The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-05-05

end being more honorable than
he had deserved. OF his board
ing party of eighteen, everyone
was killed.
Maynard now boarded the
pirate just in time TO seize
burly negro, standing with
lighted match by the magazine.
ready to blow up the ship accord
ing to Black Boards orders in
case of defeat. The twelve men
remaining on board were promptly
strung mp TO the yardarm, and
the head of Black Beard was
fastened to the bowsprit of his
own ship and in this manner
Maynard returned to Virginia
with his prize.
THE PHANToMS OF "GREEN
BOTTOM" CARROLL COUNTY.
Such was the tragic fate of one
of the most famous freebOOterS of
the eighteenth century. AS a
certain romance always clusters
about the lives of such men, so
will a certain superstition pre-
vail about them after their death,
and Black Beard duly comes in
for his share of the latter.
Many of the old residents of
Carroll County no doubt still
remem Der the famous Green
Bottom" a section of the old
Nicodemus road, and a section
that for many years enjoyed a
very unSavory reputation. AS its
name denotes. it was number OF
years ago low, watery piece of
ground, swampy in its nature.
the grass around retaining at all
seasons of the year its green hue.
Here in this fat all kinds of
"hobgoblins" aud spooks many
years ago held high revel there in
tine wee Sma' hours of the night,
and black sheep, black dogs,
and black horses ridden by a
powerful, black bearded m Il
have been seen by many old resi-
dents of the county now passed
to the land of spirits.
As the traditions concerning
the famous pirate were at that
day still fresh IN the minds of the
settlers. all these mysterious oh
jects seen were duly accredited
to the restless spirit of Black
Beard, which was still roaming
over the trails that his body had
Travelled in the flesh. Who shall
say nay?
THE HEADLESS HORSEMAN OF
PIKESVILLE.
Among the many romanceS of
this famous pirate none is perhaps
more interesting than that of the
headleSs horseman. who on more
than one occasion had been
seen patrolling the Old Court
road, on the eastern outskirts of
PikeSville. At several different
periods in the dead of night this
phantom has been seen. 1t
appears as a man without any
head, mounted on powerful
black horse. appearing to the
frightened citizens at about the
junction of Walker Avenue with
the Old Court road, and disap.
pearing at a point opposite the
park of the new Druid Ridge
Cemetery, about fifty yards below
the Baptist Church.
From an individual who re.
sided in Pikesville eighteen years
ago, the writer was told the
thrilling story of the "headleSs
hOrseman" and how he appeared
to the narrator. We give it in
his own words: II was going
home one Saturday night, or
rather Sunday morning, about
o'clock. The moon shone bright
as day. and, it being the month
of June, the shadows that it cast
were black and heavy. | had
reached the lower end of Walker
Avenue and was turning into
the Old Court road, when hear
ing the sound as of a horse gal
Looping, | looked up the road and
at or near the carriage gate of
Mr. Charles G. Shipley, l espied
man rapidly advancing on
horseback.
He was mounted on a power.
ful black horse, and in a few sec
Onds arrived alongside. This
occurrence did not startle me, as
| thought he was another be.
nighted traveller like myself, but
on glancing up toward the man
as he swept by | noticed with
dismay that he was without any
head. There was his whole form
outlined as plain as day, with the
exception of his head and that
was wanting.
"He swept on and disappeared
at point a short distance below
the school house. | commenced
to feel my hair stand, and when
reached my home my hat felt