The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-01-22
AN UP TO DATE GHOST.
Scorches Through Long Island on a
Phantom Wheel.
BLUE FLAME CRACKLBs FROM ITS
JOints-Members of the Owl Club Are
Hts Victims.

JOinfs-MembersO of the Owl Club Are
Hts Victims.
A ghost mounted on bicycle is the lat
est arrival in Woodsburg, n. Y. 1t made it's
appearance several nights ago mounted on
phantom wheel and wearing a winding
sheet in lieu Of a bicycle suit 1t has been
seen every night since then scorching over
fields and through woods, with the loose
ends of the winding sheet Tapping in the
wind. With a hideous grin it wheels
along, spreading terror from one village to
another. A pale light shines from its hol-
low eye sockets, while the CHASTITY visage
bears the stamp of death.
Whether it is ghost of a new woman
who died before her time or the uneasy
spirit of some old time bicyelist is yet to
be determined. But there's a committee
of hardy spirits belonging to the Owl club,
a swell organization in the place, which
proposes going cunning for his or her
ghostship. This clubs gatherings are
prolonged far into the night, and it APP
pears that the ghostly bicyclist takes a
particular delight in haunting this club
and the members on their way home.
Four members of the Owl club first en-
countered the phantom while on their way
home from Valley Stream Ii few days since
Midway between Fenhurst and Woods
burg they were surprised to hear the tink1e
of bicycle bell behind them. AS they
turned to look figure, mounted on a
white wheel, swept silently by them, like
a flash of light. It cavorted about in the
rough roadway, cut a figure 8, then sailed
gracefully over fence and went skimIning
along over a newly plowed field and dis
appeared in patch of woods.
The clubmen stood aghast, and they
c1utched one another in horror. No one
had ventured to speak. When the figure
disappeared in the woods, they nervously
resumed their journey toward the club,
and in few minutes had partly regained
their courage and began Gliding one an
other for being afraid of shadow.
From friendly chaff they went to heated
personalities, which were suddenly inter
rupted by the faint tinkIe of a bell in the
road ahead. The discussion was brought
to an end III an instant. There, in the
open road, wae the phantom rider, cutting
great capers. The rider seemed to sail
around in the air, leaving wake of blue
fame.
At length the ghostly rider headed for
the terror stricken group. They fed,
ghrieking with terror. Over the frozen
road they went, with the horrible figure
close at their heels. In vain they tried to
shake off the speeter. It seemed to keep
an equal distance behind them, grinning,
blue fire swapping from out it's joints, the
winding sheet tapping in the wind.
The cries of the terrified men aroused
the Numbering villagers, as the four fugi-
tives, with the ghost in pursuit, swept
through the streets.
The hunted men headed direct for the
Owl club house, where they tumbled
6horugh the door in heap. With chat
tering teeth and blanched faces they told
the story of their adventure, and were
loudly ridiculed on all sides. A committee
of members volunteered to go in search of
the ghostly bicyclist, but neither of the
four men who had encountered the appa-i-
ton could be induced to show his head out
of doors.
The ghost continued to haunt the place
until moro than a dozen of the c1ubmen
had become convinced that it was real
ghost. One after another they encountered
the object. Several of them endeaVored to
give chase but the ghostly rider simply
raised it's machine in the air and seemed TO
float away. Traps were set to catch the
phantom. but they proved of no avail.
John ". Mitchell, with another men,
Der of the club, was entering the club
house the other evening when he was
startled by white robed figure that leaped
out of a window of the clubhouse, walked
across the lawn and disappeared in
clump of woods across the way. Mr..
Mitchell set up a cry of alarm. "The
ghost! The ghosti The ghost!" he
shouted.
the clubhouse, and the frightened crowd
went hustling back and forth in search of
the object. Between his gasps Mr.. Mitchell
pointed in the direction in which the figure
had disappeared. The crowd searched in
that direction, but found nothing.
On reassembling in the clubhouse it was
voted that something must be done tn
either run down and capture the appari-
ton or drive it to other haunts. With this
purpose in view the members have brought
their guns to the clubhouse and laid in
big supply of ammunition. They now
propose to hunt the ghost with powder and
shot. Mr.. Carroll says his whiskers have
turned gray in spots through fright, while
other members say they are no longer able
to keep their hair curled, as the mere
mention of the ghost is sufficient to taxa
the curl out of the hair of any club mem
Der.
The general decision is that the ghoss
must be suppressed, and unless the phan-
tom bicyclist is shotproof it had better go
out of business.-New York Herald.
Mr.. Cleveland Desires to Travel.