Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-07-13
THE DEAD HAND.
[Copyright, 1895. l

OuttrulHB ulb OA scenery than that sur rounding little waterfall locally known as "Choky," in Miller's run, about eight miles from Hamilton. The fall is only little one-just big enough to make del icate laughing music in the air and main- tain at its foot a spread of bubbles that the suns rays transform to gems Its grassy banks are dotted with flowers and shaded by big sugar naples, and beyond them the forest rises on the slopes of low hills that make horizon of gracefully flowing lines. There is nothing at all grand in it all, but much that is lovely and one coming within the circle of its fascination is almost irresistibly tempted to sit down upon the bank and enjoy it. Then about the lingerer gentle breeze cool and pleasant, blows fitfully, c;Lress- ingly, lifting loose locks of hair and fiut- tering the ends of ribbons, and this al- though not the faintest zephyr stirs tho leaves Q dozen yards away. Drowsiness inevitably ensues, and ere long deep sleep the inevitable awakening from which is a desperate battle for life. An invisible but tangible and strong hand clutches the throat of the sleeper with evident intent of murder. No ono Is known to have ac- tually been choked to death in this way, for tho instant the sleeper awakes and eX- erts his force of will against the assassin tho fingers of the invisible hand relax and seem to melt away with the breeze, which soon falls to a dead calm. But the experi- ence, particularly to nervous persons, is one of indescrihable and never to be forgot ten horror and women have often been frightened almost out of their senses by it.
 In the summer of 1857 young lady named Mary A. Hargreave, whose home was in Massachusetts, spent several months with the Colecraft family, distant relatives, who lived about a mile from the haunted waterfall She was fond of taking long ramblcs alone through the forests and fields, neither botanizing nor bug hunting, but just enjoying tho infinitely varied charms of nature, and one after noon delightcdly discovered the exquisite sylvan nook that has been described, the evil reputation of which no one had thought to warn her of Her experience of its haunting horror was complete, and in all respects like those of many who had preceded her, with this difference, that as she regained hcr senses or imagined she did the conviction established itself in her mind that the attempt upon her life had been madG by a man, ono whom she reCog- nized. Ho had escaped before she was in full control of her faculties, how she could not imagine, but she could not be mistak- en in his identity.
 
 men summoned. from Q nearby field by her shricks. When she became more calm, she would have withdrawn her charge if she could, for tho man was no other than the ono she was engaged to marry, William Allen and though ShO never wished to see him again, for the love she had borne him she would have refrained from prosecuting him for his incXplicahlc attempt upon her life. But the mischief was already done. Before that merciful way of thinking oc- cured to her, a swift rider had already set out to put justice-or, to speak with more precision, tho nearest constable-in mo- tion and that night William Allen, who was easily caught, slept in the county jail.
 The young mans incarceration was brief, however. At tho preliminary exami nation before a magistrate, the next day, ho clearly established by score of wit nCSScS, among whom were two ladies of tho Colecraft family, that he had been in Hamilton the whole of that afternoon from two hours before Miss Hargrcavc's visit to the waterfall untilat least as much after that event. and it Was consequently a physical impossibility that he could have committed the OtfCnSp, "unlrSS," " as the old magistrate remarked, lit could be shown that ho had arms eight miles long. :" The proof of his ihnuccncu was so COnvinc- ing that the girl herself could not doubt it and very rcnitcntly htgged his forgiveness for her haiucinatiuIl. She had, she ad- mitted, been thinking of him when she dropped asleep, probably dreamed about him, and when partly awake in her strug gle for life, his dream presence and her in visible assailant became confused in her mind. Of course no right minded young man could hold a grudge against q girl he already loved and who made a confession fh..t how so far as they were concerned.
 But tho hidcous mystery of "Choky'' waterfall still remained. Judicial rccog- milton of it as n fact in connection with so romantic and peculiar a caso as that of Miss Hargreave gave it wido publicity in the newspapers and many hypotheses were advanced in attempted explanation. The first light of probability thrown upon it, however, was in tho publication, by MT. William c. Shiel-of Sewickley valley, near Pittsburg-of a thrilling incident in the earlier history of Ohio
 His family, he wrote, had been among the first settlers of that state and had kept records of most of the noteworthy events | happening about them. From these it ap peared that in 1796 just a year after peace was established by treaty with the western Indians and when the rcd men generally | were behaving very well bad old Mau- | mee Indian known as Limping Bear, who scorned peace and hated the palcfaces, | was guilty of signal act of fiendish cruel | ty. He caught in the forest, alone and | helpless, q young white girl named Susan Arney and deliberately stranglod her with | his hands. Then ho took her scalp, and | instead of endeavOring to hide his crime | Haunted his bloody trophy before the men 1 of his tribe and sought to inCite them tC follow his example The whites demanded the murderer, and his own people gave him up. He was tried, but with little formality, | and condemned to death.
 They took him to the scene of the mur 1 der on tho bank of a little stream close by a waterfall, where the girl had been sitting | when he stole upon her. There, having first tied a thong of green hide so tightly | about his right arm that he could not bleed to death, they chopped off with ar | ax his right hand, which was hung by 6 | strip of leather to branch and there dan | gled until it dropped to pieces and disap | pcared. The rest of him they hanged by the neck to a high limb of tall tree or the brow of hill about half q mile dis l tant and left him there until time and thG l elements brought him down. His is be | ieved to have been the last serious crime | Rerpetrated by an Indian in that part ol the country as demonstration of ract feeling. Ever after his death the ghost o1 that murderous right hand was said tt haunt the immediate vicinity of the water | fall with insatiate thirst to kill.
 J. H. CoNNELLY. |