The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1910-05-03
THE HAUNTED WELL.


rem, where / was born and brought up.
1t was worked so long ago that l will
not try to set a date for 1t. r. r.
Treadway and Elias Warner, farm
hands of Foster Mobiles, were the orig
inators Of what became known as the
haunted or talking we'll They made
a good sell out Of whole cloth. and the
people everywhere were taken ia by
1t.
1.-THE Mobiles farm was some distance
from their own homes. They carried
their dinners while at work in the field
and one day sat down to eat at an
old well which had pump logs leading
from 1t to the trough They observed
that the water did not run from the
logs. and they made the experiment of
talking into the logs at the trough.
Their words were conveyed from the
trough SO perfectly that they appeared
to come from the well itself. Then
they decided to play a joke on their
comrades.
"They had excellent foundation for
a good ghost story In the preceding
winter John Wick, who had gone with
his neighbors to Albany with wheat,
disappeared. They had disposed Of
their loads and had covered about a
mile of their homeward journey when
Wick discovered he had forgotten
some Of his purchases and returned
for them, saying that he would soon
overtake his friends. He was never
seen again. His team was found IN
der a shed, but no trace Of him was
ever discovered.
"As the Wick incident made deep
impression on the minds of all In their
neighborhood 1t was decided to use the
spirit of John Wick in the hoax. War
ner was to tell the boys that he had
heard the spirit that day at the well.
"That night there was a meeting of
the members Of the band for practice.
and Warner, who was one of the mu-
sicians, told the others the story agreed
upon-that when he tried to draw wa
ter from the well as the bucket struck
the water the spirit Of John Wick
cried out:
flake the stone off my headP
1.-THE musicians after practice &C.
companied Warner to the well. Many
approached to the side Of the well. but
the more timid remained at a safe
distance Isaac Lake. one Of the bold
est, stood with his hands on the curb
and leaned his head over to catch the
first sound from the spirit.
Warner tied a red handkerchief
around his head. and Treadway lay in
the trough to do the talking when the
signal was given. Warner lowered
the pail into the water, and as 1t struck
the water the words came in sepul-
chral tones from the well:
"'Take that stone off my headp
1.-THE band of musicians fed. An OK
was lying a little distance from the
well when the commotion startled
him. He was in the act of rising when
Lake reached him. and Lake in his
anxiety to put a safe distance be-
tween the haunted well and himself
sprang completely over the OK length
wise without stopping
Being feet Of foot, he arrived home
sooner than any Of the others except
David Starkweather, who was on
horseback. David on his arrival bur-
riedly turned his horse. saddled and
bridled, into wheatfield. He was so
badly frightened that he did not know
what he was doing.
1.-THE news spread through the neigh
borhood rapidly, and the next night
here was crowd around the well to
near the spirit talk. There were old
and young people Of both sexes.
Treadway resumed his place in the
trough. and Warner was the medium
to communicate to the spirit.
HE wore red sash about his loins
and handkerchief Of the same color
around his head. With a pole as his
wand he troubled the waters in the
well, and the response came forth,
Take the stone off my headr
''Soon the neighborhood no longer
confined the story to the haunted well.
People from miles around congregated
each night at the side of the well, and
finally the deacons Of several churches
assembled in solemn conclave, with
Deacon Warren Wick as the leader
''They knelt around the well, and
Deacon Wick addressed the throne of
grace in such a stentorian voice that
he could be heard for half mile At
the end of the prayer they arose, and
Warner troubled the water with his
wand. Take the stone of my head!
came forth. as usual
Deacon Wick then demanded in a
loud voice. In the name of God and
the archangel. who are your
The spirit of John Wick was the
solemn reply.
"'How came you there? asked the
deacon.
Il was murdered and put here
ut was resolved to dig into the well
the next night, and the folks were on
hand with shovels and picks and bars
to carry their resolution into effect
and remove the stone from the head
of the murdered man. The boys then
thought that they had carried the joke
far enough and told the truth about
the affair. greatly to the Indignation
and chagrin of their credulous dupes.
MANY Of the people there were su-
perstitious and believers in witchcraft.
In the midst of the excitement as a
Mr.. Skinner was taking load Of peo-
pie to view the wonder his horses
were bewitched while they were de-
scending a steep hill, and in spite Of
coaxing and whipping they would not
stir until after the performance at the
suroII ..rnu orro.. Ga o.,i. cAn.