The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-10-18
AMYSTERI0USOLD WELL.
UNCANNY SIGHTS SEEN IN 1T IN
BROAD DAYLIGHT.


on the Surface OF It's Waters-All
investigators Bsfhed.
From the Net0 YORK Herald.
There is something new under the sun
At all events that's how it strikes most peo-
pie who have seen it. It has been dis
covered at Kildare, Handsom's Station,
Southampton county, Virginia. where, ao-
cording to the proverb. truth is sometimes
found at the bottom of well. Third party
politics and Col. J. Deyers
well are close competitors for
public attention in Southampton county
just now. Perhaps should put Col Deyer's
well first, for after the election is over the
well will be the only thing talked about as
it was before the conventions were held. 1t
is good evidence of the remarkable nature
Of the well that it should divide interest
with politics, for Virginia is one Of the
doubtful states and feels its responsibility.
Last May-to be precise, May 2-the W n
derful properties of the we'll were discovered,
and its fame has been growing ever since.
A few days ago upward of 3, 900 people Wis
tied the well and saw all manner OF IN
canny things in it. They all swear they did,
at any rate. and what is more, believe what
they say. | heard of the well in Norfolk,
some fifty miles away, and was assured by
ex-Congressman George Bowden that he had
seen the face Of his father reflected
in the water of the we'll in broad daylight.
Kenton Murray of Norfolk, who occupies
the position Of secretary TO Gov. McKin-
ney, told me that he had met and talked
with number of people who had visited
Col. Deyer's farm and had seen 10 the
waters Of the well the faces OF relatives
| who were dead, collins and other things not
pleasant to contemplate. ). D.; Noting
ham. the publisher OF the Norfolk Land
mark, confirmed the statements made by
Mr.. Murray and Col Bowden.
HOW DISCOVERED.
A few DAYS afterward | met Col. Deyer
who, after a while reluctantly told me.
how the peculiar properties of his well were
discovered, aud, evidently nettled at my
look of incredulty, said: ~ shall be
pleased to have the representative of the
| Herald come out to Kildare and investi-
gate the matter thoroughly"
AS Col. Deyer's story of his we'll Is the
best one l repeat it as he told it in the pres
ence of Mr. Murray, Mr.. Balm and Mr..
| Nottingham.
The first of last May" said Col Deyer,
''our house servant, Susan, said to my
daughter, Miss Lizzie: You know, Miss
Lizzie If you takes looking glass on May
l and goes to the well and holds the mirror
over the well, back down, the face Of your
future husband will appear on the surface
| OF the water
THAT is an old. superstition in Virginia.
| you know. Mrs. Deyer and Miss Lizzie
| laughed at the notion and dismissed it from
their minds. The following day, Monday,
however, Susan started to the well to draw
pail of water at noon when Miss Lizzie
picked up a mirror and followed her.
Laughing all the time at what she regarded
as the absurdity Of the thing, she held the
NIL IN, ba Indicated nj
looked into the depths of the we'll at the
same time. In an instant, she and her
mother declare, they saw a hand wearing a
diamond ring steal across the patch of
shadow thrown Oh the surface Of the water
by the face Of the mirror. and in alarm Miss
Lizzie dropped the glass into the well. They
fished the mirror out aud spent that after
noon holding the mirror over the we'll and
saw number of things-faces of people,
flowers and beautiful white basket.
COULD FIN D NO EXPLANATION.
at was away from home at the time in
| Richmond and when | returned few DAYS
| later my wife aud daughter told me OF the
| occurrence. ! laughed at the story exactly
the same as you gentlemen are doing now,
but did not laugh when that afternoon nv
daughter took the mirror and proceeding TO
the well held it in the position described and
babe me look. In minute or so a shadoWy
water, apparently rising from the bottom
of the well, and l distinctly recognized the
| face or neighbor who had been dead for
| two years. looked around to see if my
wife and daughter were playing tricks on
| me, but saw they were just as much startled
as myself. All that afternoon | spent look
| lug in the well and saw number of OBJ
| jects. am not superstitious and do not
believe in spirits, so tried to find a natur a i
explanation of the things | saw in the we'll
Every theory l advanced was in turn ex-
| ploded, and am just as much in the dark
| as | was six months ago.
THE negroes about the place spread the
| story in the neighborhood and the neigh
bors began to come to see the we'll, and
! from them the news OF the queer sights to
| be seen got carried all about, over into
| North Carolina for instance, until lately
| people drive from miles around, some CONS
| ing distance Of fifty miles Just to see the
| faces aud things in the we'll. All this is a
great source of annoyance to me, for the
| we'll Is the one situated nearest the house.
and we have not lived in comfort since the
facts about the well got OUT
Col. Deyer told the story in way that
strongly impressed one with his entire
truthfuluess and sincerity. He evidently
believed what he said. II there was any
humbug about the we'll he was no party to it
PLAINLY VISIBLE.
Col. Dever has a war record, too, and hi
title is genuine one. For four years he
fought on the confederate side and often il
the thickest of the fray. did not question
his veracity, but the old saying holds true
seeing is believing" andI at once resolved
to see the well for myself. | took the Sea
board and Roanoke railroad from Norfolk
and devoted two days to an examination of
the well.
arrived at Kildare after drive of a
mile through the woods, during all of which
| was regaled with stories Of the peculiar
things the driver had seen in the well. At
| the station | had the same experience. The
station agent and helper were all wit
nesses to tue uncanny things the we'll made
| visible
Col. Deyer was not expecting me because
] had not telegrsphed my arrival, and In
response to my asking TO be shown the well,
at once called his daughter aud together
with his wife we proceeded to the well,
which was situated about sixty feet from
the house and off to one side. A colored
man servant who stood near looked in the
we'll with us. and as Miss Deyer held the
mirror he exclaimed:
| "Foah GAwd, dere's bottle!'
what kind of bottlem | asked
"A green bottle wild SLIDER on de top on
| it."
He was right. Family cleaning on the
surface OF the water, but distinctly visible,
l saw champagne bottle appear and then