The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-09-15
IDAHO BILL.
Died July 10, 1884.
BUNCH OF sPOOK TALES.
Yarns That Linger in the Holds of Sail
orS' Memories.
From the Chicago MaG.

From the Chicago lfdiI.
1t has been said that no one has ever seen
a man who has seen ghost. This is rank
fallacy. Dozens of people have not only
seen spooks, but have in their turn been
interviewed by hundreds of reliable
citizens. But of all good, unctuous, reliable
soul-stirrlng ghost stories those of the
sailor take the lead They are told with
such beautiful belief in their truth, and
such conscientious filling out of unim-
portant details that he would be a skeptic
indeed who would refuse to believe.
When the dog watches come, after the
toll and turmoil of the day, and the old salt
is at liberty to stretch his hurley limbs
along the deck and fill his pipe in peace,
then he falls to swapping yarns and ex-
changing blood-curdling experiences. Once
upon time little group of tars were en-
gagged in this grewsome business. A brawny
boatswain who looked as though he feared
neither heaven nor hell told the first ro-
nance. His voice as he spun his yarn was
low and serious, showing that here, at least
was something of which he stood in awe.
He had engaged to ship in q bark he had
never before seen, and with the bounty fur
nished he straightway went and became
drunk-so much SO that the vessel was one
day at sea before he recovered from his de-
bauch. At four bells in the evening he
went aft to take his trick at the wheel. The
sailor whom he succeeded eyed him with
curious stare, gave up the wheel, and
lounged forward without word
The boatswain reached out to grasp the
wheel, when, to his surprise, it rolled over
a complete turn. This was unusual. The
action of the waves would not account for
it. His surprise increased until it turned to
terror The wheel would not obey his
grasp, but rolled wildly, now this way, now
that, while, to add to his amazement, the
vessel seemed to sail a straight course.
AS the captain passed and repassed him
he became nervous lest his superior should
notice what was going on. Finally, nerved
by desperation, he told the captain he could
not steer the vessel. In place of the ex
pected blow, the captain gruffly babe him
go forward and leave the steering TO him.
He skunk forward and crept under the shell
ter of the long boat. From his shelter he
could see the captain still pacing the deck,
his heavy frame standing out in contrast to
the bleckness behind him as he passed the
pinnacle light. A glance at the stars showed
him that the bark was keeping an even
course with no one at the wheel. He
turned in that night with the mystery
proving heavily upon his mind. In the
morning a shipmate furnished an explana-
ton.
Two years before the captain had, in
moment of rage, struck the man at the
wheel savage blow on the temple that
felled him to the deck and from which he
died. Since that time the ship had been
haunted. Although none but the captain
saw him, every other night the dead sailor
stood there at the wheel, pallid, silent, un-
forgiving form, with great sluggish blood
drops oOzng from his wounded temple. But
the man at the wheel, although no could
not see, felt the power Of the ghosts hand
on tho spokes. and when the wheel was
deserted by some frightened tar the specter
kept the ship upon her course.
A very good, reliable ghost story Of the
land-lubber variety is told of an old house
down in Connecticut. The house was filed
with wounded continental soldiers after the
massacre at Fort Griswold, and their inhu-
man captors tried TO destroy them entirely
bv setting fire TO the house. This scheme
failed. but when tho wounded were removed
the floor was found deeply stained with
human blood. This was for a score of years
q source of pride to the sturdy inmates, but
another generation succeeded them whose
patriotism was less heroic, and to whom
the stains were annoying. The tarifty
housewife scrubbed the floor with sand
and soap. but was unable TO remove the
stains. The women OF the next generation
had the boards planed, but the blood showed
M clear and strong against the fresh wood.
Then came a woman to whom the stains
we're constant horror, and whose sensitive
ears would detect faint mutterings and glib.
behring's in the room at night. In spite OF
remonstrances at her sacrilege she had the
aoor torn 10 and a new one laid That
nioht the spirits held high carnival and the
family covered tremblingly beneath their
bed-ciothes. In the morning fresh terror
struck their oyes--the blood stains had come
bockl Aud there they stick to this day I'M
molested