The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1901-10-25
GREENS UNEASY GHOST
THE FITTING sPooK THAT BROKE
UP AN INDIANA SCHOOL

i - NLHtHHtttA N'A lf'ANANAtA hA NAAN AaAAA7
cago luterOcean writes from Flora.
Ind. as follows. There IS one com
munity IN this State where there Is
no dissent on the question as 10
whether there are such things as
ghosts. Walnut Grove. a village two
miles west OF here is the place. and
So firm Is the faith Of the residents
there in spooks that they have forced
the school trustees Of the township to
abandon the schoolhouse thar for
years has answered for their needs.
and construct another that win be
free from the faint OF being haunted.
For some years the story that ghosts
were common visitors IN the vicinity
Of the Walnut Grove schoolhouse have
been current, but the trustees. who
are hard headed typas Of Hoosiers.
have always refused to give any Gre
dence 10 the reports. They have lived
IN hope that the stories would be for
gotten, aud have done an that was in
their power TO cast ridicule upon the
rumors. Their course was dictated BY
two motives. In thc arst place. they
did not believe in ghosts. and in the
second. they had an Investment in the
schoolhouse and resented the circula-
rion Of stories that were liable TO inn
pair its value and usefulness
From the standpoint Of the trustees.
this action on their part was all right.
but it did not meet with the approval
of the parents OF the children who had
10 attend the school When little
Johnny Jones and his sister Sue. for
instance, came screaming home 10
their mother and told her Of seeing
man swinging by the neck 10 a tree IN
the immediate vicinity Of the school
house, and that the hanging man
amused himself by making ugly faces
at them. il became a matter Of mo-
ment to the parents. especially as lit
tie Johnny and his sister Sue almost
went into spasms when told 10 go to
school as usual the next day. The
story of Johnny and MS sister had cor
r0boration from other children who at
tended the school, and finally the par
ents began to withdraw their children
from the place and send them 10 this
city Or TO some other place to get an
education.
Sometimes the ghost varied his ap-
pearance, and instead Of hanging from
the tree. would be seen strolling along
the road, bis head very much on one
side. bis tongue hanging ont Of his
mouth. and an expression of indcscrib-
able agony on his face The children
said that they would no more than get
O glimpse of him when he would disap-
pear in the most unaccountable man
ner. The ghost would be walking on
the road where there was not an OBJ
lect 70 afford him concealment when.
presto. he would be gone.
The children and the parents said
that it was Amer Green's ghost The
school trustees said "fiddlestieksn hut
the parents stuck to their belief and
acccntuated It hy withdrawing their
children from the school At the last
term OF the school. the one that has
just closed. there were only two schol-
ars. and at its termination the teacher
told the trustees that she could not en-
dure the life az the school for another
term, and must leave. The trustees
tried TO get a teacher 70 take the
school for the fan term. hut it's fame
as a ghost-haunted place had become
noised abroad and the quest Of the
trustees was unsuccessful In view
of this fact, and in Difference to the
wishes Of the taxpayers the trustees
have awarded the contracts for the
erection Of another schoolhouse in lieu
of the old one 1t win have another
site. and the hope is that the ghost Of
Amer Green win not in future bother
the children and interrupt their edu-
cation.
The slim attendance at the school me
last term, MS well as the Change OF
heart on the part Of the trustees. was
largely due % the apparition thar ap-
peared 10 DR. Budford Karns Of this
city one night last fall. Or. Karns Is
not an emotional man. and his repu-
tation fer truth and veracity are un-
The doctor had been
q professional call IN the Wal
nut Grove neighborhood on the night
Of November 30, and had to pass the
vicinity Of the schoolhouse on his way
home While passing a grove Of
trees near the schoolhouse be saw the
body Of a man hanging from a limb
and swaying back and forth. When
the doctor told Of what he had seen
The next day It settled the matter. and
the fate Of the old schoolh0use was
assured.
While there has not been anything
ncw discovered to account for the ap-
learance OF the ghost OF the unearthly
noises that have terrified the children
lt school. there is only one belief on
he subject and that IS that the un-
,anny object is the ghost Of Amer
Sreen. On a walnut tree IN the VI
.iuity Of the sch0olhouse some years
igo Amer Green was strung up by
ynch law and bis body left hanging
here. In view Of the appearance Of /
D -nost SO frequently and its appar-
ar inability to rest. the community IS
lew beginning to take some stock ia l
Amer's dying declaration that be was
innocent Of the crime for which he was /
ynched. and that he win never rest !
D his grave until bis innocence Is /