aud silent
tread they approached the bed on which
Kittle had been sleeping and removed the
cove rs, throwing them over the foot to the
floor, from where they were afterwards
tsktn I'D by Kittle. -Four OF the men
s,ooped above the bed and then raised it as
if lifting a weight. The object. wholly in.
viiible TO Kittle, was laid upon
apparently nothing between the other four
men VITO stood in the position occupied
By pail bearers. Two Of the men who had
lifted the object from the bed then took up
a place in front of the four and two behind,
and in this order the party approached the
door, and as they passed out kittle beheld
lying between the pail bearers the body OF q
Young man, his coat and vest removed but
wearing Confederate trousers. The face
VAS a handsome one even in death. No
sound attended their departure until they
had reached the hallway, where noise resem-
ding the knock OF a crutch on q wooden
door VAS heard, followed By the closing Of
n door.
Kittle returned to his bed, but in about
half an hour the ghostly party returned,
performing the same actions as before; ex-
cept thai the body was taken from the floor.
there is, Mr.. Kitrle says, no possibility
Of hls being mistaken as to what he
.laius to have seen. He was in perfect
SeallE, was awake and was not frightened.
The affair was spoken Of at the time to
other gentlemen in the house, all OF Whom
agreed that other people occupying that
room previously had had similar expert
epces.
On another occasion when Mr.. Court,
right was present the covers were removed
from The bed several times in quick success
sion as they were replaced BY Kittle and
COPYRIGHT. Both men got up and sat on
the side Of the bed but were forcibly, though
gently, pushed out of the way and against
The VOL They carried the bed clothes
with yhrm, but they were not disturbed.
They saw no forms near them while being
pushed from the bed, but a few mo-
mt DtS later saw enacted the same
scene above described. Moving the
bed had no precepitable effect. The visits
were so frequent that Kittle and his com
psnion would say on becoming aware OF
thcir presence in the room Here are the
rebel again" Mr.. Kittle had not told the
story in this section before, and never to a
newspaper. We believe every word he says,
ard these who know him say his word is as
pCcd as q bond.