Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-08-28
SUPERSTITION is
A RULING PASSION
GHOST STORIES AND TALES OF
THE UNNATURAL ALWAYS
FIND AN AUDIENCE
Weird Happenings Even If Not Cred
tied, Are Nearly Always Received
With Attention - Many "Ghosts"
Have Natural Causes.

IL is HaFQ 10 HHQ any people VI any
nation or country who do not like to
hear the recital of things battling or
mysterious. Since the time when the
memory of man runneth not to the con-
trary, the old time ghost stories deal
ing with weird apparitions, mysterious
noises, uncanny atmospheres in ghost
ly places and dreams seemingly fortell-
ing events, have and always will COM
mand the attention of mankind and hui
manity, for there is vein of supersti-
ton in all.
The belief that the spirits Of the de-
parted are occasionally presented to
the sight of the living, has existed in
all stages and countries, and usually
declines only when a people has adj
vanced considerably in the knowledge
of physical conditions and laws.
The fear of seeing something often
so dazzles and bewilders the visual or
gan, that it sees the things that are
| feared. This accounts for the many
stories of the sight of apparitions in
haunted houses. A crime is supposed
to have been committed in some old
house, and superstition believes that
the spirit of the murderer or of the
murdered person can not rest. Who
ever is nervous and timid, and visits
the house at night, is predisposed to
see the wandering spirit and the fear
that is present oftimes deprives the
judgment Of the power to take accu-
rate observation of what is actually
seen.
Have Natural Causes.
The most of the ghost stories told
always end with the thing seen after
all coming from very natural cause.
But at the time of the persons seeing
or hearing the mysterious, in some
cases they are thrown into proxysms
of fear and seldom remain long enough
to ascertain the real cause of their
fright.
One case is on record where the one
experiencing the supernatural as she
thought, had to stay and see it
through. The story goes that a certain
young woman who was visiting with
friends who lived in the vicinity of a
graveyard had always scoffed at the
idea of ghosts. At the time mentioned
here she was sitting on the veranda of
her friends home one night among a
crowd Of young people there, who we're
amusing themselves by telling weird
ghost stories and talking of things SUI.
pernatural.
She Was Not Afraid.
The young lady boldly declared that
there were no ghosts and as a proof
that she for one was not afraid of ap-
partitions, stated that she would go
over the way alone, as dark as it was,
to the far end of the cemetery and
place stick upright in one of the
i graves and return alone
The banter was Immediately accept
ed by the crowd of young people and
she boldly set off and was soon lost to
j view in the darkness. The party on
i the veranda were much interested and
waited breathlessly for her return
After considerable time had elapsed
some of the cooler heads among them
began to grow uneasy at the young
woman's long absence and finally sew
!; eral of the young men went in search
of her. Following the course the
young woman had taken they arrived
at the other end of the cemetery, and
, these, stretched across one of the
graves, lay the young woman-uncon
scious.
, After much effort she was revived
, and was able to tell her story 1t seems
that on arriving at the grave she hat
, taken a stick to place in the grave &C
5 cording to her contract, and as she
went to drive it in the ground, il
caught her dress and for moment she
, felt that something was pulling he
dress down into the grave. Withou
| stopping for an instant to investigate
f she became frightened, lost all he
$ nerve and tainted.
, Believe That They See Spirits.
And SO it goes, most all the storie:
: Of ghosts come from quite natura
causes. But there are a great man.
who will tell a ghost story and firml,
insist that it was departed spirit will
which they had to deal.
MlI IAMCRIIPH