Mexico weekly ledger., 1900-08-02
COLLEGE PROFESSOR LEADS A
GHOST A MERRY CHASE
AT NIGHT TINE.
REINFORCED, BE RETURNS 10 SCENE
A Former Resident Of the Old Denim.
ion Tells Of a Ghost HUNT
Which Was Held Years
and Year, ago.

to the LEDGER by an ex- virginiau
That gentleman vouches for the stor,
and the LEDGER vouches for the gen,
tleman. Now, II someone viii voucl
for the LEDGER everything viii b,
lovely. The gentleman referred t.
says:
Williamsburg, 10 the colonial days
was the capital OF Virginia and though
a small city-it would not be called I
city in thssa days-it was the real O
culture, refinement and wealth. AL
the colonial officers with their fami'
lies made their homes there, and IL
the days OF the sCocked-H Hat Gentry,
it wss the rendezvous Of the high,
rollers OF the tide-water section.
"William and Mary College wa
located at Williamsburg many lonf
years before the revolution, and it be.
came the leading Institution OF learn.
Ing In the New World. Young mel
from all parts Of the colony, and from
other colonies also, attended Its ses'
isons and were well taught In al
branches Of learning usually pursued
in those days.
"After the necessful termination o.
of the revolution, IL continued fol
many years to be the capital Of tht
state, and the renown Of William ant
Mary College was greatly increased
That which added much, perhaps most
to Its fame and popularity was The
fact thst the professors were 81
thoroughly imhued with the idea Of
American Independence and hat
taught the Fathers OF the Republic
their A. b. O's. In law, liberty ant
self-government.
"During the colonial days and, fol
many years after the colonies hat
become states, the country churches
stood in the midst OF the neighbor-
hood cemeteries. In other words
In those early days the dead we're al
buried around the churches.
"Along in the 'forties' old Judge
Fucker was the head-proteasor OF Law
ct William and Mary College and
owing to the fact that he was much
worried by constantly hearing o.
ghosts that had been seer or heard b.
some OF the etudents, he made Il hi
business to occasionally give talks IL
the nature OF lectures to HE clasI
about 'ghoats,' and denounced IN
strong terms all ghost stories and tins
telIers thereof.
"These old churches and their grave
yards, many having fallen into decay
and d~isuse, had given origin to ell tbs
thrilling ghost-stories that wers
treasured up,as II were, BY the people
OF Williamsburg, and the same alss
was true Of the whole Underwater sec,
tion Of the state. II was said, whom
was . boy, that all the men who has
been educated at old William ans
Mary College from 1850 to 1850 had
keed eye for a ghost and an astoniah'
ing repertoire OF ghost stories.
SIT was about the year 1857 tina
Judge Tucker, In the beautiful month
Of June, had occasion to ride horse
back in the country where he was de-
tanned until very late In the evening
He started home and when within
mile Of the college he was ct, or near
an old dilapidated and abandoned
church surrounded by the dead of tw'
or three generations. An angry storm
cloud was rapidly approaching and
heavy rain was threatened. BE look
ed ct the old church covered over witt
that peculiar and beautiful vine call
ed the Virginia oreeper,' and seeing
that he could possibly shelter him
self from the rain, he rode up at the
front door, dismounted and holding
the bride reins in his hands he stool
In the doorway.
"Just 90 he got in the doorwa.
and adjusted himself on the sid
thereof to shield his person from tn
pouring rain, . heavy and blacI
cloud came up. The thunder rollel
and the vivid flashes Of forked light
ming followed each other in rapiI
succession. In the midst OF this aw
full thunder and frightful IightninI
and blackness, the Judge recalled tn
fact that this very old church Il
which he was standing was the fav
orits resort Of all the ghosts an
goblins in the surrounding country
according to the reports and belle
of the ghost stoFy-tellers about wa
llamsbuFg.
"No sooner had this recollection
come to his mind than the Judge be
gan to look around. To his profoun
astonlshment and by the aid Of .
unusually vivid fash OF lightning, b
saw Q queer something standing
the wreck Of q puipis ct the other On
Of the old church. He fixed his eye
on the spot and waited for the mex
fash Of lightning. Il came, and Wit
1t came q crash and roll Of thunds
that sounded like the wreck ofmatte
and the crush OF worlds.' He saw q
again. There was no Illusion abot
It. he saw ~ plainly. he coul
not be mistaken. ~ looked Lib
q tall woman who had on q loose
flowing and white gown. Her hal
was loose and hanging about be
shoulders. Her eyes appeared sunke
and wild.
Gan the stories which The Judg
had ever heard about this old chure
came trooplng back to him. Anothe
fash Of lightning came and 1t va
|. evident that this woman-ghost ha
seen the Judge and was movin
slowly, steadily, stealthiIy down froi
the old pulpit, through the chancI
and up the aisle, with eyes CLOWN
and hxed upon him. The Judge VI
; soreIy tempted TO run, but remember
, ing how he had most bitterl
denounced all ghosts and ghoI
stories, how he had scornsd Gin b
3 class room) all such wild vagaries, B
! swore to himself that he would stan
J his ground and prove the fact Thu
there we're no ghosts.
e "By this time, the Judges hoF'
! had seen the ghost, and having .
fears Of taunts and jeeEs from student