The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1888-07-21
The Hawthorne Farm Mystery.
BY JEREMIAH l. MCCARTHY.

bey ond the shadow of a doubt, that the
story l am about to tell is the plain
truth and nothing but the truth. these
! mes would never have been written,
and the strange story. of which they
form part, would be locked fast in
my heart just as 1t has been locked for
seventeen years. and not exposed to
the sneers and SCOTS of a doubling
world. Though, when think the mat
ter over. | come to the conclusion that
the doubling world is not to be blamed
so much after all. for my story does
seem more like the offspring OF vivid
imagination than the plain, truthful
narrative that ] declare it to be. Still.
1t is annoying TO feel that statement
which you make in good faith. and
which YOU know to be the unyarnish ed
truth, not in any way adorned with the
trappings of fancy. will be received as
the merest falsehood, and the maker of
it rs an intentional deceiver. 1t is not
pleasant, repeat 10 know this, and,
therefore, have hcsitated long about
g wing my story TO a skeptical world.
However, l ain now resolved to relate
my strange experience, be it believed
or not. ! believe it to be my duty to
do so. My story will prove to the
reader, if he be not of doubling dispo-
sition. how true is the saying that truth
is stranger than fiction, and it will show
what strange mysteries exist concealed
from our knowledge in this very queer
world of ours
If anyone is qualified by experience
10 write about the queer sights and adj
ventures of this life, I think I am the
person, for no man, ! am sure has had
IL larger experience of both than the
writer of these lines. Like m any a
man before me, who has set out TO seek
his fortune. have travelled extensively
in my time. and seen life in many
phases and aspects. Ihave sought the
tickle jade, fortune, in Europe and Aus
tralia, and in far off Africa and India,
as we'll as in my native country. I
have seen strange things. indeed, and
met with stranger adventures, while
wrestling fortune from mother earth in
the gold mines of California and Aus.
tralia, among the rough molly adven-
lures of the one, and the convicts and
bushrangers of the other. l have
sought fortune in the diamond
mines of Africa, and have seen queer
things there, both among the miners.
and the weird savages of that benight-
cd region; and l have met with adven-
lures in India-that paradise of murder
and superstition-among the thugs and
other fanatical demons of that accursed
cl me, which if related would cause
people to stamp me as a romancer-
not to use a stronger term-of the first
water. But the strangest experience
of my fe was met with. not among the
rough miners of California and Aus
tralia, nor among the fierce savages
white and black of the South African
diamond fields, nor yet the merciless
Phansigars of the land of the Hindoo.
1t was IN plain. commonplace farm
house, in dull prosaic New England
village. that the weird experience,
which can truly say is the strang-
est and most mysterious I have ever
met with in all my eventful life. and
which forms the subject of this story,
was encountered.
1t happened this way. Seventeen
years ago, when was a much younger
man than l am at present. was en-
gagged in farming in the little town of
S, in Massachusetts. The farm on
which lived was not a desirable one
in some respects. The buildings on it
were good enough, but the land was
poor. being rocky and ill-adapted to
agricultural purposes. had rented it
10y an arrangement l had made with
the owner, but l did not intend to
settle on it permanently and was look
ing around for more suitable loca-
ton. One day, l heard of a farm
which was offered at a figure which 1
cons dered very cheap. This farm was
situated il the town of R.. about
ten miles from the place l was living
in. 1t was called Hawthorne Farm,
owing to the profusion of hawthorne
bushes growing about it. and when l
examined it, in company with the
agent who had charge of it, was very
much pleased with it The farmhouse
and the buildings connected with
it were in excellent condition, and re-
CURED but little repairing, while the
land surrounding them was. as well as
could judge. greatly superior to that
of the farm l was occupying. 1 was
surprised at the price, which l thought
extremely cheap for such place, and
without further talk on the subject I
purchased the farm, paying the price
down. In the light of subsequent
occurrences, can see now why the
lace was disposed of so cheaply, but 1
knew nothing about it then, and
grasped eagerly at what 1 considered a
bargain. l brought my wife to see it
and she was as pleased with the farm
as was, and approved the purchase.
A day or two after we moved into
Hawthorne Farm. 1t was warm day
in June on which we moved. and like
all such work, especially in the
country it was tiresome job 1t was
almost dark when the last of our
hings were conveyed into our now
domicle and we were tired enough.
So after supper was eaten we retired
At once to bed and were sound asleep
in few minutes. We arose early next
morning much refreshed by our
nights rest We spent the following
day in arranging our household effects
and putting things to rights. 1t was
pleasant labor with US, as we were
delighted with our new home.
L 4 u