The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-05-21
GHOSTS REIGN OF TERROR.
STRANGE STORY OF A SOUTHERN
GEORGIA ESTATE.
surrenoy Deserted for 81 Years Because
OF tho Uncanny DoinSs Of Invisible
Agencies - Manifestations Continued
for Monfha-&tatAmont Of Q WitneSI.

Surrenoy Deserted for 81 Years Because
OF tho Unoanny D0inSs Of Invisible
AGENCIES - Manifestations Continued
for Months-statamont OF witness.
The strange story Of ghost haunted and
deserted Surrency was first told me by
q friend who Ia one Of the most famous
and brilliant railroad lawyers in the South.
The horrors and grueeomeness OF the story
captured my imagination, and after much
hesitation decided to 60 to that
desolated spot, within fifty miles OF the
coast Of Georgia, and to get the facts In
the remarkable case, for my own salts
faction, writes Mrs. l. K. Reno in the Nash
vile Bonner.
Old Surrency; the original but now de-
serted Surrency, was in the beginning
but the name OF quaint. small estate,
the homestead Of the Surrency family in
Southern Georgia. 1t has grown now to
cover and include the community of scat
tered farmhouses, wide in extent and
separated one from another by varying
distances from one to several miles.
These homes. which have been deserted
for decade more than quarter OF CEN
tury are all in ruins, and OF many OF them,
originally only tiny frame structures OF
one or two rooms, not vestige of timber
or stone remains. The lands around them,
too. are deserted and untitled. leaving
as bare, wild and desolate a spot as perhaps
exists nowhere else on the earth to-day.
The special interest Of tho strange and
mysterious drama which was enacted here
tbirty-fve years ago centers In the old
homestead The house was double
frame structure, two stories high, with a
wing in the rear. and was both roon,y and
comfortable and far more imposing than
any other in the vicinity. Though deserted
all these years and bearing the unmis-
taxable scars Of wind and storm and desc
lation, it is. nevertheless, all things con-
sidered, in state of preservation scarcely
to have been expected.
Mr.. Surrency. who Is living witness to
the story he told me, is possibly so or SIS
years of age. and possesses the quiet cour-
tesy and dignity OF manner Of the true
man of the South. He has charge Of the
little railway station, Surrency.
NV fathers name, he said, was A. P.
Surrency. He built our old home there
in the 'Aos, and he, with my mother,
brothers and sisters, lived here many years
before the troubles came which finally
drove us from the place.
-One afternoon in the summer OF 1870
my mother was sewing in her bedroom
when she heard an unaccusto med noise
Again and vet again it came with ever
lessening intervals, and when my mother,
interested in spite of herself finally glanced
up she was amazed to see the pitcher in
the bowl on the washstand rocking back
and forth. She got up and went over to
fhe Ditcher to see IL any string or wire
were attached to it, for mother of mis-
chieyous boys is rarely taken by surprise,
but she found none. and investigation
assured her that all Of her boys were out
of the house and that she was indeed alone.
"she resumed her former seat and her sew
Ing and was about to conclude that the
strange occurrence would not be repeated.
when she was amazed to see the pitcher
lift itself several inches from the bowl and
then settle down into it again with loud
noise This was repeated several times.
then the pitcher was lifted entirely ont OF
the bowl and placed with deliberate care.
beside it on the washstand.
"Immediat ely after this the bowl was
flung from the washstand and fell in shower
Of Fragments at my mothers feet: and in
quick succession the smaller pieces of the
entire toilet set followed and added their
se vera little heaps to the debris on the floor
Then. as If done by invisible hands. the
larger pitcher on the washstand was lifted
and poised on its side. so that the clear
spring water 1t contained was poured slowly
from It on the carpet, and when quite emptied
it. was lifted high and fung with much
violence to the floor where 1t was entirely
shattered. From that day the peace and
quiet of the happy old homestead were
destroyed and were never again re-
THE very next day after it's first mani
when all tho family was assembled