The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-09-09
HAUNTED DAY By Day
THE OLD, OLD STORY OF woM-
ANS LOVE AND MANS
PERFIDY
JOHN THROCKHORT0I'S GHOST
STRANGE TALE REVIVED BY THE
DEATH IN LOUISVILLE OF
ELLEN GOODWIN
JOHN THROCKHOaTOI'S GHOST
TWO LIVES WERE DARKENED
Tragedy That Had It's Inception
Near the Kentucky City Near
ly Forty Years
Ago.

|
ly Forty Years
| LOUISVILLE, KY, Sept. ESPECIAL y
| The death in this city this week of one
of the minor participants revives the
story of as strange tragedy as the
world has ever known. The person who
passed away was Mrs. Sue NJ. Pendleton
Conn, aged sixty years. The tragedy
was one that darkened, blasted haunted
the lives of two people-Maj John
| Throckmorton. and Ellen Goodwin.
'"Throckmorton's ghost the woman was
called, and never was SHINING man tor
mented by CHASTITY haunt as was this
one by his ghost Of flesh and blood Day
| and night, week in and week out, year
after year, from earth's end to earth S
end, black, shadowy figure followed
this man-silent, watchful, phantom-like,
| but always there
1t was nearly forty years ago that
John Throckmorton, son of Aris Throck-
morton, was one of the leaders in the
pr1lhant society that fourished in the
old South. He was rich, witty, hand
some; fine type of the young Southern
gentleman, iTnpuistve, generous, kind Of
heart and open of hard. He was con-
nected by blood or marriage with almost
every prominent Southern family, from
New Orleans to Louisville. His father,
Aris Throckmorton, built and managed
the old Louisville Gait house, famous
throughout the South for its lavish hos
pitality- John had ample means, and was
a welcome visitor wherever he chose to
go.
THE OPENING SCENE.
Just when pretty Ellen Goodwin came
into the story no one knows. In all the
fierce light that afterward beat upon
them, details of their earlier intimacy
remained forever buried in mystery, and
both carried their secret to the grave
Ellen lived near Louisville, and was re-
markable for her beauty. She was well
connected, and had d small fortune in
| her own name. Friends Of Throckmor-
ton saw them together a few times. at
some social gathering or possibly at a.
lunch or dinner; then the intimacy alb
ruptly ceased. Throckmorton left Louis
wife on pleasure trip, and did not re-
turn for several months.
One stormy, clustering night when
the snow was beating against the window
panes and people were hurrying home
ward to blazing fires, Throckmorton re-.
turned to Louisville and went at once to
his fathers hotel. AS he stood with his
oack to the great fireplace in the lobby,
and looked through the window at the
storm that ragged without, he suddenly
gave start. Standing motionless
against gas lamp post in front of the
hotel was woman. She was dressed in
black, and the face was covered bv o
heavy veil, to which the snow chung
Throckmorton need not AK her name o,.
see her face; the outlines of the fIeure
told him alt Ellen Goodwin stood there,
SO silent and specter-l1l1e that he became
fascinated and watched her for long.
WOMAN IN BLACK.
That was the first night "Throckmor-
tons ghost was seen. 1t was the be-
ginning of a hells torment that was to
last uninterruptedly for nearly twenty
years. The dark shadow that he saw
through the window that night was to
be with him in the blaze of noon and
the darkest hours of night; he was to
| see 1t In every capital in Europe: it was
! to be close behind him in his most Sc
cret moments; it was to mingle with
! his shadow so that in a delfrium of fer
ror he would wonder If his mind were
not deserting him, and If both shadows
| were not one and the same It was in
vain that he tried to put the ocean be-
tween him and his awful, phantom like
pursuer; in vain that every resource,
money, cajolery, violence were tried
From that first stormy winter night,
John Throckmorton knew that he was
never one moment alone.
1t was wonderful how the woman ap-
peared to know of his every movement.
AT social gatherings, at his club, at the
rooms OF his friends-everywher he
! went-there was the fatal shadow in
black. He would slip from his hotel by
q side entrance at dead of night, and
! sneak by back and dark streets to the
| heart Of the city, only to glance over
his shoulder and see the black specter
following. Her appearance on the
| streets of Louisville became so common
! that people paid no attention to her.
merely glancing up to see how far
| ahead Throckmorten might be- AS the
years passed, her name was forgotten
| and she was only known as "Throck-
morton's ghost"
NOT TO BE SHAKEN.
At first Throckmorten tried to treat
the thing as a joke and laugh it off. The
woman, he said, was cracked Drained
creature, who would grow tired after
while. He could keep it up if she
could. If it amused her he did not OBJ
| ject. Thus he reasoned at first, but he
soon became restive, and then it grew
to be a serious offense to mention the
ghost" i'll his presence. He became 81
lent, morose and quarrelsome
Then it was determined to shake of
the dread specter by heroic measures
He would go abroad and remain there
until the thing died. With the utmost
secrecy his plans were made. He did not
even tell his most intimate friend his
destination. Secretly hme slipped away.
taking a train for New York Under an
assumed name he engaged passage on a
| steamer, and when his vessel was ont of
sight he smiled gleefully at having at last
rid himself Of his horrible nightmare He
went TO London, where for the first time
In years he hreathed freely. Then one
day he strolled along a street, and felt
actually felt-that the ghost was near
| GlaneiNg over his shoulder ne saw that
! fatal shadow in black walking behind
him. He fed to Paris, only to meet the
same phantom-like figure there. A tour
>of Europe failed to shake off the appari-
| tion.
At last. in despair. he returned t,