Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-02-05
A STRANGE STORY,


MIR. EDITOR;
After some weeks of hesitation, doubts,
resolves and re-resolves, | have at last de-
termined 10 lay before your readers one OF
the strangest and most iucomprehensible
adventures that has ever occurred in this
county OF STATE and. for all / know, IN
the world. Let me first assure You that l
have never had the least grain " supersti-
ton in my nature, have always hooted at
the idea OF ghosts, visions, and sll super
natural alails, ana have always contend
ell that everything Of the kind could be
accounted for on rational grounds if fol-
lowed ND 10 correct conclusions. ] can also
say. without egotism, that have always
heen considered by my neighhon and nc
ouaintances, n person Of good hard sense,
and truthful, honest aud upright man.
On the night Of Sunday, January 3D.. ! was
visiting sour friends hear Woodstock, and
/ stafted about 10 o'clock to rrtu-n 10 n
friend, house \ mile OF two FROM town,
where expected to sprud lhc night and
then 20 homo in the morning. pissed
through Woodstock in drizzling MIST
and shen about half mile vosi Of town
/ il turned ioA dronohing rain, and ! AT
once began p,cring around through the
darkness. for shelter, as ] had my best
clothes on and did not want them injured.
On tho left Of tho road, back fen yards,
stood dwelling honse, in front Of me and
TO the right was large barn. md on the
opposite side from the barn, rs saw tho
next morning, was a wind mill or wind en-
cino for pumping water. ] hurried into
the barn. and sat down upon pile OF hay,
congratuating myself upon the snug
shelter | had 80 opportunity found. The
rain continued in = heavy down-pour, and
as grew sleepy, | laid down upon the
hay and WAS soon in a sound sleep. After
sometime, cannot say how long, it may
have been hours, / was reused by noise
like the running of machinery. | could
distinctly hear the rattle Of iron-gcar
wheels, and the whrr Of tho machine as
il running at a high rate Of speed, while
out,idc could hear tho regular stepping
Of horses and the sonnd Of tho cog-whecls
Of a horse power. Thinking | had over
silent myself and that it WAS morning and
the people had gone to work, 'prang to
my feet and commenced vigorously rub
bling my eyes When fully awake look
cd around and was At once struck with
the strange appearance Of tho light that
filed tho large barn. 1t was a pale blue
spectral light that threw lis weird rays
around making everything Look CHASTITY
beyond description, and forcing me to at
once feel ~ IL I was in tho neighborhood
Of something uncanry and not aliogcthe I
Of this world. Despite Of all tho mental
efforts made. this feeling grew on me
until iound myself really quaking with a
, norvous feeling could not shake of.
, felt, / knew, yes, absolutely knew, by an
unmisiakable instinct, ihat something not
Of this world Was going on around me-
! Tho noise Of the rapidly running machine
continued until all 81 once a fearful crast
. c.mo. followed By tn, rattle OF dying frag
ments OF iron. and above all | distinctly
heard the moan Of human voice, ~ J
raspinc out tho last breath Of lifc an'
then tho sound Of 4 body falling 10 th
floor. In few moments after this thu
noise stopped and could hear nothing
, but gurgling sonnd like tho flow Of bloo'
from a cut throat. This, too, died away
directly. and all was az still as the gravl
= and the light fading ont left mo in th
. very blacklist darkness. 10 would DO fool
y ish for me to attempt to describe my feel
, ings, rs my legs bent under me and | sanl
upon my knees on the hay. Could m
trembling limbs have carried me | woul'
g have rushed from the building in tho darl
REGARDLESS. Of all danger Of broken bones
u A. thus knecled, hardly attempting {
u think, the horrible pale, ghostly ligh
came creeping back and tho barn va
II once more illnmed with its fearful ray
J. while to my indispensable terror the nois
II Of the running machine again commenced
Il and the awful scene was re-enactod. \
d il died ont the horses in the stable belo'
& began plunglng and snoring, aud wit
y something Of a feeling Of relief ran dow
II tho stairs TO get in company with som
u living thing Of this earth, even il it was
poor dumb brute. But my horror was in
h tcn,ihcd, if possible, when by tho shastl
light fsaw how terribly frightened tn
poor horses were. Trembling in ever
limb. dripping with Precipitation, thei
eye. fairly starting from their heads, the
Y struggled desperately At their halter
:. while they snorted in uncomfortable ter
p. ror. Half crazed by the horrible feeling
Z that ovor.power,d mo dashed from tn
4 barn. ran across the yard 70 the shelter q
n large cranary, where stood shiverin
4 and fairly sick, until the first gray ligh
q Of early dawn crcpt over the earth who
\ hurried from that spoil - fast ~ | eve
e. walked in my lie
+. nave not UNfUAlNHFh ihtN w sung
4 soul. not oven To members Of my owl
;. family. 10 be frank with yon ! an
a ashamed to hhvo my name known in con
> nection with it, md for that reason hav'
o so strongly insisted upon Jonr keeping
Il from every one My only reaton for pul
' fishing my singular and, to me, terribl
j. experience is the hope that soma Of yon
d many readers may give some rational *
Il PLANTATION OF it. confess that my mint
"a has been and is greatly troubled and puz
;. zled over it. will cheerfully ansro
through the paper any questions that ma
II be asked me.
a Yours truly, Puzzled.
If Baptist Chnrch in lIarrisonburg.. is be
ing pushed to completion, and whe
b. ! c..;.ioI ,,.,u 10 ano Of the hand omee