Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1896-02-19
A HAUNTED BICYCLE.

eyes, sir, that bicycles haunted, and
that's all there is to it. I don't know a
thing about spirits and things like that,
but if you ever catch me riding that
wheel after midnight won't know it. "
Thus did George Springwell vehe-:
mently declare that the supernatural
had taken hold of his bicycle. The tale
that Springwell tells is certainlya queer
one, and one that is apparently vouched
for by number of his friends. They
declare that any one riding the wheel
after IL 80 o'clock on any night will
wish he hadn't. The sensations expert
enced by such rider are described as
startling in the extreme and accom-
panied by manifestations that are Of
the hair raising variety.
Springwell lives in a modest little
house on Lombard street and is clerk
in one Of the large dry goods houses. He
came to Buffalo last July from New
York and just before he left the metrop-
oils he bought secondhand bicycle
from reputable dealer. This he took
to Buffalo and has ridden it steadily to
and from his place Of business He is
not what would be called bicycle
crank, using the machine merely as a
means of locomotion between his house
and the store. 1t was only few weeks
ago that he was aware of the supernat-
ural qualities of the wheel, and this he
discovered in startling manner. He
was accustomed to leave the wheel in
q small room in the rear of the kitchen
every night. One day he bought cy-
clometer. and with the aid Of the in
strument he found that the wheel was
haunted
He took careful note of the miles reg
istered on the littlo machine and soon
began to see that there were small dis
crepancies, periods of exactly three
miles, for which he could not account.
Every night as he looked at the cy-
clometer he took careful note Of the
amount registered, and every morning
it was just three miles more. This both
cred him considerably, but he dismissed
everything with the thought that the
instrument was defective in some way
or other.
But few weeks ago he rode out into
the country for the first time in the
evening. He took a trip to the Falls,
spent the evening there and wheeled
home in company with friend. He
reached Tonawanda about II O'Clock,
and waited there till midnight. Then
he slowly pedaled over the brick boule-
ward toward home. He was somewhat
tired, and his friend, a man named lei
Ter, being more Of wheelman, was
about sixteenth of mile ahead. just
as Springwell reached the clump of trees
on this side of Kenmore he began to ex-
perience what, if his story is true, is
something distinctly marvellous.
He declares that as he was riding
along moderately he struck chill blast
Of air. This was on an August night,
and he could not account for the extreme
cold. Then something began to work in
his throat. Before he was aware he was
a prey to most horrible and vague fear
horrible because Of it's vagueness.
Something terrible he felt was about to
happen. He glanced from right to left.
Nothing could be seen or heard He
thought he would call to his friend
ahead, but felt powerless
Then, as he was riding, powerful
something seemed to suddenly wrap it.
self about him. He could feel cold hands
suddenly seize his hands as they guided
the machine, and he could not release
them from the iron grip. He knew that
he was in the power of some supernat-
ural monster and that the machine had
passed from his control. He wavered
from side to side. The wheel described
curious curves and he thought for min
ute he was going to be thrown to the
ground. All this time he did not have
any control Of the wheel. He tugged
with all his force at the handle bars,
but this did not deviate the wheel from
its path single inch.
Terrified beyond description, he could
not shout. He felt sickening sensation
sweep through hiIn. He felt that some
thing immeasrrably monstrous had
complete control of every action. OF q
sudden the pedals began to revolve with
Z arapidity that he declares was nothing
short Of marvellous. He few up the
stretch that intervened between him and
his friend with inconceivable rapidity,
some unknown power having its ghostly
feet on the pedals. On he flew. His
friend was passed as though he were
standing still. He tried to cry out a.
he passed him, but could not.
On into the gloom beyond till the
city line was reached, then on again
over the asphalt. The long stretch Of
smooth pavement few from under him.
He jumped car tracks, hardly feeling
them as he passed. Under the white
glare Of the electric lights he passed
with his demon companion. He could
feel that the ghostly rider behind him
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