Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-12
MR.. M'GINTY'S MULE.
And the Excitement it Created at
Night on Mount Washington.
A WHITE GHOST, WITH WINGS,
That Made Pretty Mess of Iurnip Patches
and Flower Beds.
LAID OUT AT LAST BY THE LAW

Agent Bergman, OF the Humane Society,
yesterday found McGinty. He not only
found McGinty, but he discovered Nc
Ginry's white mule.
For several weeks the Humane Society
has been receiving complaints concerning
the depredations of McGinty's mule on Mt.
Washington, 1t was alleged IN numerous
communications that white mule had been
creating much excitement on the hill. AT
the dead hour of the night there was some
times pushed into bedroom window long,
white nose, with eerie wing-like attachments
in the shape OF ears. Many women were
frightened into the center of next week, and
not few men were persuaded that there
was some basis for the Investigations of the
Boston Psychological Society. In the morn
ing, cowslips, bachelor buttons and daisies
were often found tramped down, and when
the good housewife looked over her garden she
usually found the tracks of horseshoe.
STORIES OF THE GHOST.
Many were the stories told in the Thirty
second and Thirty-fifth wards of the night ap-
partition. which invaded gardens, ate turnip
patches, put its head into summer kitchens, de-
voured mackerels put to soak. and in gen eral
anu ReuorOuS spirit kept all the cattle OF the
hill from that nightmare of the horned tribe
known as founder"
The thing" became unbearable, and the re.
suit was letters to the Humane Society. One
two blocks from the top of the hill, he met a
horrible white object In his pathway. He said
"shoo," but the thing did not "shoo." 1t stood
squarely in the center of the pathway, and
waved its white wings Smith climbed paling
fence, tore half the clothing from his limbs and
made his way by onion beds and cabbage gar
dens to the rear end of his lot, where he gained
access to his own property and stumbled over a
stray pile of coal to his rear door. His wife
shot at him. but. of course. missed and he got
into the house without accident.
After that complaints heaped themselves one
above the other on the table of the Humane
Society. calling for the suppression of McGin-
ty's mule. Agent OBrien and Assistant Agent
bergman looked at the complaints askance.
that the wicked Dean was ambling through the
rural regions of Mt. Washington fixing up the
joke. Neither of the Humane agents ventured
to investigate.
Nevertheless, the depredations continued
and cabbages dIshcloths. old shoes. washtubs
and other handy household articles disap-
peared. while the white specter stalked unhin-
dered through the sylvan precincts of the hill.
There was held many a consultation between
Agents O'Brien and Bergman, but the general
vote was that the joke was good one which
should not be disturbed.
FACE TO FACE WITH IT.
Finally, on Monday night, Agent OBrien
went home late at night. He reached the top
of the incline. and started to walk home under
the shade Of the trees which obscure the side
walks, tortuous and narrow up and down the
hills of Mt. Washington. He was half way
home when he saw a white figure floating be-
fore him. There were wings to it, waving to
and fro, AMI the sturdy agent of the Humane
Society stood irresolute. He had seen many
strange sights, but it had never been his ill
luck to meet ghost face to face Sam was
tired that night and very anxious to get home,
but he concluded not to go home. He turned
sharp about, and, as he heard the Tapping of
the wings in the night wind, he fed toward the
incline.
Yesterday morning Mr.. O'Brien gave Mr..
Bergman orders to scuur the hill, here and
there, for McGinty's mule. Mr.. O'Brien went
to court and Mr.. Bergman made the search.
He tramped through mud to his knees He
exercised great care not TO ask an adult. who
knew the old joke, where McGinty lived, but
approached children on the street. Thus he
finally located the house. and came face to face
with John McGinty. The mule was not at
home, but the owner, protesting that he
thought more of Jack than he did of his life,
begged that the white mule might be spared.
Mr.. Bergman was at first obdurate. but at last
yielded to the pleadings of an admirer, and
prmised te spare the pet if McGinty would
promise to feed Jack on something else than
love and canary birds. Thus the case stands.