Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1894-05-19
A REMORSEFUL GHOST.
The Cadaveroas Spectre That Haunts AN
Old Kentucky Plantation.

The Cadaveroas Spectre That Haunts AN
Old Kentucky Plantation.
No, | can't live on the place any
longer. because of the ghost is the
excuse given by J. H. Harmon, Il ten
ant on the Pennington plantation. for
leaving it. He claims, according to
Il Mount Sterling correspondent of the
Philadelphia Times, that the place is
haunted by the spirit of a llan who
is to be met at all hours walking or
driving about it, and that he has been
repeatedly awakened at night by the
entrance of the phantom into his room
and by its means and cries beside his
bed. About three months ago he re
ccivcd an offer from Tie owner to live
on the place and take care of the hOuS"
and properly. and in return was To he
allowed fourth of the crop raised
next year.
He accepted. although he thought at
the time that the terms We're too lib
cral for there not 10 be something
wrong with the position of carctakcr
II" went over the house with the own
or ana says that they We're met at the
door by a man in II black suit of
clothes, who carried his head bent
down towards his breast. and had ed
about his neck a large white hand
k"r"hicf. But Mr. o.. to whom the
place belongs. took no notice of the
stranger, and Harmon concluded tn.
he WAS only the man who had been
employed temporarily to sleep in the
house ut night and guard it from
thieves
He moved i'll. and during the first
night WAS awakened by hearing some
on" trampng about the house. ana on
get ing up to look for the iutrul" ar
saw this same man, who entered one
OF the rooms. but on going to follow
hm Harmon found the door fast lock
ct ~ he had left ii on retiring and
on unlocking it could find no one there
On another occasion he saw he ghost
III III" barn. apparently engaged ~
work about the farm mach merry stored
there. but on accoSting him the phan-
tom vanished before his ewes.
Soon after this he came from town
rather late one night. and found the
GhoSt seated in his ROOM weeping ana
Wr1nglnS his hands. and walk M the
f""r III deep distress. but ON going w
{" MN tn" ghost disappeared thr ugh
the wall Later on he was hroiI"a
o"' vi Il >i''I' ny inc lhlltn ot an .cN
hand on his brow. ana opening h :
eyes SAW tn" man bruIiug over hi a.
with til" handkerchief from his thrnlI
III ms hand. and about his throat e.
mark of Il cord that had left he h,S
bruised and purple. He asked the
phantom what was amiSS, but with II
loud cry The man was gone.
AT another time Harmon WIS scented
a. Il L.;
til" spectre entered and sal down Cd
poSitc him and mad" several attempt
to speak to him. but in the voice ,
one choking violently. and fuallv wral
away looking rrproarhfully III
him. He has several times
come across the phantom DIV
ing about the place in IL sort
OF carr drawn by Il white horse which
seemed lame and as if il had come Il
long journey. The other men employ
ed on the Plantation but who do MOI
sleep at the house, have all seen thi,
man and his cart whom they usually
take t" be some visitor from town.
The ghost is cadaverouS and wears
thick black beard that we'll nigh
conccalS his features 1t is said by
those who have lived in this neighbour
hood that this ghost has been talked
of for good deal over fifty years,
and though the Pennington family.
who formerly owned the place. never
seemed to dread him or mind h :
presence, he has kept the plan alton
in bad odor since they left it, No
tenant will occupy the houS" more
than week or two. and though there
have been several attempts to burn
the old residence down. the flames
hav" always been cNtinguiShcd in
some way
Indeed. whenever it has been fired
this seems to DO the signal for heavy
rAinStorm Who the ghost is appears
T." be mystery. though some of the
oldest people in the county claim that
he is the spirit of old Gregory Pen
ninGion. who. in 1899. is said to have
starved his son, aged eighteen. In
death for some boyish prank. the lad.
a delicate one. dying after three DAYS
want of food. imposed on him by his
"rn old father. Gregory. on enter
ing the room where he had confined
his son. seeing that he was dead to"ll
from his pocket his handkerchief and
hanged himself to the bcdpoSt
According To some. Gregory. on lock
lnG his son in the room. gave orders
that no food should be carried the boy
until he got back, and then drove To
l"Xing on. where he spent several
days carousng with gay companions.
Suddenly he Sobercd up enough to re-
call his action before leaving home.
and calling for his cart and horse in
haste. set off for home as quickly as
tn" horse could carry him. His grief
on finding his son dead was such as
to drive him TO kill himself in the
manner described. 1t seems that one
of the servants brought the Young
man food in spite of the masters com
mandS. but that the proud boy refused
it. saying he had food with him in the
room. anF he was then left to himself
until he died.