The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-08-06

history. She was an orphan and had some property and money. A guardian
 had baeh appointed. and Lizzie. being anxioussto add to her little store. set rivers edge. Through the dining room Of this hotel runs the line between Hancock and Henderson counties, so that often n guest reached from Han cock into Henderson county when after butter. A country swain and his lass.
 if seated opposite each other at this board, are in different counties. Many man wanted for some offense in Han cock county has sat at this table in Henderson county and grinned at the
 sheriff of Hancock county.
 It was one afternoon about twenty years ago that Lizzie Clark. who had
 been washing dishes in the kitchen. stepped out in the yard of the hotel.
 She was seen to leave the kitchen by several working around the house. who paid no attention to the girl. but that was the last ever seen of her. Those who saw her step out into the yard,
 heard no scream. no stined moan. no struggling. But there are people yet living who believe the girl was sud- dnly seized, strangled, concealed In the house until dark and then cast into the dark river. Be that as 1t may. the murderers, if they remained in the same locality long, have been amply tormented since. It is said that the murderers did not leave the locality for some time thereafter. And yet, again, others say the girl was never murdered, but drowned herself and that her ghost Is not one of mur- dered persons, but one Of suicide. All one can gain from the different stor- les and theories is that the girl was dealt with foully in some manner and that her ghost still haunts the locality. Of course every effort was made to ferret out the mystery. Detectives hunted high and low, money was spent to no purpose. and finally the guardian of the girls estate turned the money and property over to the county au- thorities, in whose hands it remains to this day, because there is no kith or kin to claim 1t.
 The girls ghost was first seen in December, 1887, when party of duck hunters were returning to Dallas City from the islands. An excursion steam CT had become disabled late in the sea- son and was lying on the bank of the island across the bay. She was in rather bad fix; it was expected to leave her there during the winter. As the hunters neared the craft form in white was seen to run out upon the up- per deck. It was a young girls figure, and she was evidently being pursued, for from across the water came screams, and then the following words: -"Leave me alone, leave me alone. or will drown myself" With that the spectre flung itself into the river There was a splash and the cold waters closed over the white body. Several times during that winter the ghost of Lizzie Clark was seen at night and at early candle light around the disabled steamer When the steamer was taken away the next spring workmen and steamboatmen heard pitiful screams from the willows on shore as the boat moved away. The spirit did not leave the island, and it is believed now that she was buried on the island after the murder
 Of late years, however, the girls ghost has been seen in skiff at night, and it was only few evenings ago that one of the St. Louis and St. Paul fast steamers ran into the spectral thing. The pilot did not see the ghost ly craft until too late. He says he saw a boat of white that looked more like floating fleece than anything else. In the boat was young girl in white raiment. but there were blood clots on the white dress. "She was rowing swiftly. When the prov of the steam CT struck the frail craft it cut through it like mist. The ghostly occupant on- ly laughed sort of uncanny iaugh-a half scream-and when we had passed I saw the spectral craft dancing on the waves behind. I doubt if an ordinary skin would have lived in the waves of our steamer, right under the paddles" Thus spoke the pilot and he is a man of few words and sterling integrity.
 Have you seen Lizzie Clark's boat?" is now the question that goes from one mouth to another during the summer season. The question is not asked so often in winter, from the fact that the poor girls spirit does not seem to roam so much. Hunters have come into Dallas shaking with fright, and calling for dram to brace their nerves, say ing that while coming down from the islands above on the ice they had met Lizzie Clark, walking rapidly toward them. She always wears that white dress and the blood spots on the neck are plain. The girls eyes are always staring wide open, as if she were being suffocated. Her spirit has been known to step out from behind a clump of dead trees at the head of the island and face passers-by. She will give them terrible look and then scream piteously. Tn an instant more the spir- 1t has disappeared.
 Fond mother-Do you think my daughter will become pianist? Prof.