The St. Johns herald., 1892-05-26
A QUAKER CITY LEGEND.
The Sleepy Hollow Tradition Can-
 not Compare with It.
An Indian Cave on the vissahicEon the Abode of Phantom Horseman Who Carried His Head in
 His Hand.


 was yet young, and before Fairmount park was brought to its present st2te o- perfection, there was in the soutacr- portion of Wissahickon, near the drive, cave, called Indian cave. l31c since deserted, which was supposed a1 one time to have been the rendezvous Ci some of these warlilze people. Variou. stories had been whispered about b7 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 o1 the cave, mounted on black steed, and pursue the frightened narrators for a considerable distance and then vanish as suddenly as it had appeared, says the Philadelphia Times.
 Some distance north of this cave there lived man named Richard Ashly, whose beautiful and accomplished daughter had suitors galore from all parts of our Quaker City. Among these was a 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. Hi most bitter opponent was John Cole man, who openly expressed the utmost contempt for George, and vowed to eZ- ecute whole catalogue of tragedies ii that young gentleman did not cease hi fv-or ifc av-6 bridge toward Wissahickon. But Georrc paid no attention to all these threats. and every available evening found hilz at the Ashly homestead, where joinin the 1reside group he listened to tht most extravagant ghost stories, anon the most important that of the Indias cave few rods below the house.
 But all this did not abate the ardor c the young suitor, and one particula. evening he decided to pop the ali important question and risk the ch2nc- of acceptance, as he could not possibly endure further suspense in the matter. When an opportunity came he broached the subject with as much elegance anG delicacy as he could muster to the ob- ject of his adoration, but received a rather flat refusal from the lady re- ferred to, which so incensed our youns hero that he 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 as he approached the cave.
 When that point was reached he saw dark object emerge suddenly from some bushes near by which looked like large black horse, and on it the very identical rider that he had often hear. of at the Ashly house. The sight mao. 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 ap- partition came prancing toward him. His horse shied violently and it Wa, with the greatest difficulty that the animal could be induced to start for ward.
 When he finally got his horse started at terrific gallop he looked back anG saw to his great consternation tho phantom horse and rider rapidly pursu- ing him and almost at his heels. He whipped up his horse in vain cn- deavor to outstrip the speed of his nys- terious pursuer and reach PhiladclphC unharned. When he reached the brCy. of hill and looked back he saw for a. instant the figures of horse and rider elearely outlined against the sky. Horrorsi he was headless and carry inT his head in his hand. The cold sweat stood out on his forehead in great droEs and his poor horse was giving out. I could only keep ahead, he thoug, until reach the bridge I should the be comparatively safe, for, as it is us- to a great extent for travel, the spir. spook, or whatever it may be would very apt to disappear.
 So on he dashed, and finally when t. bridge was gained he turned to see h. terrible pursuer disappear amid fir and birthstone, but instead the rider raised the frightful head which he ha. carried and aimed it directly at that O. our young hero. George tried to dodyc the blow, but it was of no use. Ihe 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 out 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 George Royal out of town he laughs immoderately and his friends say, with wink, that he could explain matters if he wanted to.
 French Officers Study German.