Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1893-01-12
!, THURSDAY JANUARY 12, 1893.

Some one Is evidently trying to fright
en- you away. Remain, and on the night
they threaten TO take your life the sheriff
and his men shall be with you.''
Finally the miller returned to the mill
and at dusk on the third day was seen
alive and well by people who came with
grist. When the sheriff and his men
came stealthily through the woods an
hour later the mill was perfectly dark.
They lighted their lanterns and went
through it, calling the miller by name,
but receiving no answer, until they
found him in his own room " on his
face, q pistol in his hand, an overturned
lamp beside him, dead He had been
shot through the heart There was no
living human being in the old mill, and
for long while nobody went near it.
AT last people began to say that the mil
Ter had shot himself by accident and that
the negroes had frightened him. An
other miller applied for the place and
remained three days In fact, to cut a
long story short, the only other miller
who dared to brave the warning that the
ghost gave them all was found dead as
the first one had been.
The mill was soon spoken Of as haunt
ed by every one, No one would work
there, and finally Mr. McKin closed it,
and it was left to itself and to the ghost
All this while Nine McKin remained
an alleged invalid, shut in her room all
day, watched by her maid and talked
of in whispers by her servants.
No one believed McKins mill would
ever run again. but one day tall, strong,
broad shouldered young fellow walked
up the stops Of the McKin mansion,
asked to see the master, and begged to
be allowed to take charge of the grist
mill
I've heard the story" he said, as Mr..
McKin began to explain. II don't be-
ieve in ghosts, and they can't scare me
anyway. I'm in hard luck, and I'm
good miller. Trust me and your mill
shall work better than ever. You'll do
me a service, and I'll do you one.
In vain Mr.. McKin set before him the
fact that two millers had been already
killed there in the haunted mill. The
young giant declared that he should not
be, and finally the gentleman engaged
him.
The mill was opened and the miller
set to work. He took with him into the
mill Bible, revolver and large,
sharp ak.
For the first two nights he saw moth
ing, but heard noises like the falling of
heavy Inillstones upon the floor above
and feet upon the stairs He had ex-
pected something like this and remained
in his room reading his Bible by the
light of shaded lamp.
On the third night, having heard the
same noises and quietly disregarded
them, his door was dashed open and
hideous form entered. 1t was something
between woman and great bird of
prey. 1t wore huttering white robes,
and had instead of hands great black
claws. 1t foated toward him through
the air, and behind it came another like
unto it, but smaller
The first creature swooped downward
and made a clutch at the lamp. AS it
did SO he snatched his revolver from his
belt and fired, emptying all the cham
bers. The strange beings vanished with
a wild shrek, but in moment they en-
tered again. This time the largest one
made a furious clutch at the lamp AS
she did SO he lifted his AK above his
head. and with one blow severed the
hideous black claw from what looked
like shriyeled human arm; then he
hurled his Bible at the head Of the
smaller fiend. Instantly screams, oaths
and horrible curses filed the air. The
strange beings vanished and silence
reigned.
The black claw dropped to the table.
1t was such hideous sight that the mil
Ter covered it with cloth, that he might
not see it. He kept watch all the night,
and early in the morning Mr.. McKin,
who had been told that firing had been
heard in the mill, came to make inquir-
les. The miller told his tale and Mr..
McKin complimented him on his bra
very. OF course he was desirous of see
ing the amputated claw, and the miller
proudly drew away the cloth. Behold!
there lay upon the table, not claw, but
a wonan's beautiful hand-a right hand,
on the middle finger Of which cleaned
splendid clGster diamond ring at the
sight Of this horror seized the miller,
and Mr.. McKin seemed about to die He
knew the hand; he knew the ring. Then,
without word, he walked out of the
mill and homeward and into his wife's
chamber She was in her bed, as usual.
The maid pale, and with a great bruise
upon her forehead. interposed to prevent
his approach.
ssMadame is very Ill, she said.
( "Out of my way, woman!" he cried
and pushed her aside.
Then, bending over his wife's bed, but
without his usual show of tenderness, he
said sternly:
''Show me your hand
She thrust forth her left one.
''The other" he said.
She uttered scream and turned down
the counterpart, but there was none to
show-only bandaged stump, from
which the hand had been severed.
The next morning the whole village
was in wild excitement, for Jack Nc
Kin, whom they all knew and loved SO
well, had gone to the graveyard and
there shot himself through the heart be-
eide his mothers grave. And the serv-
Ents had told their tale and the miller
his, and there was the lady's hand, with
the ring upon it, to be seen by all.
'sBurn the wretches," !" man cried, and
a band Of men, both black and white,
bore IN upon the McKin mansion.
They entered the door and marched up
\ the stairs and into madame's room, but
there was no one there. Nobody had
seen the two women depart, but they
were gone and were never seen again,
and since that time no fool has ever en-
tered the old mill and it has slowly fall
en- into decay.
The lady's hand, however, is still pre-
served in spirits in the town hall, and
the old negro who acts the part of watch
man declares that at midnight it always
changes to hideous black claw. How
ever, no one else ever witnessed this
Transformation n.-Mary Kyle Dallas in
Eirncido CnTnnanin1,