The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-04-30
HOW HEADLESS HESSIAN
OF IRVING ORIGINATED

, Spring street and hear Dobley tell the
| story. Eyerybody's there"
Sure enough. on Spring street, then far
uptown, the old 'leather-head' Waterman
was solemnly retelling his tale to an ever
increasing crowd, awestruck and skeptl-
cal doubtful and credulous. While on
his rounds the night before, just on the
stroke of Il. he had seen an unheard-ot
appartion leap from the darkness near
the haunted well. A towering phantom,
clad in white dashed down the street on
a eoal-black horse, fire flashing from the
noseless hoofs, and disappeared to the
eastward.
Some of the incredulous cross-questioned
the old man. but he steadfastly stuck TO
every detail of his story. Others. more
inclined to believe, gathered about the
curb of the disused we'll lifted the wood
en- cover, gazed into the dark pool and
with many wise shahngs of the head and
vague surnises. discussed its tragic story
aid the relation the recent spectral appa-
rition might bear thereto.
| Two wears before the body of a beauti-
| full young girl OF Quaker family, Jullana
Edmore Sands had been found In the
abandoned we'll. Levi Weeks. to whom
she was said to have been betrothed, was
arrested charged with her murder and
was indicted by the coroner's jury. The
trial was the talk Of the town for many
a day Cadwalader d. Golden conducted
the prosecution. No less famous lawyers
than Brockholst Livingston. Alexander
Hamilton and Aaron Burr were associ-
ated In the defense. Weeks was acquit-
ted: vet although the evidence presented
against him had seen far from conclusive
the suspicion that had been fastened upon
him was never cleared away and. inno-
cent or guilty, his career was blghted.
So the murder remained a mystery
What more natural tran that the spirit
of the undeteeted murderer-suicide too
in all probability-shGld now haunt the
scene of his dreadful crime ever striving
to flee from the blood stained brink Of the
well. but condemned to return thither
night after night7
Thus spoke the local quidnuncs and
wiseaores But the butchers OF Oswego
market wholesome. practical men. and.
as ono would infer from their calling,
prone rather to attribute such phenomena
to things of the neshly than Of the spirit
ual world. were i'll content with theoriz-
ing. Forthwith resolving themselves into
a little Society for Psychical Research.
they determined that very evening to
biuld across Spring street barrier that
would effec lively balk the attempts Of any
ill-advised Joker to witch the world with
phantom horsemanship. and further to
bestow themselves nearby in order to
make sure Of the identity of the ghost.
The latter part OF the plan of campaign.
how n did not appeal to comfort-lo
George Ship.
"As | saldt before" he grumbled. "dlss
Is all foolishness. Nunl / viii help you
buidt your fiddle fence like vot We call
an abbatls In de RAINY so dat der teufurs
own horse couldn't chump Offer idt. Budt
will not shtay oudt in de nighdt air vidt
a lodt Of tam dumkopfen to catch my
deadt of coldt tryin' to catch a spuke."
So. while he lent very efficient aid in
erecting the barrier the Hessian was not
Of the party that watched behind It that
night. warding off the evil effects of the
chill air with iudicious potations and be-
quilting the time with grisly tales Of
sprites and COLLINS which In that day still
formed part Of the heritage of many an
old New York family.
The night wore on. The voices OF the
town were hushed. One by one the lights
of the scattered houses were extinguished.
1t was dark of the moon, and the stars
gave barely enough / ut to enable the
straining eyes OF the watchers to distln-
guish objects fifty feet away. The quav-
ering voice Of old Dobley was heard chnt-
ing: Twelve o'clock and ais well,'
when out of the blackness that shrouded
the old well came an uncouth thing
Nearer 1t swept A great, weird. terrible
figure In CHASTITY white upon huge black
horse ! With a swill and precision that
alone argued a supernatural knowledge OF
| obstacles. the phantom rode the black
steed straight at the point where the bar
rier was iowest-yet even there II was
charger rose in the air lii. black cloud.