Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1901-08-09
A BERKSHIRE GHOST STORY
,1MOrHY DOLE. or "Old I

60 1MOTHY DOLE, or "Old Tim
DOLE" as he was called by his
- associates. was a great and pow
erful blacksmith in a quiet little village
among the Berkshire Hills.
Tim was an honest, hard working,
kind-hearted man, and a great favorite
with all the country people for miles
around, in spite Of his being morbidly
superstitious and a firm believer in spir-
it rapping, 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."
Still, whenever they had an hour to
spare. they were sure to get together,
and the talk always turned to ghosts
md 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
AOuSC h1CC11CA, CAYOuLulAS ulS 4
views on spiritualism.
Although John Davis professed to be
an unbeliever in spiritualism, 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-
rible for a true story" was about 81
haunted house, of course, haunted by
a headless ghost. The old house still
stood;in the neighborhood, 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
n head, but with a SCARED and bloody
neck. 1t was most horrible! There was
onE' one cause for such u ghost-mur-
Years ago, the story ran. a terrible
crime had been committed there; a most
brutal murder it was, too. \ simple,
honest peddler, who merely sought a
nights repose beneath that humble
roof, had been beheaded with an AK
while awaiting his breakfast. Then the
f1end who did the awful deed escaped
by stealing a horse from the barn be-
hind 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 united during the night
by some mysterious hand, and scamper
wildly away, even when strong ropes or
heavy iron chains We're used.
John Davis had never fastened a
horse there himself, but his father, who
had been a very religious and just man,
by, without avail.
Even Johns w mother, who had
seen 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, lie always added, when
telling it
"And fathers word was as good as
Bible TRUTH" and Everybody knew
that mother could not lle!"
And Tim believed 1t all, and would
hardly have vcntured home at night If
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 a listener, a
young man who loved humor, and occa.
sionally dropped in to hear their stories.
His name vas George Cowee.. He was
q slender youth with much learning and
refinement. He was a 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 'sTim's views
than John himself, but he liked Tim
and he liked to hear him talk. It 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
communicating with their friends b,
rapping on tin pans" and as usual join
loudly declared it was all "bosh" anJ
nonsense"
Tim had just been down to the city
where he had attended a fuIl-dedged
spiritual meeting, and he was stronge,
in his belief than ever and had many
wonderful things to relate.
When George Cowee arose to. 60 tina,
night he said to them:
II am going away to-morrow-ou,
West" Then he added mischieyously
slyly winking at John, 'aTim, if I an
killed before I return / will let yos