Los Angeles herald., 1905-09-25
GHOST OF AGED
CRONE APPEARED
WAS NOT BURIED WHERE HER
WILL DECREED
Died of Starvation With Wallet Full
,of Banknotes Pressed to Her
Bosom-Weddlng silver
In Hovel
to The Herald.

special TO ne
MONTGOMERY, Pa, Sept. 24.-An
odd story comes from the western part
of White Deer valley, near the village
of Elimsport. The ghost of Cassie Fos-
ter Is declared to have been seen In the
vicinity of the hovel where, several
years ago, she was found dead, from
starvation. The apparition of the
scrawny old woman is declared to have
been seen by lonely traveller on his
way from Collomsville to this place.
The traveller declares that, owing to
the light from the moon, he was able to
see the ghostly form distinctly. and that
at one point near the entrance to the
little old log house, back from the road,
the shadowy thing stopped and waved
it's arms as though it were about to fly.
A Good Character for Ghost
Cassie Foster was fine character
for a ghost play. Eccentric even to
oddity, the old woman for many years
lived alone in log hut at the foot OF
the mountain, and in the very heart Of
a forest that lined itself along on either
side of the road, the latter running
rod away from the hovel. She was re-
ported to be wealthy, and in small
room upstairs was stored heavy silver
plate that was given to her as a bridal
gift when she was married to a rich
farmer in the far west. After his
death she came into the White Deer
section, purchased twenty acres of tim
Der land and built upon it the little log
house. In this she lived with flock OF
pigeons which were taught to roost
upon the foot of her bed. Half a rod
away from the house she built a dam
across a small stream, and in this the
morning she was found dead was dis
covered a monster copperhead snake
which she had fed and petted into a
condition of docility.
Surrounded thus the old woma1l-for
she was nearly 20 years old when she
died-lived severely alone. Occasionally
the farmers wives who lived nearest
would call on the old lady, but she was
never amiable enough to betoken much
of a welcome, so she was permitted to
live the life Of recluse.
Rats Ate Fingers and Ears
One day two wives of farmers, moth
ing having been seen of Cassie for more
than a week, trudged over the rocky
road to the hovel in the woods. The
door of the cabin stood open. The old
womans shoes were on the floor in the
kitchen. But she was not in sight. Ooe
of the women climbed to the head OF
the stairs, where, almost within arm
length from the top step, lay the old
woman, dead in bed her wasted form
and face having already taken on the
horrible caricature of a skeleton. A
dozen rats scampered off the bed, ard
when the men who were notified came
they found that the rodents had eaten
her fingers and her ears.
She had been dead several days. anc
an official investigation brought out the
fact that she had literally died from
starvation. She was dressed as fully as
she ever dressed, and under her waist,
in the cavity of her sunken chest, was
found her wallet In this was number
Of nicely-pressed bank bills, and her
bank book, showing that she had on de-
posit in a Williamsport bank a con-
r{aau.t4ia q a,,,o,,pt NJ tnoneV.
Named Her Burial Spot
In the Williamsport bank was also
a will, and in this she designated the
SPOT where she desired to be buried.
The spot selected was at the foot Of an
old chestnut stump, five PAGES west
ward from the door of her cabin, and
her declaration in this respect was so
pronounced that she stated specifically
that her remains, under no considera-
ton, should be buried elsewhere. But
before the will was read the body had
been Inferred in cemetery at Films
port. and there 1t remained. The old
lady had bequeathed all her money to
the headquarters of the Salvation Army
in New York, so that there were no
funds available for reinterment.
Not many months after her burial
people passing the Cassie Foster hovel
at night believed they saw a queer light
in the place. and they heard sounds
that reminded them OF the old woman