The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-03-22
rsan Franoi.oo Examiner. !

Another ghost is laid another of the
tribe of gaunt hobgoblins that kept the
romance OF the mysterious southern
deserts is gone. another OF the unearthlv
dangers that the timid Mexican woman
used to pray against has departed.
Mizoo Hastings of Orc was the priest
that exercised this phantom. He has
tanned the hide of the red ghost and pro-
poses TO make COWBOYS bOo,s out OF II.
There ought to be some compensation for
the COWBOYS in this. tor scores OF them
nave been scared almost to death BY the
red ghost.
He first appeared ten years ago. shortly
after GeronimO's disastrous raid through
southern Arizona. 4 couple of MeXicHns
washing for gold in one OF the creeks that
run into the San Francisco river had their
tent thrown down over them and awoke
in tune to hear the tread of gslloDing
hoois and q terrible shrek. They got
clear OF the wreck IN time te see some
thing taller than two horses tear into the
brush. They told their story at Orc the
next day, and people went TO investigate.
They found strange tracks in the creek
mud and saw where the brush had been
broken down by the passage OF some great
beast But the mysterious trail was soon
lost among the rocky hills. and that was
the last OF the red ghost for some DAYS.
His next appearance was many miles
away st a sheep ranch on Eagle creek.
The herders were out with the tiocks, and
two women with the children were alone
In the ranch hOuse. One OF them had
Just gone to the spring for water. The 9th
er heard the Daying of the ranch dogs and
got TO the door in time to see something
awful tear through the fence and down
by the spring She heard her sister cry
out, but did not dare to go to her assist
ance. Instead she kept the children in
doors and barricaded the cabin until the
men returned at night. When she told
them thew took their guns and went to
the spring They found the woman dead,
trampled and crushed as though troop
OF cavalry had run over her.
When the coroner came up from Solo
knoxville the only witness to the sppari-
ton testified and tried TO describe It, 1t
was red, she said, very tai and ridden by
devil. She could give no clearer de-
bcription than this She bad only seen it
Tor an instant and then covered up her
lace and prayed.
The coroner's inquest resulted in the
usual verdict of death in some manner
unknown to the Jury" aud the coroner's
jury went home with half al idea that one
of the women had been murdered by the
other, who had invented the story OF the
apparition, doubtless having heard of the
experience of the miners on Chsse's
creek.
After this innumersbls stories were
brought IN about the mysterious phantom
One man declared that he had pursued it
TO the edge of one of the precipices in that
country and that the phantom never
stopped but galloped straight across the
valley OF Black river from one cliff to the
other. half mile as easily a. il the ground
had been under his hOofs instead of 400
feet below him. This fellow was positive
the red ghost had not flown but had sim
ply gal oped over the air. 1t happened
that the narrator OF this adventure was the
same man who had told of flying bear
that he once encountered in the Mogol-
Ions. He had also discovered a mountain
of solid gold but had been driven away
from it by the Apaches and had never
been alb to find his way back.
Ii was probably a month before any
reliable information about the mystery
was received. IL came from the Salt river
country. 81 Ham In, a hunter coming
suddenly to the top OF a ridge, saw across
the next ravine a large animal moving
through the chaparral. It was half a
mile away from him. but presently it
came 10 a burnt patch where he could see
1t plainly, and he recognized it as a camel.
of bunch turned loose by the govern
ment after an unsuccessful attempt to use
them for carrying the soldiers sup
plies across the desert. But this par
ticular camel was more than q simple
ship OF the desert. The hunter could
see plainly upon its back a burden. He
did not have long 10 study the Dhenome-
non. for the camel soon reached the edge
of the clearing and disappeared in the
timber. 81 said that the burden on the
camePs back looked 10 him like q man,
but be wasn't sure and there was gen.
eral idea that 81 was lying until q report
came from the valley of the Verde that
The camel had been seen there. By this
time everybody in the territory had heard
of IL of course. Fantasia Colorado. the
Mexicsns called it, and the translated
name hung TO il. Ii was a splendid name
20 scare tenderfOots with.
Two prospectOrs on the Verde got a
shot at it. They saw il in the early morn
ing feeding on q mesa. and crept up to
within shooting distance. They fred
together, but though both were good
marksmen they failed to bring the camel
down. IL jumped into the air at the re-
ports and tore off down the hills. As il
jumped something fell from it, and the
prospectors. who followed after, found a
mans head, dry and Withered, but with
flesh and hair sti I on it.
No one saw the uncannv beast for some
weeks after this, but finally it appeared to
the north ward. One OF the COWBOYS be-
longing TO the Anchor-J outfit rode up
about dusk to an abandoned branding cor
raj There was something in the corral,
and as he came up great red camel burst
out of the corral Through force of habit
abe cowboys RATA was ont and he lassoed
the beast. In about two minutes he wished
that he hadn't. The camel charged him
and his horse. which while IL knew all
about steers, was IMMERSED in the
ways of camsls. When the horse
tried to rear up and pirouette so the
charging beast would pass by, as anything
in the COW line would have done, he was
caught by the camel on the throat. and
camel and man and horse went down to-
Ketber. The camel did not stay to fight,
but went of as hard as he could pelt,
dragging sixty feet of good rawhide RATA
after him. When the cowboy got 20
samp he explained q great deal of the
mystery OF the red ghost. The pack on
his back was nearly gone, be said, but
there was no question it had once been a
man.
That was the last of the red ghost in a
supernatural capacity. He was probably
4 Al Il 4