Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1890-01-03
THE HEADLESS PEQDLER.
STRANGE HAPPENINGS BACK IN THE
HILLS OF ssMeshiRE.

STRANGE HAPPENINGS BACK IN THE
HILLS OF ssM<shiRE.
Her. Are Ghosts and COLLINS Galore.
Ge.uine ola Fsszaieasd sposaD- Haunssd
Houses. Headlsas wayfarsrs sna N.Y.
tsrious Sounds and Sights.
About three miles east Of Great Barring
ton. Mass. on the road 10 Nav Marlboro, is
Three Mile hill Tho road runs up amour
tam. which is q part q tho M.numeutmoun-
tain. which has been immorsalizsd in the
poetry Of William Cullen Bryant who when
a Young man had his law Office in Gseat Bar
rington. The road up the hill was about q
quarter of a mile in length, and on each side
were huge rocks and raxane4L making 1t look
like the primeval forest. At the foot Of the
hill where the road ended, and where there is
a small marshy meadow, IS spot where,
since the year 1873, If the statements Of pious
and trustworthy people are to be believed,
some foul crime was committed which has
not yet come to hight, and may not until al
men come to be judged by a higher power for
the deeds done in the body.
Mr.. joseph Laird was an old revolution
two miles east of this spot He was a farmer,
and one night about the year fss5 he had to
90 on horseback to Darlington after doctor
for his wife, who had been taken III In tho
night
It was Just after midnight in thefan OF tho
wear, and as he came down the hill near the
spot he happened to look down beside the
road, and there stood a brass candlestick with
lighted candle, apparently half burned
At this time he had never heard OF anything
out of the usual order connected with the
SPOT. His horse was frightened and would
net stand still, although it was one OF the
most reliable and steady going steeds IN tho
neighbcrhood.
The thought struck him that somebody was
searching for something and had left the can
die there He refined up the horse, and step
ping one foot out Of the stirrup he reached
down to pick up the light, As his hand Rp-
preached it, it disappeared like flash, and
| how he ever got back on the horse and gal
loped to the village he could hardly tell.
He held his peace for some days, when he
contided his experience to Erastus Turner,
his brother-in-law, who was regarded by bis
neighbors as a man who "did not Tear lace
of clay" He asked Turner, Am l getting
to be out OF my headY' when he had conclud-
| ed. Then Turner had an experience to re-
late concerning that very spot
| A few months before that be had occasion
as a school trustee to go down toward Great
Darlington village to engage young lady
| to teach their district school. He was also
on horseback, and was riding on walk by
that very spot 1t was about 9 o'clock at
night He was paying no attention to his
surroundings, when all at once be saw
white object about the size and shape OF a
feather pillow rise apparently from the
ground on one side and pass directly over his
head about ten feet above, and land on the
other side Of the road, where it disappeared.
He involuntarily stopped to see it, and said
it was in sight about thirty seconds There
was not q breath of air stirring, and the
night was cloudy and dark.
Some time afterward Mix Turner, a son of
the man who had seen the white object go
over his head, was driving along one night
rather late on his way home from the village.
He had never heard Of anything out Of the
way with the place. When he reached the
spot he heard footsteps behind him. He
turned around and saw man on horseback.
He spoke and said: ''In turn out and lei
you go by piece ahead"
The rider made no reply, but, with large
black horse, drew the rein to one side, and
in narrow and difficult part of the road
seemed to go by with ease As he came VI
even with Turner, the latter saw that ths
man had no head.
The night was quite light, so that objects
could be plainly distinguished Turner, IL
his surprise, CALCULATED, Great God Al
mighty! who and what are you" As he ut
tered these words the horse and headles
rider disappeared into thin air.
Justus Adams and Mark Seeley were young
men who worked in a wooden factory at Val
DeusenviHe, about two miles north OF Grea
Darlington One night in the autumn of lo2
they took q pair Of horses and wagon Il
carry home some young women who worked
in the factory, but whose parents lived abou
mile and half beyond this spot. On thei
return it was about dusk, and as the.
reached the place they saw a pack ped
der walking just ahead of them, and he fairl.
staggered under his huge and APPARENT.
unwieldy burden Said Adams to Seeley
1--WE will give that old critter ride" t
which the other agreed. They drove up ant
stopped, and Adams said:
slump in, old man, and we will give you
boost"
He came toward them, when they saw tina
the peddler had no head. Then he disappeared
and the horses, very steady ones, started an
ran for about a mile as hard as they coul
90. and the driver and his companion wer
, unable. because of their fright and excite
, ment. to check their speed in the slightest de
gree. The horses finally stopped of thei
own accord.
1t was noticed that these young men, VIII
were always jolly and jovial, were after tina
as sober and serious as judges. 1t was man,
months before they would go down the Tire
Mile Hill road.
About the year 1912 the inhabitants OF th
vicinity were working on the road, and tn
roadmaster concluded that the road ought t
be raised or ''turnpikedn up. So heav
pillow, drawn by two yoke Of oxen, was dc
, tailed to pillow a deep ditch on each side Q
the road. One of the men had to bear heav
ily on the pillow beam to make deep enoug
, furrow. Finally SEINE queer looking bone
, were turned up and thrown to one side
EVERYBODY was amazed CT could not con
ceive what they were doing there. At thi
iuncture physician from Great Barringto
came by on bis sulky. he was stopped, an
one of the men handed up same Of the bone
, for inspection
, Where did you get thesein asked the doc
, tor.
, The man pointed out the spot.
These are human bones, tho physicia
I said
He took charge Of thea, and that was a,
, that was ever done about the matter.
Dame Rumor had IS one Of her choices
topics about this time and soon after that
certain old and tclerab,y wealthy man, Inv
ing between the haunted spot and Great Bar
J rington. would never 50 to sleep unless
{ had lighted candle in lis room, and that b