Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-02-11
YORK COUNTY GHOST
Strange Doings on the Old
Curtis Farm.
SCENE IN A NEGRO CABIN
"A Dencnted Child Which is Suppose,, to
Have Communication With Ghosts
and COLLINS. Other
Matters.

SIX miles below Yorktown, near the
sihase or Hrafton, on the Old Curtis
farm ami, not far from th,. spot mn
which, until "a few years ago, the fami
~ mansion stood, small one-story
mouse may b., plainly seen from the
country highway. 1t is constructed of
boards placed up and down and belongs
q, %, mat class OF architecture commonly
known as the Yankee frame A few
stunted trees, separated by distances
ranging from ten to twenty yards, sur
round 1t; Hut besides these there is MI
tlv csc, beyond the ever-present ash
heap OF the rural negio cabin, to be seen
On the broad field which stretches out
IN avery direction from the house
Under the roof of this rustic abode
three people find shelter. They arr all
colored IHe first is "A man bnt with
age, the second woman Still Young in
years, and the third a Child of some four
" llVe summers little gtrl-who cume
into the world with the, human form.
out without intellect. These are the
thre% that live in the cabin and who
until Two weeks ago. kntw no disturb
once Of any kniA Their names cannot
ne recalled. but it is known to the writer
mat Deforv the war the, old man was a
slave In the family of the late Dr. Pow
er, of Newport News
oAe night about two weeks since iulst
as the cock struck eleven, strange
thlng occurred at this humble. county
nome. The thresa' had gone to bed and
were last asleep, Whvn sound unearth-
~ and wild broke upon the stiM night
air Twice, thrice, many tinles it was
repeated, and the ord man, forgetting
ms aches and pains, sprung from his
couch andNheSan search to discover the
cause OF thte shostly noise Convincing
ni!llSef that no one had entered the
room he went outside, but returned a
rev moments later more astpnished
ehan ever Not a living creature was
anywhere to be seen. He scanned the
nvtd surrounding the house and exam
lned the places where one might conceal
himself, and finally gave up the search
no wiser than WHEN he, began.
cunno, honey what it was,'' said
he TO the woman, 'tMe'bbe its muffin
Whatever it was seemed to have gone
away. and that was comfort. They
sat in the little room quietly talking for
half an hour, when the old man advised
a return to ssumber. A long time they
lay awake Thinking upon the strange
sounds, and then sleep claimed them
again. The hands on the cottage CLOCK
mao nae wound around until they stood on
the strok7 of two, when louder and
shriller than ever the ghostly sounds
returned They floatsd, away and filled
the forest hard by with dismal echoss.
They seemed to come with Wild and
delirious hiss which some screeching
SStttoh iuu until
1T became7 sepulchraf roar that made
the kinky hair on the heads Of the old
man and woman stand on end. Then
there came noise as if a giants hand
We're laking tbs side Of the house with
a beam. Up and down over the ca bin
boards 1T moved, while the thin wells
qMvered and the man and woman,
trembling with fear. expected to see
them fat. 1t was an awful night for
thlm, there alone in that country house
and mystery going on.
But the child! AN the while it lay
on its bed with its eyes fixed ON the
we'll and its hands raised as if irnploring
the shostly disturber without, whatever
1t was, to enter. The eyes OF the mind
.ess infant seemed to loss, their dizziness
and to give forth flashes Of fire which
betokened pleasure. All at once tn.
sounds ceased and were heard no more
that night. But the following night and
the next, for week, they came, be-
coming With each new visit more fierce,
and the Old man. worried by fright and
half Ill from loss OF sleep, tod the story
to some of his white neishbors and
aShd for their assistance.
Scores of people went to the house
Men watched outside while others kept
guard within. But the wandering spirit
came and hissed and screeched and
raked the house with its ponderous
beam as before. To those outsidr. if
~
side it seemed to be without. Among
those who witnessed these weired phe-
rloIrrna were Mr.. Orlando Curtis, brother
OF the Well known officer, of this city
and ssvera. of his acquaintances. The
negroes had conceived the idea that the
child in some mysterious way produced
THE noise. Mr.. Curtis bound the girl
and moved the bed away from the wall.
Then. while the house was carefully
surrounded. the party within waited for
the ghost to come. 1t came at II O'Clock.
and its former visits were tame COM
pared with the performance that night
"a week ago last Wedm esdag
Rake three tinaes bard!" cried Mr.
Curtis
The three rakes came and it seemsd
that the giant raked with both hands
and two big beams instead OF one. Night
after night he comes and roars and
rakes, but no one has been able to tel!
who or what he is and only the mind
less child. with its sIoping head and
puny arms ssems to enjoy the informal
nocturnal affair.