Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1891-11-22
WEIRD,TRUE TALES.
STORIES OF LOCAL HAPPESlEGS TOLD LAST
EVRNlNe.
1,,;s.,ts Of Life in Wheeling Never Bsfors Related
In Print, Bul Which Will Be- R'c'g1lzd
And Recalled by NUnesr
Of Psopls

UaltAcANAf NV 80
centre Of the city.
Tsere was a prime article OF Ken
tucky whisky on the table, with suit
able accompaniment OF sugar, lemons
hot winter kettle, glasses, etc, and not
far OF was a cigar box full OF tobacco
several pipes, and the remnants OF
bov of First Consul cigars. 1t
was the anniversary Of the birth OF the
occupant OF the rooms, and ahandSome
little game supper had been DIS
posed Of a short time befOre-in fact
wbite-aproned colOred man was In the
act OF gathering the debris Of the repast
together, as the gentlemen settled them
selves in easy chairs before the glowing
crate and lighting pipes or cigars pre-
paral 10 give themselves over 10 that
delicious season of repOSe, reflection
and chat which follows an appeuzing
meal partaken OF amid harmonious sur
rOUndiugs.
After s quarter OF an hour OF compar-
alive silence, during which the princi-
Dal occupation Of those present was d
ianruid contemplation Of the ire while
mines and cigars were pulled, desul-
forv conversation was started, which
gradually drifted in the direction OF
queer and uncanny happenings. Sew
eral incidents OF this sort, CLEANED from
books, or existing as time-hOnored rem
iniscences, were related, but none had
their scenes located in this portion OF the
country, and this was remarked, at
length. By "a member Of the party, who
stated 10 IS his deliberate opinion tnat
nearly all such things were myths,
coined by persons OF vivid imaginatlonS
for one purpose or another, and that as
matter OF fact, they never occurred in
reality, or were extremely rare. This
view was violently diSsented from by
several OF those present, among them
local official, who, after lighting a fresh
cigar, said:
The story I am about TO relate to
you-or rather the incident-fOr 10 is in
10 way st0ry-actua,ly occurred here
I'm wheeling, and not only that, but
was one of the eye-witnesSes TO the al
fair. 10 has been related, I'm brief form,
by me on one or two occasions, but l
have reason 10 believe that none OF
those present ever heard Of It.
lone night, about two years ago, l
had occasion 90 drive into town from the
eastern portion of the county, where
had been spending TIM afternoon and
evening, 40 the home OF an intimate
friend. 10 was after midnight when L
SET our, In light buggy, ior the trip TO
the city. but as 10 was a beautiful sum
mer evening, with a full bright
moon aud q good road, u was ride 10
be thoroughly enjoyed. There was no
incident worth relating until after l had
left Tradelphia and was In the vicinity
OF the -" bridge, which, as you all
know. carries the National pike over
the creek about half way between Trl-
adeIphja and Elm Grove. AS l APP
preached the end Of the bridge nearest
% Triadelpha i became conscious that
"a vehicle of some sort was approaching
ia tae opposite direction, near the other
end OF tbo bridge. The grade rises
quite rapidly as one comes up on the
bridge from TriadeiphIS, and as my
horse had been going st pretty good
speed, be slowed down 10 walk. As
the other vehicle came out of the Shad-
ow of the Hill onto the bridge / saw that
it was an express wagon, and that there
we've three men m the seat,
Cr0wdiug 10 good deal. One
OF the men on the outside was
driving with one hand, while the other
was clutched about the waist OF
tAe middle man, ana as we gradually
approached each other | saw that the
outside man on the other side was also
holding tho central figure. All this
flashed through my mind as queer, but
! would have driven on, giving the mat
ter no other thought save, perhaps, that
one of the men was drunk, had not the
horse attached TO the wagon suddenly
SHE'D violently just as the buggy came
opposite 20 10. The man next to me,
who was driving, let go OF the man In
the center and stood up on the foot
board 20 better control his horse, and
this movement, added to the plunging
OF the animal, caused the man i'm the
center 20 fail over backward, almost
pulling the other outside man with him.
] had iuvoluutarily pulled up my horse
as this took place, and was not a yard
from the wagon as the man fell. lie
lay with his face upturned in the moon
light but q few feet from me, and
glance showed that he was dead. With
out attempting so pick up the corpse,
the two men whirled OF the bridge and
disappeared toward Triadelphia before
/ could collect my thoughts. l never
heard Of the matter again, but have
often thought there was a mystery be-
hind 10 all"
THAT puts me in mind Of an Incident
which happened In my experience"
said q glasS-wOr6er, as he filed his pipe
and settled back in his chair. Il was
on my way Co nv home, which was theh
on McCuioC street, north OF Four
teCnth, one night about eleven O'clock,
along in the SIMMER of 1857. AS
passed the Sixteenth street side OF the
old cemetery, then, as now, in very
diSmantled condition, heard 4 Darticu-
larly weird, uneanny aud unnatural cry,
coming from the interior OF the CncloS-
ure. ! confess 70 something OF an I'M
comfortable feeling, when out late at
night, which may be due 10 the decided
strain Of Irish blood in my veins, for
you know they are strange race. in
the old country, for banSheeS, SpOOks,
and that sort Of thing, and I remember
that very distinct chill ran up and
down my spinal cord as ! heard the
sound. IQUlckened my pace n little,
and as I turned the corDer OF Sixteenth
street, OatO McCUiloch, where the high
stone wall stands, l heard the waiting
cry again, closer than before, but still
within the cemetery. l continued on n
few steps when heard it again. Dis
posed to take 10 my heels, / still heSita-
ted for second, when the cry came
fourth time. All OF a sudden, de-