Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-08-07
a BERKSHIRE GHOST STORY

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associates. was a great and pow
among the Berkshire Hills.
Tim was an honest, hard working,
klnd-hearted man, and great favorite
with all the country people for miles
around, in spite of tis being morbidly
euperstltious and firm believer In spir-
It 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 1t, his "fool:shncss."
Still, whenever they had an hour to
spare, they were sure to get together.
and the talk always turned to ghosts"
and spirit rappings."
All through the winter months they
were much together. 1t was Tins de-
light to close his shop early and drive
to his friends house and spend the long
wintry evenings by the fire in the farm
house kitchen, expoundIng his favorite
views on spiritualsm.
Although John Davis professed to be
an unbelieyer In spiritualism, and was
known as Honest John" he could
vouch for more bloodcurdling ghost
stories anu 'hriiilns adventures than
any other man about the country; aud
Tim was an earnest listener.
One of their most horrible tales, hor-
r'pie ior true story, was about
hauh'ed mouse, OF course, haunted by
headiess ghost Ihe old house still
$1,000 IN the heighborhood, but no living
peihg couid occupy II, FOR whenever the
housewife attempted to prepare the
morning meal there always appeared
beside the kitchen stove man without
+ = mead, nut with a Scared and bloody
neck. II was most horrible! There was
oniy one cause tor such ghost-mur-
der.
iears ago, the story ran, terrible
crime had oeen committed there; most
brutal murder 1t was, too. A simple,
honest peddler. WHO merely sought
nights repose beneath that humble
TOOL, had peen peheaded with an AK
whlie awaiting his breakfast. Then the
memo VINO dld the awful deed escaped
py steaiing morse from the barn be-
hlnd the house.
The years had come and gone. and
the murderer had not been found. and
10 TINS very DAY no one had yet been
able to 1--we IN that house, or even use
the Darn. The horses stabbed In that
Darn. 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 a
horse there himself, but his father. who
had been 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 lie did not believe
the tale himself. he always added, when
telling it,
And fathers word was rs good as
Bible TRUTH" and Everybody knew
that mother gould not lie!"
s And Tim believed 1t all, and would
hardly have ventured home at night IL
he had not had his horse with him to
keep him company.
Now 1t happened that as these two old
men would often meet and tell their
tales, they sometimes had listener,
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
short distance from the Davis place.
He always agreed with Tim, but he
had no more faith In "Tim's views"