Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1908-09-26
A TURBULENT GHOST.
Noisy Nocturnal Rounds OF an
Invisible Visitor.
QUEER DEATH OF OLD JABEZ.

no Oncanny incident Inat disturbed
the Quiet OF an Old Virginia Home.
A Nightly Tramp That Never Ceased
Until the House Was Demolished.
.! AIN not exactly prepared to say
that believe IN ghosts" said the old
gentleman from Virginia. but nj the
same time, In view of certain things
that have been told me by persons
whose regulations for vcracit.f.lo not
admit of n doubt, | cannot allow my
self to ridiculc the ideas Of others who
do believe In an occasional return 10
earth of the dead.
There is one case In particular that
| know Of personally aud that can be
youched for by number Of citizens
In the upper counties of my state. and
Martin. who knew a number of well
To do farmers In Fauquicr Ms Well rs
IN Spottsylvania. Rappahannock and
other counties In the northern part Of
the state. Uncle .1abc ms most every
one who knew the old fellow called
hin. had considerable of the nomnd IN
lis disposition and led u wandering
pastoral life lie was always willing
to work when any one needed his scrV
Ices and did good deal of rough car
pentcrlng In return for meal o.
whites and shakcdowt.' rs he cA.
pressed IT, aud ms he WAS pretty well
known In the land OF his pilgrlIna@cs
IL was rare occurrence when he was
not given welcome
III old Uncle .labe thought more If
another ii was the Greens. Virginia
us all know. Is full of Greens An es
Unable crowd they are. and nearly all
OF them consider themselves ms relat
ed In some degree OF consanguinity 10
the others OF that name. The Greens
of Virginia Is the finest tribe of thai
name In seven states. was the con
slant boast OF Uncle Jabe and above
and beyond any other Green anywhere
lie placed Marse Dickie Green of Eau
quier and that Is where my ghost
story. If you Will please to consider II
as such begins.
"One wild night in the month Of Dc.
tobcr not very long before the war the
old wandcrcr made his appearance al
Squire Green's. Mr.. Green WAS called
squire by virtue OF being Justice ~
the peace. Jabe wanted his usual
meal o whites and ShakedoNn. and
It was at his service. as usual and
after good supper he sat On the hack
steps OF the house smoked his old
pipe for awhile ana then went 10 bed
Squire Green was engaged IN some
work that kept him NJ until midnight.
and as the clock struck T. he heard Il
heavy sound on the stairway II seem.
ed as If someone was coming down the
steps with heavy irons on the legs
The sound was carried TO the door
which was opened noIsily aud then
closed with a terrific crash.
Thinking II strange that old lube
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 everything Was perfectly calm and
nobody IN sight Back again went lhc
surprised squire and up into the attic
chamber where Martin always slept
when he made his calls. He found
everything calm ana quiet there II
was the quiet OF death. for old I'nclc
Jabe was lying supine on his back.
with his CLASSY eyes staring right up
TO the ceiling. where the squire left
him until the morning
When he related the circumstances
in the morning 1t seemed that every
other one OF the house had been dis
turhcd hy the uncanny noises The
strange part OF II is that next night
the same sounds We're heard again.
even 10 the slamming OF the door, and
an Investigation 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 rs they Mere.
frequently at midnight they became 50
used TO them they would simply re-
mark that Uncle .Iabc was trampng
again and 20 10 sleep again.
Friends and neighbors who knew %
the ghostly exercises were ayerse 10
staying all night IN the house. and the
darkics couldn't be brlbed to come near
the place after nlghtfall. The sounds
never ceased until after the house was
torn down. and even its demolition.
which II was hoped might reveal the
source of Its strange and grcwsome
sound. failed to present any cxplana-
ton. There are folks living today in
Fauluier county" said the relater Of
the ghost story. who can. and have
no doubt readily will, testify 10 the
truth OF what have made mention
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