Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-03-20
A PHANTOM DANCE.
Thrilling Story of an Old Min
er Of the Hooking Valley.
"THE FATAL NUMBER-NOw FOR
. THE LONG, ENDLESS NIGHT"

| THE LON0, ENDbnoS NAOhN.
Terrifying Scene In a Haunted and
Abandoned Mine.
ATHENS, March 1l.--Many and varied
are the wild, weird and fantastic stories
that have been printed concerning the
lonesome haunts Of the Hooking valley,
but the tale unfolded TO q Posi- repre-
sentative on one of his trips to the burg
OF the "Maid OF Athens" beggars the
puny efforts of all the able liars who
from time to time undertake to create q
sensation.
1t was balmy evening last October
that / was sitting In front Of the cozy
hotel here, on the hill that looks down
upon the wealth of natural and artistic
beauty of q pleasant plain, enjoying the
priceless sweets Of perfect nature, and,
at peace with the whole wide world,
dreaming pleasant dreams. had been
there hut a short time when / was
aroused from my ruminations by gen.
tie tap on the shoulder. Turning, I was
greeted with:
"Pleasant evening, STRIP
| bpGdhCE Was 0u 0kOut uCCICNtb
man, and his face wore serious but
pleasant aspect. l returned his greeting
and q conversation soon was on. l was
not long in detecting that my compan-
ion was q man afflicted with that most
horrible of maladies, hypochondria.
There was melancholy side to his ev-
cry utterance. The natural roundness
of his form seemed the droopings of
woe.
Presently our talk turned to the mines
and miners Of the Hooking valley, and
here the mysterious old gentleman was
at home. Before he left-b0wed himself
away into the inky darkness-he related
story that has written itself in fiery
letters upon the prosaic scroll of my
memory. It will never be erased.
"It was years ago." said he, "that I
endured an experience, the remem-
brance of which strangely thrills me
vet. / was working In q mine those
days, which soon after became exhaust
ed and was abandoned. When / left
had forgotten some tools, and many
weeks after one night went back after
them. I entered the mine, and after
wandering abont the intricate passages,
STEPPED In darkness, for while, became
exhausted and sat down to rest. Reach
ing out my hand was Mortified to have
it come in contact with bones, and upon
following its shape, made out the skel-
ton Of a human being. Combined with
the uncanny influences Of solitude, the
stygian darkness, the falling of coal
from the sides of the mine, and the
monotonous drip of water, my discov-
cry tended to make me uneasy. When
attempted to rise l found myself
chained by some spell of witchery.
The skeleton emitted horrible smell,
and while devising some means to es-
cape, 1 was startled by light of sui
phuric blue which was diffused through
the cavern and died away an instant
later, but revived with such intensity
as to bring out the objects of the ruins
in bold relief against the gloom. The
light changed in its shades from blue to
crimson, and finally as the hues of the
prison were blended in brilliant be-
wildering glare, which was succeeded
by chill, vapory fog, which rose 10
little clouds, and gradually evolved
into weird, fantastic forms developed
the skeleton at my side, and soon rat
Ting of bones was heard. There was q
visible movement and it f1oated noise
lessly away to meet the other spectral
forms, which was gathering in a large
circle, the circumference of which grew
smaller as the airy form seemed to
move silently around the horrible Gen.
trail figure. A wave of fierce, unnatural
music swept through the dark passa-
ges, echoing and re-echoing through the
long, half-lighted grottes, producing q
Babel of confusion that was in an In
slant reinforced in wierd, Internal din
as the grotesque figures began to shrek
forth songs that sounded like walls of
unutterable anguish from doomed
spirits in torment. Suddenly all was
hushed and blackness prevailed. then
heard a sepulchral voice tremendous in
volume roar forth through the inky
blackness, calling on spirits to assume
shape and dress for dance and feast.
In an instant din and rattling more
awful than before rustled through the
catacomb; a sickening odor pervaded
the air and the light flashed more vivid
ly than before, In which saw assem-
bled around the central monster, vic
tims'of hundred disasters. Some were
minus heads, others were mashed as flat
as boards; some were limbless phantoms
still bleeding; others were black from
powder burns; all were mutilated. A
demon stood and counted, his finger
pointing successfully at each one in the
circle until he had gone the round, when
he uttered laugh Of fiendish exultant
glee, and almost shrieked In the ecstasy
Of delight: "The fatal number-113-
all here-now for the long, endless
glorious night.n
The wild, satanic music again rever
berated through the haunted precincts
and the horrible dance begun. The
scene grew go awful as the delirious in
carnations increased, that, with super
human effort, broke the spell that helG
me, and, covering my face with my
hands and needing not the bowldert
and bitches in my path, fed precipi
lately, and by sheer accident found tn
mouth of the mine, through which ]
escaped to the moonlight above.
tainted, and when recovered left th'
spot rs quick as possible.
Hibbard's strengthening and Rheu