The San Francisco call., 1897-11-28
RICHMOND'S
goblin HORSE
Saddled but Riderless a
Specter Racer Revisits
Old Scenes.
Over the Graves of Steeds Long
Dead He Frances at Mid
night.
An Apparition Warranted to Make
the Hair of Spectators Stiffen
With Fear.

! Wild-eyed and fiery. with tossing name,
floating tail and steaming nostrils is the
apparition that is said 10 course madly at
the hour of midnight IN that portion of
the Richmond district abutting on the
| cemeteries. These same cemeteries have
long been an eyesore 10 a portion of the
residents living in their vicinity. They
have been denounced as plague spots, dis
semnators of disease and poisoners OF
water, but they have never been regarded
as the abiding places of ghosts. Ii spooks
hold nigh revel within their walls at .'the
witchng hour of night the aforesaid
reveis have never been revealed 10 mortal
eye, and the COLLINS have never wandered
from the Enclosures. II remained for a
burial place but little known-in fact, the
horse cemetery within the old Bay Dis
trict track-to first m ateriaiize spirit for
the benefit of the Richmonders.
King Richard OF historic lame is said to
have once upon q time offered his king
dom Tor a horse. A namesake OF his,
Richard Struther. states that on Tuesday
evening last he saw horse that he has no
! desire to have any further experience
with. On the contrary he is wlling 10
| give up a portion at least OF his worldly
| possessions rather than clap eyes on his
horseship again.
The gentleman in question, when first
seen, demurred TO giving an account OF MS
experiences on the evening when he saw
the Richmond spook, but finally he told
| the following story:
Last Tuesday evening l visited some
! friends on Taylor street and with them |
passed social evening. About 10 o clock
We partook OF light supper-some sand
| wiches, cake and coffee-and shortly before
| ~ oil I OILS nj W K
and started for. home by way Of Geary-
| street car. When ! aiighted at the corner
of Fifth avenue ana ID street | started up
the latter street toward Stanyen, as l re-
side near the brow of the hill overlooking
Golden Gate Pajk and the ocean.
Before starting l lightad a cigar and
then walked leisurely along in the direc-
ton OF Slanyan street. When near
Second avenue l casuallf cast my eyes
over the tract once occupied by the
| Bay District track. As you are aware,
the place has been graded, the
hollows filled In, streets macadam-
lzed anj the blocks inclose4 with
whitewashed fences. You can imagine
my surprise then when l saw horse tear
ing along, saddled and bridled, with neck
outstretched and ears laid back, but with
no rider. The horse was bay, and every
action bespoke the thorough bred racer,
but his tail was flowing one-not docked
i'll the usual fashion.
"For moment | thought | was watch
ing runaway. and l wung around fac
ing Point Lobos avenue TO see how the an
imal would act when one of the fence-
lm peded his progress. Would he jun Z
it? Would 1t bring him 10 a malt. or
would it sim ply turn him from MS course
only to pursue his headlong career In an
other direction2
Now, l am no; nervous, but | am
afraid my HAIR slightly st.ffened under
meath my hat as l noticed that he did
neither OF the things l had imagined be
would. On the contrary he i'm percepnSly
melted through the fences and kept right
on. 1 could see his bright bay body and
the Whitewas led fences through it. That;
when the hair siiffened. Then l saw thai
the spirit horse, as | am conv lnced 1t was,
was keeping TO the old racing course
Fence after fence that horse went through
as though he had been moonbeam. Pas
the old grandstand he rushed at top speed
then gradually slowed down to walk
stopped, walked back, and when he
reached the grandstand again, disap
peared like flash The whole perform
ance was as PAIN 10 my eyes as II 1t hac
taken place IN daylight.
What do l imagine it was? Why, i
was the ghost of some horse that was re
MGybe it was the anniversary of the ami
mails death, or maybe 1t was The ami
versary of some famous victory it hal
won. Anyhow, the affair occurred jus
as | have narrated il.