St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-11-03
SINGING SPIRIT-WIFE.
The Haunted Glen in the West Vtr-
ginta Mountains.
Sweet Songs at Twflfght--Awful
Shrieks at Midnight.


Cannelton mountain, in the western part OF
Kanawha county, writes Charleston. w.
Va. correspondent of the Cincinnati En-
qulrer. Strange people. many OF whom
are nomadic in habit, strange customs ana
strange habitations may be found Tor the
looking. Here the sing diggers. OF cave
jewellers. thriue in wild luxurlance; mere
the brotherhood of Prayer ana Church
OF God sects, whose curious rites OF nuihii-
ity and penance recall the history or druidl-
cal worship. On the southern slope OF
mountain about five miles beyond 1.-The set
tlement'-as these primitive hammered
people still call the viIlageS-Edom Smith,
a Free Will Baptist. pitched his tent ten
years ago. His claims for preferment were
speedily recognized and following OBJ
tanned.
rude hut was his dwelling place. IN
dense wood. never touched by sunshine.
and hard by little stream, springfield, ana
a twinking waterfall. Here the owls
hooted grewsomely in the night time;
Deacon Smith was pale, cadaverouS ana
solemn. His wife was of the gypsy type
dark, of stormy men, alert and active.
That she had ruled the deacon with no gen
tie rod 10 one had reason to doubt. she
held herself aloof from Ibis people,
though taking part in the Saturday night
services. He never preached save at night,
and then only in the light Of the moon.
The dark woman was held in yelieratlon
by the ''sing- dggers," for she sang as no
others could and gave them healing potlons
and charms against the power OF the evil
one. Once. it is said, that when Edom
Smith spoke of death and the grave in his
discourse. she shrieked aloud and rebuked
her husband with angry words. 1t was
known that her terror of death amounted to
madness, and she had eXtorted an oath
from him never to consign her body to the
grave, but to inclose it in an oaken box, 10
be deposited on specified stump near the
house. For want of sunlight she fell Ill OF
rheumatism one autumn and died when the
leaves were coming out again on the tangle
of vines on the tent.
Edom Smith remembered his VOW. and
respected it. Within sight of the Bride
path that led to the highway lew miles
beyond on the stump that Olga had Sc
lected. the rude oak box containing her
remains was placed. The people besought
him to bury the remains. but he said he
burst not break his word for she had
promised to haunt him for this. and always
kept her word. Then they made new
path to the river that they might avoid the
awful spectacle of that discolored box.
where the figure in white came every
twilight and wandered to the waterfall.
This weird vision was a common sight, II
was said, and they persistently prayed the
deacon to put the coffin under the gro ind,
where the dead belong. Elfsh screams
were heard in the moonlight hour. it was
told, and wild songs. such as Olga used to
cinu che he tine hin dODr
All knew that strong. strangely sweet
voice, and shuddered when they heard its
echoes among the trees. But no one COM
planned to the authorities of the horror, and
the box remained through that summer and
one winter undisturbed. 1t finally dis
appeared. no one knew why and were
afraid to ask concerning it. But the
mystery was explained when he brought a
bride to the hut. She had steadily refused
to share his lot until the former wife was
| put away,
But the songs went on as of old, and the
awful cries in the cleaning, till they called
it the haunted glen. through which belated
| travellers hurried to the nearest habitation.
| 1t was found that Edom Smith had carried
| the box to cavern, almost at the mountain
| top, on the other side. How he succeeded
| in reaching the place without assistance
was more than anybody could understand.
but no one questioned that awful matter.
There on ledge of rock in the cave may
vet be seen the oaken box over which the
moses grow and the ancient ferns, and
where the dolesOme nighthawks scream a
m0urnful threnody. The rattlesnakes hiss
about the place and fantastic vine, drape
the mouth OF the tomb with scarlet bios
SONS. The tale is told that Deacon Smith
had never peace in the hut with his new
wife, for the ghostly songs Of the restless
Olga. and that his Bible had bloody finger
marks throughout. So they left the place
one night. going no one knewn whittier,
leaving everything as though they would
return, but they never did. none hearing
from them or the cause of their hegira.
Perhaps they were murdered. say the
''song people," VINO can tell? But the
| furniture disappeared from the hut months
lgter. and then a fire destroyed the house
| by what means no one could say. They
still say the sons NAV yet be heard in the
| twilight, and the awful shrieks in the mid
night hour. And they will tell this tale to
succeeding generations, and warn them OF
the haunted cave near the mountain top and
the ghost of the lonely glen.