The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1891-04-08
THE HAUNTED FARM.
yALrABIE KKa1 ESTATE DEPRECATED Rs
a GHOST.

From the HERALD Extra. April ,
The Umberger homestead has passed
into the hands of strangers After the
tragedy, Mrs. Umberger and her grand
children went to live with her son-in-law,
Reuben Horner, two or three miles away.
Ella Stern, the other witness to the
murder, hired out to another family sew
eral miles from Jennertown.
For time the farm was rented to a
man named Humbert, who came rom
Berlin. He did not stay long, and when
he went away he said the house was
haunted The story as told Dy the
neighbors as they sit around the freside
in the long winter evenings, is that when
the dusk begins to fall, and familiar OBJ
jects become indistinct and assume fan
tastic forms, the old alarm bell on the
roof will toll dismally two or three times.
Then three shadowy forms are seen to
issue from the back door leading out of
the kitchen where Farmer Umberger
fell dead at his wife's feet two years ago.
First come two men, one tall and one
short, both with their faces concealed.
In hot pursuit follows the gaunt form Of
old Farmer UmbergeF, with the pallor of
death upon his face and blood flowing
from his breast.
pusx-ro.fS ur-pSr-r5r, ny nm ,--n,r
On press the two men in advance. and
closely follows the ghost Of the old far
mer. On they glide-through dewy
grass without bending blade, over soft
plowed land without leaving a track,
melting through fences like mist. Over
the fields and down the hollow flee pur-
sued and pursuer, until they are finally
lost in the wood where the murderers
rested before they attacked their victim.
The story Of the ghost deprecated the
value of the farm. 1t contains l35 acres
of the best land in Somerset county, with
large and substantial farm buildings.
The homestead is comfortable, bat old,
and not OF great value. Finally the ad-
ministrators of the estate found a man
named Schafer who was willing 10 buy
the farm, apparition and all, at a reasona-
ble figure He believed that it was
easier to lift ghost than a mortgage. He
got the place for $1,000 cash.
When the farm was visited by the
writer Mrs. schaefer was exercis-
ing evil spirits by hard work, and had
succeeded in putting a polish on the
stove which was bound, by its bright
ness, TO put to flight legion of ghosts.
ONLY MEMORY OF THE TRAGEDY EEaIA ms.
Few signs of the tragedy linger around
the house how. There are still couple
of bullet holes in the wall, showing that
the assassin twice missed his victim, but
the sGains of blood heve been ef4ced,
and the old bell, with its rope coming
through the ceiling into the kitchen, mas
been removed. The work Of blowing,
sowing and reaping goes on just the same
as ever through the varying seasons, for
nature never changes her habits
though thousand men be killed.
The property will not long be known
as the Umberger farm, but will soon tske
the name of its new owner, and the
ghost of Farmer Utnberger will be but
shadowy memory, brought up occasion
ally by the msirons of Jennertown TO
keep their children indoors o'nights.
This fanciful tale is taken from the
Pittsburgh Dispatch which recently pub
Iished The Narrative of Crime from
the defendants, point Of view. The
Haunted Farm yarn contains a few
threads of truth.