Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-06-22

his saddle. An inquiry was Get on foot,
and after diligent investigation they
came upon his traces. In one part of tho
road leading to the church was found tho
saddle trampled in the dirt; the tracks Of
horses boots deeply dcntcd in tho road,
and evidently at furious speed, were
traced TO tho bridge, beyond which, on
the bank Of broad part Of tho brook,
where the water ran deep and black, was
found the hat of the unfortunate icha-
bod, and close beside II shattered
pumpkin.
The brook was searched, but tho body
OF the schoolmaster was not to DO dis
covered. Hans Van Ripper. as executor
Of his estate, examined the bundle which
contained oil his worldly effects. They
consisted Of two shirts and half, two
stocks for tho neck. pair or two Of
worsted stockings, an old pair Of cordu-
roy small clothes, rusty razor, a book
Of psalm tunes full of dogs ears
and broken pitch pipe. As to tho
books and furniture Of tho school house,
they belonged TO the community, except
ing Cotton Mather's History OF Witch
craft" New England Almanac, and a
book Of dreams and fortune telling, In
which last was a sheet Of foolscap much
scribbled and blotted by several fruitless
attempts to mako n copy Of verses in
honor Of tho heiress Of Van Tassel.
These magic books and tho poetic scrawl
were forthwith consigned to tho flames
by Hans Van Ripper. who, from chat
time forward, determined to send his
children no more to school, observing
that hc never knew any good como OF
this same reading and writing. What
ever money tho schoolmaster possessed,
and he had received his quarters pay but
a N,,,.N v,f L.. l.. a 4
about his person at the time Of his dis
appearance.
The mysterious event caused much
speculation nt the church on the follow
ing Sunday. Knots Of gazers and gossips
were collected in the churchyard, at tho
bridge, and at the spot where the hat
and pumpkin had been found. Tho
stories Of Brouwer, OF Bones, and whole
budget Of others, wero called to mind,
and when they had diligently considered
them all, and compared them with tho
symptoms OF the present case, they
shook their heads and came to the con-
clusion that lchabod had been carried off
by the galloping Hessian. As he was
bachelor, and in nobody's debt, nobody
troubled his head any moro about him;
quarter Of the Hollow, and another ped
agogue reigned In his stead.
II is true, an old farmer who had been
down to New York on visit several
years after, and from whom this account
Of tho ghostly adventure was received,
brought homo the intelligence that Icha-
bod Crane was still alive; that ho had
left tho neighborhood partly through fear
of the goblin and Hans Van Ripper, and
partly In modification at having been
suddenly dismissed by the heiress; that
he had changed his quarters to distant
part of the country; had kept school and
studied law at the same time; had been
admitted to the bar; turned politician;
electionecred; written for tho news
papers; and, finally. had been made n
Justice Of the ten pound court. Brom
Bones, too. who shortly after his rivals
disappearance, conducted the blooming
Katrina in triumph to tho altar, was OBJ
served to look exceedingly knowing
whenever tho story of lchabod was re-
lated, and always burst into hearty
laugh at the mention OF the pumpkin;
which led some 10 suspect that he knew
more about the matter than he chose to
tell.
The old country wives, however, who
are the best judges Of these matters,
maintain to this day that lchabod was
spirited away by supernatural means;
and il IL a favorite story often told about
the ncighborhood round the winter even
ing fire. The bridge became more than
ever an object Of supcrstitious awe, and
| that may be tho reason why tho road has
been altered Of late years, so as TO ap-
| proach the church by tho border of the
mill pond. The school house being de-
serted soon fell 10 decay. and was ro-
ported to be haunted by tho ghost of the
unfortunate pedagogue. and the plow
boy, lettering homeward of still sum
mer evening evening, has often fancicd
his voice at distance, chanting mel.
ancholy psalm tune among the tranquil
solitudes Of Sleepy Hollow.