The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-03-04
WOMAN IN BLACK.
IKE OTHER G iOsTs SHE is SEEN
ONLY at NIGHT.


oeals the Blood.
pIfns5eck N. " SpeeiGIto the Globe Democrat.
Won have heard the story as Irving tells
q Of hesdless horsemau who spread con-
,tsrnation through Sleepy Hollow. This is
a story Of a mysterious woman in black,
Tho is exciting as much fear among the
,sople of this peaceful village, sixty miles
farther up the beautiful valley, as did Irv-
np's ghost. 1t is the story of strange
creature who glIdes noiselessly along the
country roads at the dead of night.
She has never been known to address any
body. although she has met many. Her
language is the Language OF signs, She in
vsriabiy halts long enough to stretch out
her long arm from beneath black veil and
NJ the same time make Kissing noise. She
might say more il any one hesitated long
enough to give her the chance, but nobody
tarrled long enough as yet. This strange
snnarition IS described by those who have
seen it as a thin woman at least feet
inches tall, with slight stoop and long
stride.
1.-THE woman in black, as the aDparition
ia known, first made her appearance in
Rbinebeck about six weeks ago. She, ac-
oording to report, had been parading the
streets of the villages just north of Pough-
keepsie for several days prior to that time
but the people of Rhinebeck thought she
was myth. John Judson, who lives on
Chestnut street, was the first to behold her
here AS he was going home late one night
he heard a noise 10 Walter w. Shells front
ward. He looked around and was startled
to see a tall, black object standing perfectly
still. Judson hurried home and arrived
there in a cold sweat.
The next day the news was all over Rhine
beck The women and children shivered
and the men laughed, but that same night,
as David Ackert, one of the beSt-known
business men in the village, was going
home, he met the black-robed object on
Main street. Ackert is e feet tall himself,
and he says he bad to look up at thehwoman,
She shrank from him with Kissing sound
he declares, and he passed on without say
ing word or again looking around. David
Ackert's word is as good as an affidavit in
Rhnebeck.
~ wasn't scared, boys he said to a
group of listeners the next day but felt
a shivering sensation, for she was so tall.
and slim and piraticsl looking
The four village constables, Bill Sleight,
John Heb. George Wheeler aud Murray
Dederick, and Night WAtchmAn Seneca
capture the creature that very night, but
the woman discreetly kept off the highways
and was not seen the following night either.
Thomas Sinclare was the next reliable per-
son to encounter the strange woman. He
met her on the outskirts OF the village
about 10 o'clock at night. She was pacing
IN the middle of the road with her head bent
low and her long arms clasped behind her.
Sinclare merely took one look.
Next James Traster met the mysterious
creature in a side street about 10 O'Clock
one night. He did not stop and speak, be-
cause, as he says, he did not think Of 1t
until after she disappeared. He is tin
smith, and one of Rhinebeck's most reliable
ciuzens. Things have been running along
in this wey ever since. No one has taken
advantage of his opportunity to address the
woman, and no one so far has deliberately
set about an investigation. The first woman
TO see the black appArition was Miss Flor
euce WEIGH, the pretty woman teacher at
Miller's school, IL miles from here.
Miss WEIGH dismissed her school at
O'Clock last Thursday and then went to call
OH Mrs. Herman Asher. who lives on farm
near by. She remained there until after 5
o'clock, when she started to walk home. 1t
was about dark as she passed her school
house, and she glanced through the window.
There sat the woman in black on one of the
benches Miss WEIGH remembered distinctly
that she had locked the school house door.
She did not stop to see if it had been opened,
but ran for her life. She is sure she VISA
laboring under delusion.
Nathaniel Post, who works for Frank
Kern, went to Rhinecliff Saturday evening
to meet his wife. In the fats, while they
were driving home, the woman in black
suddenly sprang in the middle of the road.
Post pulled up the horse and asked Mrs.
Kern TO hold the reins, while be jumped out
TO fathom the mystery. Mrs. Kern Was too
frightened to give her consent, and the
woman scaled the fence and started across
the meadow. Charles Martin, who carries
the mail on the eastern post route from
Rhinebeck, met the woman in almost the
same place on the following night.
Robert Shriver. the village blacksmith,
who had been spending last Saturday even
ing with friends in RhinecliR, started for
Rhinebeck at 10 o'clock. In the outskirts
Of the village he saw a. tall black object
standing beside the roadway. Without
giving warning he drew his pistol and fired
three shots at it. 1t was the woman In
black, and she ran across the meadows. The
next day being Sunday the villagers had
good chance to discuss the subject of the in
truder. Several of them decided to ask ex-
Constable GussQuirk to 20 to work on the
case. He hesitaIed and still hesitares, but
he said tonight that he guessed" be would
take up the matter, ana If ne did he would
soon get to tho bottom OF it.
81 won't stand any monkey business" be
said. 1--WE got my suspicious. OF course
they are merely suspicious and are based on
what think, but when 1t comes to thing
of this kind usually think pretty nearly
right thoughts. have thought that this
woman in black was no woman at all. l
had an idea that she was a boy got up to
frighten people. We have several boys in
this village who are just about her hight.
cross questioned them pretty closely, and
l thought l had hit the nail on the head,
but one OF the villagers came in just then
and shouted: She's been seen not more
than ten minutes ago on the river road
OF course my suspicious persons had proved
an alibI without saying q word"
Every resident of Rhinebeck is perfectly
satisfied that the woman in black is a real
ity, but not one OF them can think of who
she can be- There is nobody near here who
answers the description of the mysterious
creature. and there is no family that har-
bors crazy person. The nearest asylum is
at Poughkeepsie, sixteen miles away, and
no lunatic has escaped from that institution.
10 add 10 the mystery the strange creature
is never seen abroad in daylight, and no
one has stumbled upon her In any hiding
place.
Dandruf is due to an enfeebled state Of
the skin. Halls Hair Remover quickens
- III