Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1893-07-28
HUNTING FOR A GHOST.
Long Island Villagers Turn Out
With Shotguns.
A GAUNT sHEBTED sPEgTBR SEEN.

Spring, Where 1t Scared Chndren-If tho
Ghost Is Caught He VIII Get n Coat of
Tar and Feathers.
| NEW YORK, July 2S.-Armed with shot
guns and pistols, and accompanied by
pack of dogs, n score or more of the resi-
| dents of Woodside heights, in Woodside
village, n V. started out last night to hunt
down the mystery which has been haunt
| ing the old town spring soaring children
and chasing women and girls. The spring
is In a triangular clump of woods on the
| rising ground of the heights.
Belts avenue skirts the woods on the
| south, and Greenpoint avenue runs along
at an angle on the northeast. Thompson
| avenue bounds the west side, and Cleve-
land avenue cuts across almost directly
| east from Thompson avenue into Green
point avenue.
This old spring dates back beyond the
recollection of the oldest inhabitants, and
it is said that it never runs dry 1t is the
| center OF a network of paths that lead in
from the avenues
The brush around it is taller than a
| mans head. During the recent drought
| more than half the village of Woodside has
obtained water from this spring. All day
long and until late at night groups of chill
dren. girls and women could be seen in all
| directions with pals in their hands. going
to and fro from the spring.
Children Saw 1t First.
But during the last few days the little
| village has had a great scare. 1t started
at the bubbling spring three nights ago,
when a crowd of children came flying out
OF the brush, leaving their water pals be-
hind. They said they had seen a ghost
| and no amount of persuasion could in
duce them to return for their abandoned
pals.
The scare was repeated several times that
night and once or twice on the following
| day. until the children became so badly
| frightened that not one OF them would ven
ture to go to the spring
Then the women tried it, and on several
occasions they came screaming out of the
woods running for dear life and perhaps a
tribe more scared than the children.
They all had one story to tell. While
bending oyer drawing water they were
stealthily approached from behind by a
tall. gaunt individual. dressed entirely in
white, who suddenly sprang upon them.
The children say he got down on all fours
and crawled after them like a ravenous
animal He chased Il year-old Annie Rob
inson. whose father Keeps a grocery store
in GreenpOint avenue, more than a mile be
fore she escaped.
Fourteen-year- old Josie Cation had a sim
liar fright. She lives in Cleveland avenue
with her parents, and her brother George
and sister Winnie were also frightened
away from the spring.
Members Of the families OF Charles
Christensen. Frank Case: y ohm Dietrich, J.
Englefinger and others living in that vi
cinity have encountered the apparition at
the spring on different occasions.
On Wednesday night Mr.. Christensen
caught sight of him and gave chase for y
mile or 50. hut he was not feetfooted
enough and in the dense woods he lost the
trail search was made by some of the
men that night. They discovered a sort Of
bee and shelter constructed deep in the
woods. which was thought to be the rem
devious of the person they were hunting
A watch was left at the place. hut no one
came.
Saw n ShCCtCd Figure.
Young Thomas Robinson. who clerks in
Gustave Burgess store, came across the
disturber while on his way home about
midnight from Mrs Cations house. to
which he had been esCortinG one Of the
young ladies When some distance away
from Cations house Robinson saw a figure
sheeted like a ghost float out of clump Of
brush and cut fantastic capcrs in the road
moving about rs silently as a shadow.
Young RobinSon's heart came up in his
| throat. He says lie didn't make any out
cry. but every now and then the ghostly
dancer would give utteranCe to an un-
earthly shrek that caused his hair tostand
on end and made the cold sweat trickle
down his back. Then the dogs began to
bark. and persons disturbed by the shrieks
came to their doors, and the phantom
| turned few handspriugs and disappeared
as suddenly a. he came.
Last night found the village thoroughly
| alarmed. 1t was decided that these antics
must be stopped, with plenty of ammu-
milton the ghost hunters started out.
II the culprit is not shot in the chase he
| will probably receive coat of tar and
| feathers and good thrashing. The women
folks of Woodside heights will not feel safe
| until the ghost has been captured
EIopcd With Ills Wife.
ELwOoD, Ind. July 2S.-Pleasant We'd