The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1901-09-26
A BERKSHIRE GHOST STORY
- IMorHY DOLE. or "oId TIm

CO IMOTHY DOLE, or "Old Tim
Dole" as he was called by his
q associates. was a great and pow
erful blacksmith in quiet little village
among the Berkshire Hills.
Tim was an honest. hard working,
klnd-hearted man, and a great favorite
with all the country people for miles
around, In spite OF his being morbldly
superstltlous and firm believer In spir-
II rapplng. haunted houses and ghosts.
Tins dearest friend, farmer John
Davis, or Honest john" as he was
everywhere known, was always Gliding
Timothy about his belief or, as John
would put It, his "foolishness."
Stlll, whenever they had an hour to
spare. they were sure to get together,
and the talk always turned TO ghosts"
and spirit rapplngs."
All through the winter months they
were much together 1t was Tins de-
Hight to close his shop early and drive
TO his friends house and spend the long
wlntry evenings by the fire In the farm
house kitchen, expoundlng his favorlte
Views on sprltualism.
Although John Davis protested 10 be
an unbelever In splrltuallsm. and was
known as Honest John" he could
vouch for more bloOdcurdling ghost
stories and thrilling adventures than
any other man about the country; and
Tim was an earnest listener.
One Of their most horrible tales, hOr-
rble for true story" was about
haunted house. OF course, haunted by
headless ghost The old house still
stood In the nclghborhood, but no living
being could occupy It. for whenever the
housewife attempted to prepare the
morning meal there always appeared
beside the kitchen stove a man without
head, but with a SCARED and bloody
neck. 1t was most horrlblel There was
only one cause for such a ghost-mur-
der.
Years ago, the story ran a terrible
crime had been committed there; a most
brutal murder It was, too A simple,
honest peddler who merely sought
nights repose beneath that humble
roof, had been bcheaded with an AK
while awaiting his breakfast Then the
dend who did the awful deed escaped
by stealing horse from the barn be-
hind the house.
The years had come and gone. and
the murderer had not been found, and
70 this very day no one had yet been
able to live In that house, or even use
the barn. The horses stabbed In that
barn. no matter how securely fastened,
would become united during the night
by some mysterious hand and scamper
wildly away, even when strong ropes or
heavy iron chains were used.
John Davis had never fastened
horse there himself. but his father, who
had been n very religious and Just man,
had often tried to do so. In years gone
by, without avail
Even Johns own mother. who had
been noble Christian woman, had
actually seen the headless man sitting
beside the fire in that old haunted
house upon two different occasions, and
although John said he did not believe
the tale himself, he always added. when
telling it
And fathers word was as good as
Bible TRUTH" aud Everybody knew
that mother could not lier'
And Tim believed It all and would
hardly have ventured home at night IL
he had not had his horse with him to
keep him company.
Now It happened that as these two old
men would often meet and tell their
tales, they sometimes had a listener. a
young man who loved humor, and occa-
sionally dropped In to hear their stories
His name was George COwee. He was
a slender youth with much learning and
refinement. He was nephew of Dea-
con Cowee, a wealthy farmer living a
short distance from the Davis place.
He always agreed with Tim, but he
had no more faith in ''Tim's views"
than John himself, but he liked Tim.
and he liked to hear him talk. 1t was
very amusing.
The night before Christmas he han
pened into Johns kitchen, and there he
found Tim who, as usual, was telling
about "the dead coming back and