The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1888-01-29
A HORRIBLE APPARITION
Which is Alleged to Appear in the Negro
Settlement of Palatka.

Settlement of Palatka.
A special correspondent sends the st.
Louis Globe Democrat the following re-
port which will explain itself:
"In the negro suburbs Of this city
stands a small board shanty that is just
now attracting more than its due share
of attention from the coiored people liv-
ing thereabouts. Some six months ago
family who had been living there for
the year previous moved out rather sud
denly, and would make no explanation,
save to throw out mysterious hints about
a ghost that was creating 'de debbil oh
a racket" Two other families moved
in, but their occupancy was very short
lived, and both left suddenly. The last
family got out last month at midnight,
and hardly dared to go back for their
furniture next day. They told a dole
full tale of terrifying appearance Of a
bloody corpse that walked the floor hold
ing its head on and moaning. Two
weeks ago a party OF five colored men
and one white man went to the house 10
raise the ghost. The colored men had
their ''charms" and professed full faith
i'm them. About midnight they all left
the house precipitately and went home.
Their story is that nothing happened
till nearly l2. Then they heard taps on
the floor, side of the room and over
head. Then unearthly groans were
heard and a sound like a pistol shot.
when all was silent for ten minutes or
so. During this interval they heard a
sound like water or some other liquid
| dropping down on the floor somewhere
| invisible, with horrible regularity. Sud
| denly the door was flung open, and a
gust of wind entering blew out the
lamp. BY the lamp-light struggling
through the windows, however. they
| discovered the outlines Of huge form,
with bloody face and head. The object
seemed to have both its hands presses on
| the top OF its head. holding it on the
trunk. From the wide. gaping wounds
| in the neck blood flowed in a stream and
trickled down its garments. This bloody
apparition almost froze the blood in their
| veins, and they remained speechiess and
| unable to move. With another sepulchral
| groan the ghost moved forward. when.
with a yell, the entire party plunged
through the window and ran ar il Old
| Nick himself was after them. They
kept their own counsel for few DAYS.
but the story Of their adventures finally
leaked out and created much excitement
| i'm colored circles.
| The story now goes tha. a policeman
/ named jackson committed suicide in
that house two years ago. first shooting
himself in the head ard then nearly sew.
ering his neck with a razor. As'his wife
| married again last year. the negroes say
his ghost haunts the house TO show his
displeasures, though his former wife
does not live there. The occurrence dis
turbs the female portion Of the negro settle
ment greatly. and not for love or money
will they pass near that building afteI
nightfall. The gate presents pictures
que appearance Just now. as some Of tn.
more faithful followers of the ..voudoo'
have strung Il with red strings and rib
bons and tied buncbes of feathers in VI
rious places to lay the ghost. 1t Is comi
cal certainly to note their air of awe AM
fear az they pass the spot. though eve,
some 0f the whites think there must b
something in IT,"