Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-09-16


house. A traveller was murdered in
an upstairs room, and a cruel step
mother kicked a little girl down the
steps and death ensued. A highly re-
spected lady, who lived at this old
home when n bride, told me that the
house was unquestionably haunted
for she has heard and seen NANTES.
tations that could not bL attributed to
natural causes. She said often in the
broad daylight, when sitting down.
stairs, she could plainly hear the steps
of a small child coming down the
stairs and they would then ascend
There was a bend in the stairs and
she often moved her chair so as to see
half way up the stairs, when the
steps would stop at the bend and then
ascend. When she moved her chair
so as to see the entire fight Of stairs,
the pattering ceased altogether, Until
she moved when it was resumed. This
lady also said that che would make up
feather bed in an upstairs room
and smooth it very neatly. She would
then, boty night and in daytime, hear
apparently some one pouring sack Of
pears on the floor from near the cell
ing or other strange sounds. On as
cending to the room nothing could be
seen out of order, except that in the
middle of the bed the imprint Of a man
was seen. She said she would smooth
the bed and soon the noise would be
repeated and the shape appear on the
bed. Other weird stories were told in
connection with this old haunted
house.
Near Lowudesville, in Abbeville
county, s. c., were two haunted hous-
es and also a spot in the road where ii
is said traveller was murdered, ard
large black. dog with him also killed.
This spot was said to be haunted, and
that between sundown and dark Il
large black dog was seen to run across
the road with it's head cut of. Negroes
avoided this spot after dark and many
white people believed the story. There
lived nearby a family, among whom
was a beautiful young girl just bud
ding into womanhood. One day the
girl went to visit a neighbor, and her
walk carried her by the haunted spot.
Just before sundown her brother re-
marked that his sister had not return
ed, and as she would have to pass the
haunted spot about dusk, he would
go and meet her, lest she be afraid.
So he started. but did not notice that
large Newfoundland dog, belonging
TO him, had trotted on ahead. Just
before reaching the haunted spot he
heard his sister give a heart-rendinS
Shrek, and on rushing to her assis-
tance found the girl lying in the road
in convulsions. 1t seems that his dog,
unnoticed, by him, had gone on ahead
and just as the girl reached the haunt
ed spot, her mind doubtless on the
story of the headless dog, the animal
CHANGED to cross the road just before
her. She undoubtedly mistook the
animal for the ghost dog and wit
Shrek dropped in the road. She was
tenderly carried home and every effort
made to restore her but without avail.
An eminent physician of Lowndesville,
DIR. Alexander Arnold, was sent for,
and in spite of every effort she con-
tinued in convulsions. The girl was
finally sent to an asylum for the in
sane, and after years she died without
regaining her mental faculties.
But with the abolition of slavery
and breaking of the kindly links that
bound the children and planters to the
black slaves, the superstitions have
passed away and you now never hear
of n haunted house or place. But there
still fingers in the minds of our older
generation a certain amount of su-
perstition, but with a new generation
this will also disappear.
In ye olden time mon and women of
intelligence and education were preg-
nant with superstition, and many hon
cstly believed in ghosts and haunts.
County grave yards were favored sites
for ghostly scenes. One night, near
Lowndesville S. c., a party of young
people gathered at neighbors house
not far from an old graveyard. The
conversation turned on spirits, when
young girl present remarked that
she did not believe in such nonsense,
and to show her courage would Visit
alone the grave yard as the clock
struck twelve, and to prove her visit
would stick a sharpened peg in the
grave of a noted gambler and desper.
ado. She started to carry out her
boast, but after being absent an I'M
reasonable, time, her young friends
went to the cemetery to see what de-
tanned her. On nearing the gamblers
grave they saw something white
stretched across it, and on rushing to
the spot found the young girl lying
unconscious. Investigation showed
that in driving down the peg in h.
grave it caught in the edge of her
dress, and when she started to move
away of course it drew her back, rs If
caught by human hand. Her fright