Mexico weekly ledger., 1891-03-19
The Spectacle of a Dragon
Flying Through Space.
An UNEARTHLY CREATURE APPEARS
TO THE DENIzENs OF "FLAT
ROCK, AND CREATES
COLD c0NsTERNA-
TON.
Colcrsd People Flee Frem An Apparition
That Alights on the Top Of the High
Derrick and Switches His Fork
cd Tail in Defiance Of
Prayers and Curses.

If the LEDGER is correctly in
formed. there was great commotion
in "Flat Rock" last night about
the hour that graveyards are said
to yawn and yield up their doleful
secrets. Anent the''witching hour"
this famous negro quarter was woe
fully disturbed by a great outcry
among the more superstitious dar-
keys and for a time prayers We'd
for supremacy with blasphemy;
men, women and children surged
to and fro with uplifted hands i'm
ploring mercy, all conspirlng to
create a scene worthy of pandemo-
mum. The night engineer at the
Hoie-in.the-G Ground heard yells of
"help |" "the ghost ~ and similar
cries, but he paid no attention to
them. supposing it was some of the
boys ratifying Palmer's election.
"Aunt" Hannah Bates, who keeps
the chop-house near the depot, and
Caroline billiard and Phoebe John
son and Lou johnson excitedly ex-
planned to the LEDaEk's informant
that they had beheld a sight that
froze their bones with terror. Over
near the big derrick Phobe john
son said she saw s'Crazy Dud" in
the grasp of a creature of gigantic
stature and of the most horrifying
appearance. It was as tall, she
said, as any cabin in the nelghbor-
hood and had a monstrous head,
not dissimilar in shape to that of a
gorilla; two short white horns ap-
peared above each eye; its arms
were long and covered with shaggy
hair, and terminated with huge
paws like those of a lion, with
sharp hooked claws. Its breast was
as broad across as the brisket of a
big OK and it's legs resembled those
of a horse; it had long, slick
scaly tail, armed with dart-shaped
horn, which was continually switch
ing about; its eyes glowed like two
living Goals of fire, while its wide
nostrils and open mouth were con-
stantly emitting sheets of blush
colored flame; its ponderous jaws
clashed together, making a noise
that was fearfully frightful. AT
times a kissing sound, like the
warning of a serpent, only a
thousand fold louder, came from
the creature. The ape-llke body
was a brownish color, except the
arms, which we're snowy white.
Blunt wings like those of dragon,
added terror to its horrible shape.
The air was densely impregnated
with the smell of sulphur and the
earth trembled for an instant as il
in the throes of mighty earth.
quake. This is what the colored
people are said to have seen at the
dead hour of night. "Old Dud, y
frightened to desperation, strug'
gled manfully to free himself from
the demon-like creatures GRASP
and his yells for mercy were long
and loud. Darkeys fled promiscu
ously in every direction. A repor
like big cannon was heard ane
the thing let 60 Of its coal-blacl
prey, licked out Its forked tongue
of fame, tapped its ponderou'
wings and ascended to the top o
the lofty derrick where it uttered
an ungodly shrek and vanished
amid a cloud of lurid fire tina
lighted up the entire surface o
"Flatty." For hours after tn
thing had disappeared its despair
ing shrieks reverberated and at in
tervals of perhaps a minute brigh
light could be seen darting in AM
out about "Dud's" cabin. "Aunt'
. Hannah said the apparitlon Dor
the head of a white horse; jim
johnson said 1t appeared to hin
r to have an elephants head, Will
Lou johnson thought it wore tn
j head of an alligator. John Brow
4 declared its breath smelled like
coal mine on fire. Rich Phillip
8 says each white horn squirted
r stream of water with 800 pound
direct pressure behind it. Spenc
johnson says when it got up abou
| a quarter of a mile high both il
eye-balls few out and one wer
east and the other west. "Dud
says it was the sold boy" himself
When it vanished a spiral colum
of lIghtning-like fame followed
up and at a great height burst int
: q thousand spark-fragments not ur
= like the small balls of fire from
u sky-rocket. Just as 1t disappeare
from view behind q cloud
n Strengthened itself out, and shoe
v it's huge form from head to foot.
7 then had the semblance of q huma