St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1890-03-15
THE LADY IN BLACK.

Some yearsiago, an intelligent and pious
lady living in the town of NJ. near Laks
Pontchartarin, La. informed me of a Curl
| GUS old legend prevailing there of various
persons having met sat different times.
on certain old trail, or road, strange,
| mysterious woman, whom no one knew,
and from her always being dressed il
mourning m e7s in got e be known as 'fhe Lady
Many paid no attention to the story, es.
teeming it some silly hoax yet every now
and then, some one would come boiling
into town In great alright, declaring they
had seen this afme mysterious woman.
At length lie came out that long, long
time before the days Of steam, when all
the Western country brought down their
produce in the old time fat boats to New
Orleans, and, selling out both boat and
cargo, would cross the lake in schooners,
then, some on horses and others in squads
on foot, took this old trail through the
Indian nation to ain their Western homes.
1t happened that during this time, the story
ran, one day lady, perhaps more wealthy
than the rest, came over with q horse and
'arriage. She may have been b widow
who had entrusted her crops to others, to
her loss, and determined to come and at
tend to her bus mess herself There were
rough people around Lake Pontchartrain
in those days, and band of villagers
thinking she had much money, and being
accompanied only by her driver, went out
and waylaid her, and, dragging her into
the woods, they killed and robbed her,
and made off with the booty.
1t was natural enough that timid and
snperstitious people should fancy some
supernatural appearance thereabout; hut
so many persons and for so long time
testifying to the same appearance at the
same place. rather caused some reflection
even in sober minds, for in those days the
place where a murder was committed
caused scarcely more fear or sights than If
a murder had never been known.
About o'clock one evening some ten or
twelve years ago, while riding with lady
of this town along this road, though |
knew nothing of the place of the legend,
and never hardly thought of such a thing,
we saw tall woman, about 45 years old,
dressed in dingy black, deliberately cross
ing our way just ahead of our buggy. l
wondered that she never turned her head.
and asked my companion, saying, "What
is that lady doing out here bareheaGed and
alone2"
"Oh," she replied, II suppose she is
getting pine cones or gum balls"
"No, 1t can't be that, for she has no bas-
ket and nothing in her hands,"
My friend was silent as | watched the
stranger, saying to myself there must be
some house near here where she stepped
out to call, till a little bush INSTRUCTED our
sight, just as she crossed, and 10 she.
was gone.
"Where is she 2" asked
,"Why, don't you know" said she, chat
this is the place where the Lady in Black
is seen ?"
"Why, no; she was no spirit l saw
her plain as day." @
But she was gone, nor could we, though
all was plain enough, get sight of her
again. A short distanc CO on we called at
mutual friends. and particularly described
the lady. But he said there was no house
within that woods, and no such person
living in the whole settlement.
This incident / related to an intelligent
old soldier of the civil war, and he related
to me that in 1867, while travelling with a
friend, going to Mobile. Ala, he suddenly
saw Yankee captain, dressed in full
uniform, coming obliquely toward them,
when he exclaimed
"Why, there's Yankee captaiu."
"Where Where" exclaimed his
friend, in great excitement, and turning to
notice his friends agitation, lost sight of
the solder, when 10 he was seen no more.
But my friend subsequently learned that
four Yankee soldiers and a captain had
strayed from Grierson's command two
years before, and had stayed in the settle
ment till after peace, when they started
home, and getting to this place, were by
some wicked men waylaid and shot, and
the man he rode with was the chief actor
in the barbarious deed. Explain who can.
Geo Z. Viekers, IN The american.