Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1888-03-31
A CENTENNIAL GHOST
Which Has Come to MS From the
Eighteenth Century.
An Old Timer in Cincinnati, Which
Walks Again in Our Gen.
tcnnial Year.

IL had been raining all day; "a cold,
arizziing rain, accompanied by raw
wind, that pierced the marrow In ones
bones. Rumors of murder up the
Licking, caused friend and myself to
take long tramp through mud and
water to ascertain the truthfulness Of the
story. proved to be hoax.
IL was after IL p. m. when we sprang
from the Newport ferry and fastened up
the long hill on the Cincinnati side. My
friend left me at the corner Of Third and
Lawrence streets. We babe each other q
hasty ''good night" and separated.
felt Ill and out OF sorts, cold, tired and
hungry and drenched TO the skin. But
toning my overcoat closer about my
throat thrust my bare hands into the
deep pockets and plodded on. AS i abb
ruptly turned the corner OF Lawrence
and Fourth streets, l ran against the tall,
gaunt figure Of man. He was clad In
black and wore ssslouch" hat, pulled
low over his eyes, and the high collar Of
his coat coming up over his ears almost
entirely concealed his features.
! stepped quickly to one side, and
would have passed him, bit he sudden
ly placed long, white, bouy, gloveless
hand upon my shoulder. Something In
the touch made me doubly SILVER, while
be drew close and said in q hollow
whispers Young man, tarry q bit"
For my life ! could not raise my hand
and push that other hand away; and in
spite OF myself stood still and waited.
Two minutes perhaps went by; 1t
seemed like twentyi when / managed
to say through my .chattering teeth:
swell, what do you want?"
The only answer was a chuckle, long
and and deep; then the bony hand slid
from my shoulder, and linking his arm
within my own my strange fellow Pc
destrian started on. Reaching Sycamore
street be loosened his hold slightly and
spoke:
"Ah, my old stamping ground, and
after all these years." Then he heaved a
sigh. He was becoming a fearful bore,
and was just on the point OF despera-
ton when suddenly he turned and went
into a restaurant, and, dropping my
arm, said: "Come, let US have supper"
and pointed to me of the tables. GLADLY
accepted this invitation.
Taking oil my hat | expected my Wis
Wis to do the same, but instead, he
drew his SLOUGH hat still lower, and then
| noticed that be sat with his back to-
ward the light.
MY queer friend called for brandy
cocktails and oysters for two. / was
ravenously hungry and very weary, and
The meal was feast to me. After the
luncheon came the choicest of cigars.
Really the man was no "chump," after
all.
We smoked In silence for q little
while, the warm room, generous lunch
con, and fine cigar all having their sooth
all
caught myself uodding, when the
stranger spoke, arousing me with a
start. He had removed the cigar from
his mouth, and knocking the ashes from
It's tip, said, in that same hollow whis-
per:
ut is Just 100 years ago since / was
here"
sat bolt upright and stared. some
hundred years!" | exclaimed in very
evident surprise.
ayes" he answered hoarsely.
"what do you mean ?" asked.
"Just what say" he replied, nodding
bis head conclusively. "Shall tell you
the story ?" he asked.
took out my watch. Half past
twelve. ut is time to be in bed," said.
He chuckled again.
sit will net take long," He leaned
over the table and whispered, sand you
must hear.n
"Well II must, must" I answered
rs he handed me another "Havana."
Listen" the stranger said, and his
voice somehow reminded me OF the wind
when 1t walls through branches ct pine
krees.
was listening with all the ears had.
"Just one hundred years ago, when
leg cabins were the rule and brick man
sions unheard Of; when the sky could
h. nd n hnl II
carnival upon the corners, and police
men were non est; when street cars and
railroads were something to dream OF in
the future, and 'mashes' were those only
of legitimate potatoes, q ghost walked
"What nonsense" l speculated.
"Young man, BEWARE" said the
stranger and again his breath seemed to
foat over me and chill me, and as shiv-
cred and seemed to shrink into myself,
be continued:
"a tall, gaunt ghost, with eyes like
balls of fire, and clammy, talon-like
hngers, with skeleton form robed In
garments of snowy whitenoss, with
sandals upon its heshless feet, whose
bones ratified and ohafed in the wind as
1t walked"
ugh" grunted, and began button
Ing up my overcoat, for / was cold.
sycamore street was the place first
chosen for its FRANKS and ranlbles. Up
and down, up and down, from the
muddy Ohio's brink to where Ninth
street now is, il walked. Many an aged
grandsire, If he dared, would testify to
the truth of my story, whose father be-
fore him knew the tale. No one could
tell whence the ghost came or whittier it
went, and woe be unto the lone pedes-
trian who CHANGED upon Sycamore street
In the "wee sma" hours. Il was first
seen one night during terrible storm.
ReG ben Brown, a man of years, had
taken refuge under wayside tree, and
was waiting for the rain to slacken,
when the heavens were lit with a lurid
slar, and O terrific crash Of thunder fol-
lowed. The wind arose and walled
through the branches OF the trees above
old Reuben's head. Then came the
sound of harsh discordant laugh that
grated upon his nerves and made his
wrnkied flesh creep. There was Zap
ping OF wings, a swishing of garments, 8
horrible rattle of dry bones, and then, a
tail, white, misty something doomed up
osfore the lone old man.
How do you KNOW" managed to
question.
My stery-teller gave another blood.
eurdling laugh, and answered.: "yyait