Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-10-24
A SINGING GHOST.
story efs Strange People whs 1--we In
tho Mountains of west Virginia.

/
mo Mountains OF west Virginia.
| There il wild country In the rear OF
Sanneiton mountain. In the western part OF
hanawha county, writes Charleston w.
Val correspondent OF the Cincinnati En-
qr,rer. Strange people, many oil whom are
Bomadlc In habit, strange customs ana
strange babiiations may be found for the
looking. Here the "sang-dig2ers,' or cave
jewellers. thrive In wild luxuriance; here
The brotherhood Of Prayer" aud Church
| OF God sects, whose curious rites Of humil-
| iiy ana ponance recall the history Of druid
| zeal worship. On the southern slope OF a
mountain about five miles beyond I" The set
| tlCmcnt" --as these primItiyc-mannered
| people still call the villages Edom smith. n
| Free-Will Baptist, pitched his tent ten
! years ago. His claims for preierment were
| sp' eddy recognized and oilOwing OBJ
| famed. The more misty his eloquencc the
| greater bonors were heaped upon him. "A
| rude but was his dwelling place, in dense
| wood never touched by sunshine. and nara
| by little stream. spring fed, and tinkling
waterfall, Here the owls hoOted rue
| sOmely In the nighttime. Deacon smith
WAS pale, cadavorous, ard solemn. ms
| wiie was Of the gypsy type-d,rk, OF
stormy mien, alert, and active. That she
| ruled The Deacon with no gentle rod no one
| had reason 10 doubt. She held hfrseii
aloOf from "his people," though taklng
| part in tbe Saturday'night services. lie
! never preached save at night, and then only
| in The light Of The moon. For this he gave
| reasons founded on Bible teaching ana sat
isiactory to the flock.
Tie dark woman was held in yeneration
| by the sang-diggcrs," for she sang as none
l
| lions and charms against the power OF the
| evil one. Once it il said that when Edom
| smith spoke OF death and the grave in his
| discourse she shrieked aloud and rebuSed
| her husband with angry words. IL was
| known that her terror OF death amounted
| TO madness, and she had eXtOried an oath
| from him never 10 CoDsign her body TO the
| ground, but to inclose IL IN an oaken box,
! TO be deposited on a specified stump near
| the house. Fer want OF sunlight she fell
| i'll Of rheumatism in one autumn, and
| died when the leaves were coming out
| Lgain in the tangle OF vines on
| tie tent. Edom Smith remembered
| lis vow, and respected it, With
| IN sight Of the bridle.path that led TO the
| highway, q few miles beyond, on the stump
| that Olga had selected, the rude oak box
| containing her body was placed. The peo-
| pie besoueht him TO bury the remains, but
| he said he durst not break his word, for
| she promised to haunt him for this, and
| alway. kept her word. Then they made 4
| new path to the river that they might avoid
| the awful spectacle OF that discolOred box.
| where the figure in white came every twl-
| light and wandered to the waterfall. This
| weir d vision was a common sight, II was
| said, and they perSistently prayed the dea-
1 ., . ,n nfffF "
| the dead belong. Elfish screams were heard
| in the midnight hour, it was told, and wild
| songs. such as Olga used to sing as she sat
| by the cabin-dOor.
| All knew that strong, strangely-sweet
voice, and sbuddercd when they heard it,
| echoes among the trees. But no one COM
| plaincd TO the authorities OF the horror, and
| The box remained through that summer
and one winter undisturbcd. IL finally Dis
| appcared, 10 one knew why, and were
| afraid to ask concerning il. But the mys-
terv was explained when he brought q
| bride to the hut. She had steadily refused
TO share his lot until the former wife was
| put away.
But the songs went on rs OF old. aud the
| awful cries in the cleaning. till they called
| il the haunted glen, through which belated
| travellers hurried to the nearest habitaiiOn.
| II was found that Ed0m Smith had carried
| the loX 10 cavern, almost at the mount
air-iop, on the other side. How he sue
ceedod in reaching the place without A.
| s'stance was more than any one could I'M
der.tlnd, but no one questioned about the
| awful matter. There on ledge OF rock in
the cave may yet De seen the olken box.
| over which the MOSES grow and The an
| cent ferns. and where the dOlCsOmc night
| lawks scream a mOurnful threnody. The
| rattesnakes hiss about the place, and
a fantastic vine Grapes the mouth OF
the tomb with scarlet blossoms. The
tale IS told that Deacon Smith had
never pace in the hut with his new wife,
fer The ghostly songs OF the restless Olga,
ard that his Bible had bloody tinger-marks
throughout. So they left the place one
night, going no one knew whittier, leaving
everything as though they would return
but thew never did, none hearing from
them or the cause OF their hegira. Perhaps
they were murdered, saw the "ssng peO-
| pie" Who can telly But the furniture
/ disappeared from the hut months later.
| and then fire DESTROYED the house-bv
what means no man could say. They still
say the songs may yet be heard IN the twi-
| ligbt and the awful shrieks in the midnight
| hour. And they Will tell this tale to sue
ceedng generations, and warn them OF the
haunted cave near the mountaln-top ana
! 4. 81 lpI Vat I'm