Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1888-12-07
The Devil OF the Blue Ridge.

To the north and west of this city,
saws n correspondent OF the BdHtmOre
1mericdn. writing from gettysburg,
IA about fifteen miles away, dlVld-
ing this county from CumOerla nd ana
franklin counties, is ridge OF noun
rains In some of the mountain val
Iays the people are in a stage OF dense
IGNORANCE. seeing little of the outer
World. and scarcely touched by the
civilization around them. In one OF
these little corners OF the mountain
about two weeks ago was born mon
strosity, that has lllled the mountain
GERS with terror and dread. Among
many of them superstition l. rel lOn'
and they believed that the devil mas
appeared among them, lncarnate IN
the monster born III their midst
During the past week rulnors nave
reached this city OF "a fabulous crea-
ture born in the mountain, ana OF the
intense excitement prevailing III the
uejohborhood of its birthplace. Inc
excitement spread TO the lowlands,
and those VINO had the courage TO
overcome their superstitlous fears ana
visit the creature describe 1t a. being
somewhat larger than a newborn
babe. and although the offspring OF Il
white father and mother, dark III
color and covered with short black
hair From either side of its head
projected rudimentary horns, long
tail hung to its feet and the latter
closely resmbled cloven hoofs. In
fact, to use the words Of one who saw
it, 1t was the very picture OF the
devil.
There are many stories ailoat as TO
the reason for its coming into the
world, and the circumstances attend
ing its birth, but that which Is be-
lieved by those who put any falth
whatever in the supernaturalness OF
The being. and seems to be so thor
oughlv liked in the minds Of the
mountaineers, that they cannot be
couviced that the devil has not lived
and been among them in the flesh,
is about as follows: From what they
say. it appears that the father of the
creature has some sort OF superstltlous
religious belief, and tried to persuade
his wife, who did not agree with HIM,
to accept his opinions. Finally, she
declared that she would not do as he
wished. and in blasphemous language.
asserted that she would rather see the
devil, than TO have cross before her
ewes. Shortly after this declaration
she gave birth to the horrible monster
described above. In terror, the faith
or summoned several neighbors, and
one of them, more brave than the
rest, offered to open a vein in its arm
and bleed it to death. As he drew his
knife from his pocket, the creature,
although eight hours old, jumped
from the bed, ran across the room,
and returned, and with frantic ges-
ticulation and most horrible impreca-
tons. threatened its would-be eNecu-
toner with the most dire caIamltles If
he offered to do it harm, and then
asserted that it would live for seven
DAYS, and then having revealed its
object in coming into the world,
would die. 1t lived for seven days
and on last Monday, the eighth day,
died. As strange as it may seem, this
horrible story has many believers and
there are few of the mOuntaineers
who do not shun the little cabin, i'll
which lives the poor mother of the
miserable being, whose birth and
death have filled her neighbors with
such uneasineSs.