The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-22
SPIRITS IN KENTUCKY.
Tho ~Disenbodied, Not the Discmbotticd Kind
Making Excitement for the Natives.

From the COurter-Journd
The residents OF Muldragh, n summer resort
much frequcntcd by Louisville people and To-
Gated about twenty-eight miles from this city
on tho Illinois Central Railroad in Meade
county. are Just now in tho midst of n six
weeks sensation, in which spirits other than
the kind Kentucky has made famous figure.
Tom Gill. who occupies n small cottage
near the town. is the present posscssor of
n rough wooden coffin filled with clothes
and trinkcts which formerly belonged to his
dead brother, but about which there has been
from time to time considerable controversy.
For tho past six weeks mysterious knockings
have proceeded from the coffin. and in spite of
watchful Investigation, both by the enlightened
ana the ignorant in the n ighborhood, no ono
has yet been able to account for the noises. Tho
story back of the rappings and tho one upon
which the theory OF spirits is built is quito an
Interesting one.
Nine years ago Zach Gill got into q quarrel
with Widow Mccarthy about u COW. He way
laid her on the rond and shot her dead with a
shotgun. He was arrested and convicted, but
through, tho testimony Of the late Dr.. II. X.
the. asylum for the insane at Lakeland. He
died two years, after he was taken to
the asylum and his remains were placed
in one Of the rough wooden collins provided by
the state and sent to the mans widow. In the
l%ong!ngs. The body was placed in a coffin pro
vided by the family, and thS clothes and tho
trlnKetS were lelt IN inc rOngn WOODEN DOS.
Tom GIL, a brother of the unfortunate man,
claimed oil these things, but the dead mans
widow refused TO give them up; She set the
manned up to n few months ago, when she died.
Tom Gill Mt once took possession Of the coffin
and its contents and removed them to his home.
Of the late Zach Gil cinimed that the things be.
contention. After Tom had the ne things he was ms
put to some trouble to dispose Of them. He
fnslly set the coffin out on the porch in plain
For some time nothing out Of tho ordinary oc-
Cured; About SIX weeks ago. however. strange
which is Immediately behind the coffin. The
opened the door, and was not a little surprised to
find no one about. He shut he door and again re-
tired: He had hardly stretched himself when the
still! found no one at the door. He believed that
some one was playing a practical joke on him.
SO instead Of going immediately back 10 bed he
stood up behind the door, which he left un-
locked. As soon as the rappings were re.
R RS"' time he for 1eFS SHy r%rsct HoGT oxen oxen t to- sei
out OF the way. No one was there: Then
+ Is N %1 pccn ahsi t @ls H!'f in !Re cS Sss f hs got d
lantern and opened the coffin, taking out all the
clothes and examining. them carefully. His
down the coffin lid the rappinGs were repeated.
BY this time he was in a highly excited and
in the house and tightly locked the door:
since ,hen noI q DAY or night has passed
mat tho knocking has not been. heard.
The story that spirits had begun to visit Tom
Gill's home soon attracted every villager to the
haunted spot. and scarcely a day passes that n
group Of curious people cannot he found about
the coffin waiting to hear the strange noise.
These mysterious sounds have afforded diver.
sion for about fifty Louisville boardcrs at tho
Twin Caves Hotel. a short distance away. They
hold nightly ghost parties and sit about the
coffin in solemn state waiting for the shirt &c
matcrialize. They have opened the coffin. hui
have been unable to discover any cause for tho
peculiar phenomenon. The ignorant say that II
Is the spirit OF old Zach Gill trying to tell It
whom the clothes should be given.