The Washington times., 1901-09-29
A BerkShHe Ghost Story

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Timothy Dole. ssr "old Tim Dole" as
| he was called by his associates. was n
great and powerful Blacksmith in a quiet
| little village among the Berkshire hills.
Tim was an honest, hard-working, kind
! hearted man. and Z great favorite with all
the country peopl. for miles around. in
| spite OF his being niorbidly superstltious
and firm believsr in spirit rapping,
| haunted houses, and ghosts
Tins dearest friend Farmer John Da-
Wis. or honest John.'' as he was every
where known. was always chiding Tim
| othy about his belief, or, as John would
| put it. his "fooiishress
Still, whenever they had an hour to
| spare, they were sure to get together, and
the talk always turned tto ghosts and
spirit rappings."
All through the winter months they
were much together. 1t was Tins delight
to close his shop early and drive to his
friends house and spend the long wintry
evenings by the fire In the farmhouse
kitchen, expounding his favorite views on
spiritualism.
Although John Dayis professed to be an
unbeliever in spiritualism, and was known
as honest John" he could vouch for
more bloodcurdlng ghost stories and
thrilling adventures than any other man
about the country, and Tim was an earn
est listener.
One of their most horrible tales, horri-
bic for true story was about haunt
ed house, of course. haunted by a headiess
ghost The old house still stood in the
neighborhood, but no living being could
occupy it, for whenever the housewife at
tempted to prepare the morning meal
there always appeared beside the kitchen
stove a man without a head. but with a
SCARED and bloody neck. 1t was most
horrible There was only one cause for
such a ghost-murder.
Years ago, the story ran. a terrible
crime had been committed there; a most
brutal murder it wEs too. A simple. hon.
est peddler, who merely sought a nights
repose beneath that humble roof. lad
been beheaded with an ak while awaiting
his breakfast Then the fiend who did
the awful deed escaped by stealing a
horse from the barn behind the house.
The years had come and gone and the
murderer had not been found, and to 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 un-
tied during the night by scme mysterious
hand, and scamper wildly away, even
when strong ropes or heavy chains were
used.
John Davis had never fastened a horse
there himself, but his father, who had
been a very religious ana lust man, had
often tried to do so in years gone by with
out avail.
Even Johns own mother who had been
a 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 BIZ
BILE truth. and everybody knew that
mother could not lie."
And Tim believed it all, and would hard
ly have ventured home at night if he had
not kept his horse with him to keep him
company. fe =
Now as it happened that these two old
men would often meet and tell their tales,
they sometimes had a listener, a young
man who loved humor and occasionally
dropped in to hear Il their stories. His
name was George Cswee. He was slen-
der youth with much learning and refine
ment. He was nephew of Deacon
Cowee. a wealthy farmer living q short
distance from the Davis place
He always agreed With Tim. but he had
no more faith in Tins views than John
himself, but he liked Tim, and he liked
to hear him talk. 1t was very amusing
The night before Christmas he happened
into Johns kitchen, and there he found
Tim, who. as usual. was telling about
the dead coming back and "communi-
eating on tin pans" and. as usual. John
loudly declared it was all "bosh" and
nonsense"
Tim had Just been down to the city.
where he had attended a full-hedged
spiritual meeting. and he was stronger
than ever in the belief, and had many
wonderful things to relate.
When George Cowee arose to go that
night he said to then:
Il am going away tomorrow--out West"