The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-09-27
WHEN THE GHOST WALKED.
Sounded az II He Had Heavy Irons
on His Legs-Siammed Door.
Washington Post,


Il am not exactly prepared to say
that / believe in ghosts" said the old
gentleman from Virginia but at the
same time, in view Of certain things
that have been told me by persons
whose reputation for veracity do not
admit of a doubt ] cannot allow my
self TO ridicule the ideas of others who
do believe in an occasional return to
earth of the dead.
There is one case is particular that
know of personally. and that can be
youched for by a number of citizens I'm
the upper counties of my state, and
| that is the case of old Uncle Jabez
Martin. who knew number OF we'll
| to-do farmers in Fauquier, as we'll as
| in Spottsylvania, Rappahannock ant
other counties in the northern part OF
| the state. Uncle Jabe, as most every
one who knew the old fellow called
him, had considerable of the nomad in
| his disposition. and led a wandering,
pastoral life. He was always willing %
| work when any one needed his ser
vices. and did a good deal of rough
carpentering in return for a meal o
whites and a shakedown. as he ex-
pressed 1t. and as he was pretty well
known in the land of his pilgrimages,
| it was a rare occurrence when he was
not given a welcome
IF old Uncle Jabe thought more or
one family in the state than he did of
another il was the Greens. Virginia,
as all know. is full of Greens. An esti-
mabie crowd they are. and nearly all
of them consider themselves as relat-
ed. in some degree of consanguinity.
To the others of that name. The Greens
Of Virginia is the finest tribe of thar
name in seven states was the con-
slant boast of Uncle Jabe, and above
and beyond any other Green anywhere
he placed 'Marse Dickie Green OF Eau
'quier, and that is where my ghost
story. II you will please to consider II
as such. begins.
"One mild night, in the month of
October, not very long before the war
the old wanderer made his appearance
at Squire Green's. Mr.. Green was
called squire by virtue of being a JUS
tice Of the peace. Jabe wanted his
usual meal o. whites and shakedown,
and ii was at his service. as usual, and
after a good supper. he sat on the back
steps Of the house, smoked his old pipe
for while, and then went to bed.
! Squire Green was engaged in some
work that kept him up until midnight,
and as the clock struck II he heard a
heavy sound on the stairway. It
seemed as If some one was coming
down the steps with heavy irons on the
legs. The sound was carried to the
door. which was opened noisily and then
closed with a terrific crash.
Thinking it strange that old Jabez
Martin would be guilty of making such
unnecessary noise, the squire rushed to
the door, and opened it. The moon was
shining in all its beauty. and every
thing was perfectly calm. ard nobody
in sight. Back again went the sur
prised squire. and up into the attic
chamber. where Martin always slept
when he made his calls. He found ev-
erything calm and quiet there. II was
the quiet of death. for old Uncle Jabe'
was lying supine on his back. with his
CLASSY eyes staring right up to the cell
ing. where the squire left him until the
morning.
when he related the circumstances
in the morning. IL seemed that every
other one of the house had been dis
turbed by the uncanny noises. The
strange part of IL is that next night the
same sounds were heard again, even to
the slamming of the door. and an IN
vestigation proved that there was no
person to make them. There were no
towards In Squire Green's family, but
the noises disturbed them, and when
they were heard. as they were. fire.
quently at midnight, they became 80
used to them they would simply remark
that Uncle Jabe was tramping again.
and go to sleep again.
Friends and neighbors, who knew of
the ghostly exercises, were averse tn
staying all night in the house. and the
darkies couldn't be bribed to come near
the place after nightfall. The sounds
never ceased until after the house was
torn down, and even its demolition.
which it was hoped might reveal the
source OF its strange and grewsome
sound. failed TO present any eXplana-
ton. There are folks living today in
Fauquier county" said the relater 81
the ghost story. who can. and I have
no doubt readily will, testify 10 the
truth Of what / have made mention Of -