Morris tribune., 1903-08-01
e The e
Bowerie Ghost
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

destinies of New Amsterdam, there
was well known place of refresh
ment in that colonial town known
by the worthy burghers as the
Wursthaus. 1t stood upon the east
side of the old post or Bowerie
road, not far from the present point
of junction with Division street.
The then suburban location of
the Wursthaus made it and its jovial
host, Hans Won Schneist, well known
and patronized by the townsmen
and their families.
But change came DER the smil-
ing features and jocund laugh of
the host of the Wursthaus when his
only son was proclaimed an outlaw.
Some boyish indiscretion of speech
had been magnifed by the hearers
and, coming to the ears of the sus-
picious old director general, had re-
suited in the decree. Young Hans
had received timely warning, how
ever, and was supposed to have
reached the Swedish colony in safe
ty.
Several months passed away, and
one evening young Jacob Twiller re-
lated the following weird adventure
to the wondering crowd gathered
around the central table in the
Wursthaus garden:
81 was eel spearing in the Fresh
water pond last evening and by the
time the moon was overhead had
filled my creel. l started to walk
home. | had but passed the Wurst-
haus when just ahead of me [ spied
a tall figure wrapped in long gray
cloak. Thinking that no one except
the watch could be abroad at that
hour Of the night, except with some
evil purpose in view, suited my
pace to his, meaning to let him pre-
cede me toward the city wall. But
scarce had we progressed in this
manner for few hundred yards or
so when the figure turned and, hold
ing its hands aloft, made menacing
gestures, as if forbidding me to ap-
proach.
"Overburdened with my fishing
traps, | felt powerless and SO knelt
on the ground so as to more easily
remove the strap of the creel from
off my shoulders. But as I kneeled
the ghost, for such it surely was,
had vanished from sight, and,
though I hunted well about, could
find no trace except mayhap a smoke
smelling strongly Of sulphur, which
I breathed in my nostrils as | came
near to that part of the ground
from which it had vanished"
Nothing could shake the valiant
Jacobs circumstantial details of the
encounter, and, though the town
cynic sneered, the group gathered
closer together around the central
table and made haste home in good
season.
Within a week Roelof JAMS, the
popular butt and scapegrace, added |
still more to the mysterious tale of
his predecessor. While agreeing
with Jacob in the general appear
ance Of the gray cloaked figure, he
furnished additional details by |
which it would seem that a long
barbed tail was a feature in the
phantom and that it walked amid
belching clouds of smoke.
And then came the climax. Ad-
am Roelandsen stated to the cap
tain of the watch that he had en-
countered the gray cloaked phan-
tom; that it came out from the
Wursthaus, but hastily turned and
re-entered the door ere he could
up courage to advance or
retreat.
Here was a pretty condition Of
affairs! The habitues of old Hans
Won Schneist's place quaked in their
very shoes at the bare supposition
that they had been drinking the
breWings of one who was seemingly
in league with the evil one.
And so it came to pass that the
stout old captain Of the watch, at
the head Of his little squad, came to
investigate the Wursthaus. For some
reason old Hans did not come to the
door, and when the captain of the
watch entered the big taproom he
found mine host Tightening the
hoops of an enormous butt that
stood in the darkest corner. The
crowd of sightseers, at first fearful
Of forked tongues of fame and 9th
er chronicled attributes Of the evil
one, were timorous Of entering the !
house. But gathering courage from
The assembled military and particu-
.arly impressed by the gallant bear
ing of the commandant they grad
ually inched forward until very soon