Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1890-10-24
PHANTOM RACE TO DEATH.
A Horrible Tragedy o. Years Ago Ro'
peatod Mighty by Ghostly Figures.

A Horrible Tragedy o. Years Ago Ho.
peatod Mighty by Ghostly Figures.
In Harnett County, % miles north OF
Fayetteville, y C., stands the ruins OF
a once fine residence in the midst Of a
plantation oyergrown by briars and old
Geld yines. The fences have all rotteC
away. and the old house has for Year,
been the abode Of bats and owls. 1t is
known as the" Haunted Morrison place,
and there is not a negro III all that ser
ton and but few viii @ PEOPLE who
could be induced to go near the Old
house after shutdown.
Every night the measured hoof-beats
Of horses are heard coming down the
graveed driveway which led up to the
door Of the old mansion. Coming ont
from under the shadows of the cedar
and magnolia trees in the lawn a milk
white steed, bearing two ghostly riders,
a man and a woman, turns to the LETT
into the long park lane. For little
distance the hoof-beats are heard slow
and regular, then another ghostly steed
"A black one-with a single rider.
comes down the graveled walk AID
turns into the lane in the same dlrec-
ton. Then a faint, weird scream OF
terror is heard, a shout from the rider
of the black steed, and then the phan-
tom horses and riders begin a race to
death.
Faster and faster fall the hoof beats
down the long, dark lane, the black
steed with its single rider all the time
gaining on the white one with its
double burden. Where the lane mar
rows into the wagon road at the edge
of the forest stands giant oak tree.
There the white steed falls to the
ground. There is a moan of agony, the
black steed and rider reach the same
spot in a moment, then they, too, dis
appear, and all is still. The race is
ended. There is no applause for the
winner, no shouts of victory-it was a
race to death.
Yeara ago, it appears, Carroll Morri-
son, the richest man in all that section,
lived in the mansion, and his hundreds
of slaves cultivated the rich plantations,
which yielded him a princely income.
When near 60 years old, Morrison
married Rebecca Thomas. the pretty
daughter of a well-to-do planter. 1t
was not love-match. True, Morrison
was pleased by the girls beauty, but
she hated him. Her parents forced her
to marry him because of his great
wealth. Their married life was torture
to the beautiful young girl. Morrison
soon became madly jealous Of her, and
his cruelty eliminated in his claiming
her in vacant room in the house.
Before her marriage Mrs. Morrison
loved young man in the neighborhood
and had promised to marry him. One
day, while in chains, she managed, at
great risk to herself and the messenger,
to sene lin note telling him her con-
dition and begging him to rescue her:
The note waN delivered by a faithful
slave, who brought back an answer
from the faithful lover that he would
attempt her rescue that night He
came. entered the house by stealth,
broke the chains. and carried his loved
one out of the house in his arms. His
horse was concealed in the lawr, and,
placing Mrs. Morrison in front of him,
he mounted aud rode to tue long lane
as quietly as possible.
The jealous husband, however, had
been aroused and their flight was dis
covered. Quickly mounting his favorite
race horse, Morrison started in pursuit.
He caught sight of the lovers as they
turned into the long lane, and then be-
gan mad race for life and liberty.
Where the road made a bend at the
end OF the lane stood large oak. AS
the horse the lovers rode attempted to
make the turn there, his feet gave way
and the two riders we're thrown With
terrible force against the oak and IN
stantly killed The horse fell aud be
fore he could rise the horse ridden by
Morrison was upon him. Horse and
rider went down. Morrison was
thrown twenty feet by the fall of hii
horse, and his neck was broken. Only
the horses escaped instant death, and
shey we're crippled.