The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-07-13
THE GHOST
OF ST. LUKE'S.
BY W. M. H.

ed population of the little town OF
Button, on the Carolina coast, was in
a state of excitement owing to reports
of the appearance of what was called
a liant which had frequently terri
fed persons travelling by night on the
old stage road. The particular scene of
these alleged apparitions was the
graveyard and abandoned church of st.
Lukes Parish, located a few miles
from the town and close to the borders
of the Great Swamp.
The negroes spoke in undertones of
a tall, white figure that appeared on
the porch of the church near the high
way, or among the tombs which sur
rounded the building, at the hour of
midnight, and with slow, solemn ges-
lures warned away the startled travel
Ter, who invariably stood not on the
rider of his speedy departure from the
launted premises.
True or false, the mere statement
was sufficient to cause the negroes to
cease using the road and they found 1t
very convenient to make a wide detour
and avoid the church even in the day
time. The whites, familiar with the
ingrained superstition of the negro,
paid but scant attention to such talk,
and the matter would have gradually
died out in course ofNime had not the
experience of Col. Sinclair large
planter and respected citizen, to a
certain extent, confirmed the truth of
the spiritual manifestations.
The heavy dews of summer and au-
tumn, laden with malarial poison from
the swamps, are feared and avoided
by the planters, who travel only by
day from healthful homes on the salt
rivers that indent the coast to their
plantations in the lowlands where the
profitable rice plant is nourished in
the black muck and cultivated with
such success.
The colonel was a proud and reserv-
ed specimen of the old school, and it
is doubtful if an echo of the stories
about the ghost had reached his ears.
The church was between his home and
plantation and he passed it daily dur
ing the planting season. However, one
afternoon vexatious delay caused by
necessary repairs to an embankment,
detained him on the plantation until a
late hour and it was about midnight
when he approached the church on his
return home. His negro driver declar-
ed that the white robed "hant" sud
front of the church, and with a sweep
ing motion of it's arms had caused the
horses to bolt and almost wreck the
team before they could be controlled.
The colonel had been in a
profound revery at the time
the thing happened, and while he
had seen a flash of white, as the
horses had started to run, he consid-
cred it was simply stray cow or
sheep, and angrily denounced the care
lessness of some of his neighbors and
their Indifference to the stock law,
which prohibited the running at large
of any species of cattle. But it can
be imagined how this incident, magni-
fled and enlarged in many particulars,
increased the talk about the ghost in
the little town, so unused to sensa-
tions, and it grew until occasional
reference to the subject was made in
households accustomed to view with
amused contempt the peculiar ideas
and superstitions Of the low-born
cracker and the negro.
H.
Now, among the village boys there
was one named Tom Murrell, slim
fair-haired youngster of II, born
leader of his fellows, and noted for
his bravery and recklessnesS. This lad
proposed to four of his companions
to form a party, without the knowl-
edge of the older people, and to visit
the church at night and to ascertain
the truth of the matter causing the
excitement, and, at all events, endeavor
to lay the ghost, If there was one,
The boys approached by Tom in this
manner were an adventurous set &C
customed to all kinds of expeditions
by sea and land, hunting and fishing
but they were not quite free from the
influence OF nursery tales, and 1t took
him some time to overcome their nat
ural objections to an encounter of the
kind proposed. Still the enterprise had
a great fascination for them and fin
ally all consented to meet on the out
skirts of the town the following night
at 10 o'clock. One boy agreed to bring
an old mule and plantation cart, an
other a lantern and horse pistol, and
Tom promised to have his gun and the
necessary cartridges.
When the trip started on time, as
arranged, you may be sure some OF
the boys were gravely conscious oil
the risks of the undertaking, and re-
gretfully thought of their comfortable
beds at home; but Tom succeeded in
keeping the party in good condition I'M
til half of the distance had been traV-
ersed. AT this point the road gradu-
ally descended into a depression as II
rounded an arm OF the swamp dnC
the light from the moon was burdenec
by the shadows of the cypress trees
Suddenly a scream, ending in pea
of demoniac laughter, burst from the
dark woods upon the ears of the start
led boys, and with wild cries of fear
the two in the rear of the cart sprane
out and sped with desperation towards
home and mother. 1t was in vain that
Tom called TO the runaways to stop
and even pursued them for short
distance; the sudden Shrek of the
great horned owl, for such it was, prov
ed too much for nerves strained al
ready by excited thoughts, ano
it is doubtful if the lads were
conscious of what they were doing
at any rate they disappeared
rapidly down the road. The mule had
stopped, apparently gratified by any
interruption that secured him a rest
and the three remaining boys Chamber
ed back into the cart and resumed the
journey.
The church was reached without fur
Their incident, and everything appear
ing quiet, the mule was tied to a near
by tree, but not embarrassed, and the
boys approached the building, which
stood in a clear space, bathed in the
tender radiance of the moon.
III.
st. Luke's Church deserves more
than a passing word. Built in Colo
NAL times of hewn timber and mortis-
ed and joined in manner superior tc
methods followed by modern builders
1t still stood broad and strong, and al
tho the great front doors had disap-
peared and it was otherwise disman-