The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1886-05-01

Ghost in a Barrel.-A few Saturday nights
ago one of the principals in very sad affair
which occurred near this town the next day,
bought some groceries from Mr. J. Rudiger and
hid them in an empty barrel outside o: the store.
The owner of the goods got fuddled and went
nome without them and during the night they
were stolen from the barrel. Since then this bar
rel has become an object of great interest as well
as Of fear because Of belief that it was haunted
| Every morning when the colored boy went to the
store he found the barrel in the middle of the pike.
This went on for some time and finally one night
| the barrel was fastened to the store with rope.
| The next morning the rope was found to have
been burned and the barrel was in its accustomed
place in the pike Then it was nailed to the store,
but with the same result, and now some OF those
who had been informed of the very strange actions
| of the barrel, had become thoroughly worked up
| snd were convinced that there was something su-
| pernatural about it all. Whispered conversations
were heard in the vicinity, while the barrel was
stared at in suspicious manner and some avoided
| it as they would rattle snake. 1t was suggested
that some one watch the barrel, but an excited
person said that this would do good as "spirits
never come around when there was watch set for
| them" Finally the "haunted barrel became q
subject of general conversation and many persons
who "beeve in ghosts" put this and that together
and endeavored to show that the strange actions
| Of the barrel were intended as terrible warning
| to the person who had put the innocent groceries
| in it, clinching it with the remark that she would
be haunted as long as he lived" &c.
| Finally Mr.. Rudiger, thinking the thing had
gone about far enough, and as he did not care to
keep good joke all to himself, let the cat out
of the bag. 1t appe RS that he has in his employ
a rather brash colored boy-a sort of devil may
care fellow-and he put up a job ON him by plac-
ing the barrel in the road himself, in order to
convince the dusky youth that there were really
ghosts about. One morning Mr.. Rudiger was not
quite quick enough and the boy caught him in
the act of performing "the great barrel trick"
and this exploded the story of ga ghost in bar
REL" But all the same it furnished considerable
amusement for nom believers in ghosts before the
truth leaked out.
A Dangerous Negro.-Mr. Solomon Welsh,
who is about so years of age, lives with his two
daughters near Black Horse, Hartford county, close
to the Baltimore county line. About IL o'clock
on Monday night last the family heard an unusual
noise in the lower part of the house and went
down to see the cause, when they discovered that
some one had suddenly left the house through
window. The ladies very much frightened,
and ran to the house of Mr.. Edward Amos, who
lives near by, one of them going to the front door
and the other to the rear of the house and called
| gagged a young negro man named Henry Davis,
who had evidently followed the ladies, sprang upon
| Miss Elizabeth Welsh, who was at the back door,
| and fearful struggle ensued. There was no man
about the house, but the ladies of the family,
| aroused by the noise, went down and opened the
| door, through which they dragged Miss Welsh,
| locking the door on the inside. Mr.. Welsh went
in search of his daug hters and after he had been
| admitted to Mr.. Amos's house the negro COM
| menced throwing stones through the upper win
| dows. He then forced door open and attempted
| to 60 up stairs, but Mr.. Welsh met him with a
| gun and he fed. When daylight came an alarm
| was sent out and Justice Turner was the first to
| arrive. Davis was still lettering about the prem
| Uses and after Mr.. Turner had fred two or three
| shots at him he ran off. The neighbors, who had
gathered by this time in force, started out to look
| for the miscreant and he was soon captured by
| DR.. J. T. Payne, Jas. B. Luckey and Melville
| Wiley, who tied his hands and took him to Belair.
Davis is about 25 years old and for some time has
been terror to the neighborhood. 1t is said
! that some time ago he was arrested in Baltimore
county, but escaped from the officer while being
brought to Jail here. There was some apprehen-
| sion in Beair on Tuesday night that an effort
| would be made to lynch the young scoundrel,
but no attempt in that direction was made
A Boys Compassionate one of the public
schools of this county the teacher told the boys to
bus. and after some time one OF them handed In
the following: Columbus was man who could
make an egg stand on end without breaking it.
The King of Spain said to Clumbus: Can you
discover American 'Yes,' said Clumbus, 'if you
will give me a ship So he had ship and sail
ed over in the direction where he thought Ameri-
ca ought to be found. The sailors quarreled and
said they believed there was no such place. But
after many days the pilot came to him and said 4:
Columbus, 1 see land Then that is America,
said Clumbus. When the ship got near the land
was full of black men. Clumbus said is this
American YES it is, said they. Then he said il:
Il suppose you are the niggers 2 yes they
said, we are' The chief said: Il suppose you are
Clumbus? You are right said he. Then the
chief turned to his men and said: There is no
help for it: we are discovered at last
Accidentally Hung In a Tree.-Mr. Henry
Fryer who for many years had been keeper OF
the PimIico road entrance to Druid Hill Park,
was found dead on Friday evening OF last week,
hanging head down from large ash tree which
stands within 10 feet of the gate and Immediately
Jon the border of the road. Mr.. Fryer could not
! have long been dead, as the body was still warm
| His devotion to a favorite rosebush caused his
death. He took great pride in training it up the
ash tree and on more than one occasion Capt Gas
sell had demonstrated with him about climbing in
to the tree. His affection for his flower tempted
on Friday, when he no doubt lost his balance and
fell The heel of his right foot caught in the
crotch of limb, and he hung suspended, with his
head about five feet above the ground, until he
died. The deceased was highly respected man,
and was about 6S years of age. 4 wife and five
grown children survive him.
A Good Lew.-Among the laws passed at
the late session of the Legislature was one adding
a new section to Article 30 of the Code of Public
General Laws, title "Crimes and Punishments,"
for the punishment of carrying dangerous or dead
" weapons, and which makes very important
amendments in the law. The first section pro-
vides that every person, not being conserv ator
of the peace entitled to carry such weapon as a
part of his official equipment, who shall wear or
carry any pistol, dirk knife, bowie-knife, slung-
shot billy, sand club, metal knuckles, razor, or
any other dangerous or deadly weapon of any
kind whatever open knives excepted,) concealed
upon or about his person, and every person who
shall carry or wear any such weapon openly with
the intent or purpose of inurng any person, shall,
| upon conviction thereof, be fined not more than
$500, or be imprisoned not more than six months
| in Jail or the House of Correction.
| Fatal Cunning Accident.-David Lewis
| and VIM. Claggett, two young men living in the
| city, accompanied by two boys, went out in the
LIST district of this count, on Easter Monday, ON
| cunning expedition. There was only one single
barreled gun in the party and it was carried by
| Claggett. When near Edmondson avenue bridge
he took the gun from his shoulder to put down the
hammer when it was accidentally discharged,
the whole load entering the back part Of Lewis's
head killing him almost instantly. The body
was taken to the Frederick road station house,
where an inquest has held by Justice Pilert, the
jury deciding that the shooting was wholly accl,
dental. Lewis was % years of age, machinist
by trade, and lived with his father on west Pratt
street. Caggett is unmarried and is a clerk in q
grocery store He was wild with grief at the ter
| rible result of his carelessness.
| "Mashed" on Spring
Sweet Spring dearly love you, and you canno
be too "vernal;"
Excuse that strange expression, but it tells you u
act"
What I wish. indeed most truly-that your stay
could be eternal;
/ would gladly be your poet if you wished M
thus to be-.
III nfko n