The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-07-17
A QUAKER CITY LEGEND.
The Sleepy Hollow Tradition Can
not Compare with It.
Abode of n Phantom Horseman
Who Carried His Head in
His Hand.

Many years ago, when Philadelphia
was vet young, and before Fairmount
park was brought to its present state of
perfection, there was in the southern
portion of Wissahickon, near the river
drive, cave, called Indian cave, long
since deserted, which was supposed at
one time to have been the rendezvous of
some of these warlilSe people. Various
stories had been whispered about by
the more superstitious of the people in
the vicinity to the effect that man
supposed to have been murdered there
long ago had been seen by several be-
lated travellers TO rise suddenly out of
the cave. mounted on Il black steed, and
pursue the frightened narrators for
considerable distance and then vanish
a. suddenly as it had appeared, says the
Philadelphia Times.
Some distance north of this cave there
lived a man named Richard Ashly,
whose beautiful and accomplished
daughter had suitors galore from all
parts of our Quaker City. Among these
was man named George Royal. who
did not meet with much favor in the
eyes of his adOred one. but who, never
theless continued to pay the most as
siduous attention to the young lady,
much to her displeaSure and the utter
disgust of his numerous rivals. His
most bitter opponent was John Cole
man. who openly expressed the utmost
contempt for George, and vowed To eN-
ecute Il whole catalogue of tragedies if
that young gentleman did not cease his
nightly transitS over Girard avenue
bridge toward Wissahickon. But George
paid no attention to all these threats,
and every available evening found him
at the AShly homestead, where joining
the fireSide group he listened To the
most cxtravagant ghost stories. among
the most important that of the Indian
cave few rods below the house.
But all this did not abate the ardor of
the young suitOr. and one particular
evening he decided to pop the all
important question and risk the chance
OF acceptance. as ne could not possibly
endure further suspense in the matter
When an opportunity came he hroached
the subject with aS much elegance and
delicacy as he could muster To the OBJ
ject of his alteration, bUt received a
rather fiat refusal from the lady re-
fcrrcd to. which SO inccnsed our Young
hero that nc abruptly left the house,
and. mounting his horse. Immediately
started for home. His anger. however,
did not prevent him from feeling some
what scared at some unusual noises
among the trees ON the roadside. and
his fear Increased rs he approached the
cave.
When that point was reached he saw
dark object emerge suddenly from
some bushes near by which locked like
a large black horse and on i the very
identical rider that he had often heard
of NJ the Ashly house. The sight made
him fairly sick. He felt each and every
hair of his head rise suddenly upward,
and a very chilly sensation took pos
session of his whole being as the APP
partition came prancing toward him
His horse shied violently and II was
with the greatest difficulty that the
animal could bc induced To start for
ward.
When he finally got his horse started
at a terrific gallop ne looked back and
saw to his great Consideration the
phantom horse and rider rapidly pursu-
ing him and almost at his heels He
whipped up his horse in vain en-
deavor 10 outStrip the speed of his mys-
terious pursuer and reach Philadelphia
unharmcd. When ne reached the brow
of a hill and looked back he saw for an
instant the figures of a horse and rider
clearcly outlined against the sky
Horrors. he was hcadlcsS and carrying
his head in his hand. The cold sweat
stood out on his forehead in great drops
and his poor horse was giving out. II
could only keep ahead. ne thought,
until reach the bridge ! should then
be comparatively safe. for. as it il used
to Il great extent for travel, the spirit
spool. or whatever it may be would be
very apt to disappear.
SO on he dashed. and finally when the
bridge was gained hc turned to see his
terrible pursuer disappear amid fire
and birthstone, hut instead the rider
raised the frightful head which he had
carried and aimed il directly at that of
our young hero. George tried to dodge
the blow. but IL was of no use. The
horrid missile struck him and he fell
from his, horse. badly stunned. Just as
the phantom horse and its strange rider
dashed past him.
The next day, as George did not put
in an appearance, his Philadelphia
friends started ont to hunt him up and
found his horse quietly grazing on the
roadside, near the bridge, while not far
away lay an old crushed squash, all
that was left to tell the tale. Later on
John Coleman married Miss Ashly. and
when people speak of the phantom that
chased tieorge Royal out of town he
laughs inmoderately and his friends
say, with wink. that he could explain
matters if he wanted to.