The Cape weekly tribune. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1914, 1914-02-27
TWO GHOSTS
SCRAP ON
BENTON HILL
Psychic Phenomena Frightens
Haarig Boys Almost TO
Death
SPIRITS BATTLE TO FINISH
Horror Stricken Youngsters Have
Not Yet Recovered Mental
Equilibrium

Saturday night at about 1880
O clock three badly bcdragglcd, mud
smcarcd, pasty pale faced young men
came into Haarig almost too fright
cucd to talk, too excited to keep still
and too horror stricken to relate the
full details of their grucsomc cNpcr-
fences without friendly urgcnce and
assurances from their listeners.
It seems that they were out hunt
ing posSums in the woods about four
miles west Of town, when they awcrc
attracted by peculiar light cmanat-
ing from the summit of what is known
as Benton Hill" The illumination
they stated was Of a pallid, green
color. and lighted up and made plain
the topmost branches Of the tallc~t
trees surrounding this promontuN
which is located at the crossing ci
the old Benton and Bloomfield roads.
CuriSoity TO ascertain the source
Of this weird and phantomlikc vision
prompted the boys to investigate.
They cautiously approached the edge
uf the timber that they might have
an unohstructcd view Of whatever
scenes were being enacted in the
crossroads When they had reached
a point some thirty yards distant
from the object of their search their
gaze came in contact with a sight
that fairly chilled the marrow in their
bones. frozc the blood in their veins
and paralyscd the nerves in their
bodies. They were too frightened
to retreat and their eyes seemed
glued as if by hypnotic influence, to
the form Of hcadlcss giant garbCd
in long. flmy robe of white, and
carrying in one hand an immense
lantern which shed it ghostlikc rays
with luminous effect for hundreds
Of feet in all directions. The free
arm almost touched the ground, the
hand was gnarlcd and knOttrd, the
/ fingers appeared to be almost Il foot
in clngth, and each nail sent out
scintilIating sparklcs that would rem
der the most glittcring stone in the
kings crown "A cheap imitation of a
paste diamond. The head seemed to
have been torn from the upper GER
vicals. and from the rough and Jagged
edges of bruised and laccratcd flesh
the blood gushcd and spurtcd con-
tinuously, staining and saturating
the gau2y garb and rendering tho
object most hidCous to behold. sud.
denly stopping as if having discovered
something in its search, the vision
set its lantern down, stopped and pick.
ed up in it's claw like hands mons
trouS human head which it carCsscC
and fondlpd for a few second, whcr
the mommoth jaws separated, anc
from the CavcrnouS mouth there cs
capped deep, mournful wall quickly
followed by Il succession of picrcnl
screams that rcvrrhratcd through th,
silent woods in n manner calcualtco
to drive fear into the strongest hear
and render helpless the reasoning
of the best balanced mind
70 add to the horrors of the situa
tion just at this time another appari
tion of most hideous form and feature
wildly waving its long haiI-likc arm
, and uttcring continued deep guttura
, sounds not unlike the angry grumh
| lings of an approaching tornado
/, suddenly made its appearance oI
the roadside and without hesitation
bitter conflict with the mystcriou
, spectral form first making its ap
| pearancc. The ghastly head wa
: dashed to the ground where it main
q tanned continuous Outcry Of ca
piercing, nerve destroying scream,
while the hostile rumblings of tn
inccnscd adversary caused the yer
/ earth to trcmblc as if in the dccpcs
= throcs of South American cartl
= quake, The battle ragged fcrccl
l. between these formidable psychi
10 monsters until the excited hound b,
longing to the party of frightcnc
i witnesses began to bark loudly TT
q contestants, as if Of one mind fo
g got their differences and togcthc
{ swept down the dcspairing youth
# Their recollection of what folloWc
?. is very vague They only kno
Il that they were overcome with sens
..i,n ,t "a r,1l rI,t tptny. ,I..ru a,