The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1915-12-10
Negro Halted By
Ghost of Woman;
Stones The Spook
Charley Brassheld Says He
also saw Phantom Dog and
Relates Tale of Spirit
Horses Head.

Ghosts of men and women and ami
mails have been seen fitting up and
down the Bend road, a few miles north
of this city, during the past two weeks.
and night traffic over that highway
has been suspended by the colored
residents and suspicious white folks.
The last vision was that of a wom-
an, clad in a flowing robe of white,
and it made its appearance near the
site of the old Houck mill, hardly two
miles from the Cape.
According to those who have en-
cOuntered the ghosts. they promenade
only on dark nights when the rain is
falling. Charley Brassfield, colOred
newspaper presSman, who had always
wanted to be introduced to a ghost on
dark evening, had his longing graft
fled early last Monday morning. He
was returning from a 'possum hunt
out on the Bend road. He was alone,
the night was dark and the rain made
walking diSagreeable. He was Jogging
along at good clip when flash of
white sailed over the fence in front
of him and glidcd across the road
What did you do: Charley was ask
cd.
Il les paused and fetched up a
rock he replied.
Il seed it wuz a ghost-a woman
! GhoSt-an ali watched to see whur it
WIZ goin'. When it skinned dat fence
on the south SIDE of the road, ah SHE'D
muh rock at its haid."
Did you hit the ghost" he was
asked.
mo, sab, yo' can't hit 'em. Ghosts
amt nothing but spirits If yO' did
hit 'em, it won't hurt EN-, cause dey
amt real folks. Yo' see ghosts is .es'
spooks an spooks amt nobody whut's
real. Dey is les whut's left NV people
whut's done daid, an dey is always
bObbin' up when yO' amt 'spectin' 'em
to be 'roun.
''No, sab. al amt skccr'd NV ghosts.
| bin loollin, TO spookS all My life, but
| never finds one till all goes out to
visitin' with the Runnels boys. First
ghost seed wuz d big white dog. 1t
tuck its tail and les crost the Bend
road No, sub, | didn't run. All ics'
steps up to de fence and looks Ovah
to see wha dat spOok dog done gone.
Ghosts amt gwine hurt nobody |
ben wantin' to feel NV a spOok, but
doy IS skccr'd @ me- Out on the old
Judcn farm, de ghosts is cuttin' didos
all time.
"Dcy spends the nights in the corn
crib whut used to be a church. Shcr-
man RunneIs and other friends NV
mine wuz shuckin' corn in the crib one
night. when they hears a racket 4
light shows itself right in the corn
and the light turns out to be horses
neck. Runnels grabs de pitch fork an
tries to lift Mistah Spook out, but he
couldn't feel the ghost wild no fork.
''De ghost got to cuttin, up so fierce
the boys .ies got outer the crib. Next
night when they wuz shucIin' Mistah
Horses haid showed hisscf right in
the corn agin. Runnels. he is feared
NV spooks, and he quits his position"
BraSsfield's story is almost in dupli-
cate Of the weird tales told by people
who travel the Bend road late at night
Phantom lights have been seen dane
ing on the hills, walking along the
fences and fitting across pastures.
Some are in the form of men and
women and some bear the outline of
dogs, cats and horses and COWS, ac-
cOrding to those who have seen them.
They are visible only on dark rainy
nights, and are reported most often in
the early hours of the morning.