The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-11-20
LAUGHS LOW AND TO ITSELF.
FREEPoRps eBosr rs VERY BUsI-
NEssLIKE APPARITIOM

Pursuing Psrtiss-Irs Head IL Ne High
ss the siu or second-.tory Window
DOG that Chased ne Disappeared
The Tovn In Arms aud Resdy for ~.
FnEEpoRT. l. l.. Nov 1o-Freeport IL still In
a state OF excitement about it's ghost Last
Friday morning about o'clock Philip
Hartman. who works for Eugene Scel. baker
started home. lie lives near the centre OF the
town. near Main street. When he opened his
gate no says. and was about to pass through
tall figure robed in black entered. spranR up
from the shrubbery on the inside OF the ienco
and with one bound landed in the middle OF
tho road. It then turned aud looked at Hart.
man and laughed low and to itself Hartman
does not remember what happened after that.
only that he got in tho house all right
Austin Ellison. who lives on Main street. also
snys he saw the same thing that same even
ing. and that 1t was robed in black and
laughed. Neither Of them saw ita face. as 1t
appeared to be as black az tho rest Of Its body
This evening Harvey smith. who Is son OF
.n smsn aow own a AZ s bns so %
fectlonery store. which Is opposite the old mill,
at the lower end OF Main street. about dusk.
street. Only one side OF the street contains
houses here. and across the street are dense
he thought at first it was man dressed in
woman's clothes but the great height Of the
timely see is face he was nuaaled lie hailed
the figure. however, when about iltty ieet
Sn IT, G To walk toward qd nsa
but a few steps when the figure turned and
laughed low and in a chucklinr way. showing.
SO Smith says nothing but its teeth.
Then the figure Enlightened up until IL ap.
pearcd to be fully nine feet high. and. turning
from Smith. 1t ran with the agility OF
Splinter 1t covered tho ground as II it were
gliding. md lenpel across tho slxteen-foot
" al
the bank OF the creek, but iairly sailed through
theair Smith then thought he would capture
II II he could. and he hustled to get crowd
Charles Combs. Austin Ellison, Nelson
fly and he soon secured their services. AIS
this time the figure was standing on the bank
Of the creek listess,y looking at the il9wing
Jump tho creek. ana laughed softly. They
wen! around by tho road, and when they came
item. lem the spoOE evidently TS%iized shas
they chased dT it two miles into Cicorao
= smith, woods. where it disspresred sud:
%h the roans eS It had ' sS St T ad
out Of sight Put as i AID no, bark the boys
thrSush the the busIss. They hey called and WIZ:
mourns the loss OF his dog.
Charles ". Bedell. tho druggist here, also
saw tne ADOOK tnlS evening htnut % CLOCK.
He had heard that tho hoya were chasing It
into the woods and went down TO- the old mill
bridge to see where i had been. The boys had
not returned from the chase but he declares |
that he saw the same tall figure. rohed entirely
in black. standing on the hank Of tho creek.
living. but he .a!so, says that he did no;
have time to attend to il then. as he had |
tn So he came W town His idea Of its
appearance was that II was a very tall woman. |
AM al
low and to itself Mrs. Jepson. Mrs. 7. ID. |
smith. and Mrs. Caroline Baldwin of this place |
have heard laughter outside Of the house. Mrs. |
looked out Of the sccond-story window |
three nights ago and saw y blac -robed figure |
that rs a to w'R tes
she look ell out and remembered no more lir. |
Jepson heard his wife scream; and. Iumping
This evening Miss Susie Bronson. who lives
with her mother. Mrs, William smo9son. in
Lower Main street, went out to get drink OF |
water at the well in the yard. She heard some |
hirsd man. but she thought AZ tho time that he |
was treading very quietly for him. When she |
reached tho well she saw the same tall figure
the stories told BY others she became very !
much frightened and tainted. When she came |
Last night the figure was seen In front OF
D
down the road 10y Peter Herbert Of this place.
II was early ia the evening. but few people |
were on tho road Herbert saws he :Rn. hut tho !
figure glided over tho road and was soon out
NJ sight. The people organized posses and
went to hunt the spook. In the POSSES wore
Zen johnson. Charles Combs. Harvey smith,
Walter Herbert. Warren liaynor. Charles Sim
onson. and Lewis Bordett. They were heavily
william Cornell Of Pcarsalls and Roy Miller
~ this place who Is the night watchman on
~ "a
swamp at the eastern end OF the village They
'hHssd It over bridge there aud into the
woods Of the Raynor estate where they did
not dare to follow They notified tho search
srs. who were rean forced by Henry Golet2 and
israel Slutsky with cluis and dogs. and the
party is going into the SWAMP and woohs
Miss Flora johnson the daughter OF Hen'R-
min johnson, who keeps u confectionery store
At tho eastern end Of tho village. says she ran
plump into tho ghost tonight when going out
;ase Of mysteries. Tho Johnson family are all
stirred up. the building Is 'Oiatel and john
son Is holding watch meeting. lln has a lot
" men with him in his store and NIL arc hcRy- |
ly armed. The whole village is NJ and In tho
centre "f the town. The people are gathered
N groups ON the street. and all are eNctodly
discussing tho situation.
Martin BcaGOrn mas had experience win the
,host. His impresrion i different rom that
q other people. He says It hns hair AT over
tx face that sticks out like bri~ties- in-uiRht
when no heard n deep voice from the sido OF
he road an then heavy hands wer" laid on
Iis shoulders, lie shook, himself loose and
an for lie. As he ran lie heard tho qpparition
augh. IIs was at Meigles's Hotel 10 night
ellinR Of his adventure.
Late in the evening the goblin was seen back
,thers who shot at IT. II disappeared to the
iOrth. The searching party divided into three
groups and secured the country. but they have
low given II W for the night