Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-09-23
A HAUNTED MOUNTAIN.
Mysterious Lights That Bother Superstitious
MinerS-A Strange Creature Loose.
New York World

New York World.
Ever since the seven Molly Maguires
were hanged in the Carbon county jail,
on the.base of the Switchback mountains,
in 1877, the miners hereabouts have been
more or less superstitious, writes Mauch
Chunk, Pa, correspondent of the Worl d.
and the more ignorant of them have from
time to time asserted that the spirits
of the hanged men roam through the
valleys and mountains round about mid
night seeking vengeance upon those who
had been instrumental in securing their
conviction and subsequent execution
Even those who were not superstitious
and whose testimony could be implicitly
relied upon, asserted that they had seen
uncanny lights speering through the for
ests up around Mounts Pisgah and Jeffer-
son or fitting up and down the Switch
back plane, and thence through and
around the Nesquehoning valley and
mountains.
Gossip regarding the matter became so
prevalent that only those possessed of a
superabundance of courage ventured near
the neighborhood after nightfall, and the
good wives of the 5rawny framed but
simple-headed miners were gladdened by
the unusual presence of their better
halves within their homes as night had
cast its shadow over hill, glen, and val
ley.
The appearance of these weird lights
soon led to the organization of parties of
discovery, or rather for discovery, for
when the exploring party would get with
In eyesight of the lights the bravest would
suddenly become tired, announce that it
was "only somebody smoking a pipe"
and prevail upon the Oyerwilling remain
der to ''gO home and not make fools of
themselves" Then they'd fit back and
go to bed and put their heads under the
cOverIids.
Up to three years ago the uncanny lights
were seen almost nightly, and the miners
went so far as to state that they were ac-
cOmpanied by sounds not unlike that of
the chOpping of the fatal rope on Carbon
cOunty's memorable day, and that stifed
means could be heard in connection with
the rope-chOpping seance. Three years
ago the miners said that the spirits of the
hanged men had been satisfied, as the
midnight parades suddenly ceased. Then
one of the exploring parties, searching
through the Switchback mountains, sud
denly came upon the dead and emaciated
body of a man. They claimed that this
was one of the hanged MolIies, but this
was afterward disproved, when the family
of Thomas Fisher, of White Bear noun
tains claimed the corpse. Fisher was a
maniac, who had been roaming the mount
aims around this place for months, elud-
ing the efforts of his pursuers to capture
him.
Shortly after Fishers body was found
and buried the lights suddenly again APP
peared They had forsaken the Switch
back region temporarily, and had turned
&La1,-
Those who were venturesome enough to
remain in the locality after dark alleged
that they had caught gIimpses of an en-
aciated figure, with face fierce in its
w1ldness and body made, as to clothing,
to the waist, the body being covered with
claw-like fingers that resembled those of
beast more than a human. The ''What-
is-it" was only seen at night at first, and
when approached would suddenly disap-
fpear in an unused mine. This was scour-
lei, but without avail. The man has be-
come more venturesome lately, and on
several occasions a figure answering his
description has been seen crossing the
Switchback, near what is known as the
Hackelbarnic mine, and then disappear
ing toward Broad mountain. On each of
these daylight appearance the figure was
handicapped by a load of provisions.
seen hurrying along, shouldering what in
the distance appeared to be bear, but
what was, probably, a young heifer,
which had been stolen from some of the
settlers in the neighboring hills.
Persons of Veracity and prominence
have seen this vision, so there is no
chance for the as ertion that love of
sensation or Carbon county coffin-varnish
had anything to do with it.
Rumors were rife that the miners were
again organizing and that the Mollies
would soon be on deck again. Again the
Drawer of the miners organized explor-
ing parties, but they had Their trouble
for their pains. A week or so ago the
announcement was made that the iden-
tity of the "Wild Man of the Mountains
had been discovered, and that it was
Thomas Hurley, at one time a we'll
known leader of the Mollies, who escap-
ed when the others were hunted down.
Everybody then ''knew" that the right
trial had been struck. The bottom was
knocked out of this allegation when the
old mother of Hurley received word that
her son had just died in Gunnison, Col.
This news was confirmed and, under the
old woman's direction. the body was bur-
led In Gunnlson where Hurley had been
working in the mines.
1t Is hard to make the average miner
believe that there's not something terrible
about to occur and that the mysterious
lights and sounds are its forerunner
The locality described is perhaps the
widest in the world, and most expIora-
tions are as q consequence made in the
daytime.
Jaw doan't lex it a bet," said grizzled
old miner of the Nesquehoning as he
picked away at the sides of the mountain
two hundred feet underneath the ground.
"Aw doan't lex it bet, and eff the byes
TEX may adyoice the wunna search no
farder. Ma gud'll COON af it," and the
honest old Welshman shook his head
dolefully.
Others said that they would keep up
the search until the spook was captured or
they had proven what manner of thing
1t was, and the search is to be contin-
ued.
A Forsetful Politician.