Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-10-10
ANIE-BELLUzW SOLTYKERNERS
LNBIBED SUPERSTY7TONSE EARLY
Negro Servants Impressed Them in Childhood With
Stories of Ghosts and 'Iiants'' Which Made Young
Blood Run Cold They Passed Cravcyards


was large and successful farmer and
a man of education and unusual in
tc!lieence. We had gone only n short
distance from his home when he stop
ped his horse. asked me to hold the
lines. and getting out made a cross
mark in the road. spit in ii and then
turned his vehicle around. drove back
To his house. l asked VIVA; he meun:
by all of that riYamarolc. He stated
that he had forgotten To leave his
barn keys. and to prevent any mis-
nap or i'll luck on retracinr his stems
he always made a cross mark and
spat in II. on convcrsing with nv
friend. found him full Of supers,i.
Ton as an egg Is full OF meat. liz.
ioia me that he had frequently
noticed that IL you did not pursue this
practice some iii fortune was GER
tam to oEertakc you before your re-
turn. He also believed in spiritu,l
manifestations. and spoke of n haunt
Ell spot in the road near his home.
where. during the Revolutionary War
several tories were killed in :, tkir-
"''Sh with coloaial troops. He sai,i
d ce' 'a!h times. in passing this spot.
nc heard irainping az horses and IN.
rhttiins and clashing OF swords. on
my expressing doubts about the truth
o. his story. he introduced me to
se't7ai mighty respected and int.llI-
gent men and women OF the settle
,ncht. all OF whom found stronr, hc
i'e'eFs III that haunted road
imbibed Superstition.
mere is Il streak OF superstition
IN All southern whites raised during
slavery times. and which they i'm
eihed from the negroes. Remove
from our blacks the restraining hand
al the white man and tho influence.
oi christianity. and in few genera
uon1 they would relapse into barb,r-
Ism and tccome converts TO youdou-
isE'. w.tchcraft and Other suner.ti-
lions characteristic Of their Africa,
ancestry. as instance in ST. Domingo
ana other West Indian Isles. when
the b'acks arc in control and an
oVarrowcrinE majority.
Ever John e. Calhoun, the great
aou'h Carolina statesman. had a
oFo"d vein or superstition running
through him. and believed In spiritual
manifestations. Mr.. Calhoun was
often visitor at the home OF nv
great grandfather. Judge Can't q,
Grrenviilc County :. c. NV father
$50 4'' vi lcIl ne1fQ NIT. Cal
noun h|irate ghost stories and he told
"' ms own experiences. lie said
Whle Il member OF the United States
Heh''te before the days of railroads
ami Wien travellers made Icing Jour
nc. oh horseback. he was en- route
I" Washington ana spent tn. nlrr,.
WIN l. large planter and intimat,
tri,hd In Virginia. On retiring 1T
night Mr.. Calhoun was consigned To
room and bed with another gentle
man VINO was also Il guest for the
"!f"l. 'n conducting them to their
eh"niocr' the host remarked that II
thcy heard any commotion during
.he night not to he disturbed. lie had
had Information that his eldest son
had landed from vessel having ,t-
tended oxford College In England.
and he expected him at any hour hav
ing sent horse To Washington for
him To ride home on.
Awakened by BedfeIIov.
Alter Icing asleep for some time
Nr. calhoun says he awokc hy being
lken by his hedfellow who re-
rkI:
Great God. MIR. Calhoun, Just look
!! the window. for there stands
Young Blank tson OF their hos,). with
ms throat cut from ear to ear and his
Cd is dripping all over the win
wsiil!'
Mr.. Calhoun said he looked at the
window but could sec nothing save
Tue stars. SHINING In the sky. but his
"npanion insisted that he plainly
' the bleeding young man.
Mr.. Calhoun said at that hour :,
clock struck and he knew the exact
me that the apparition appeared
hodfcll"w was very much excited.
but Mr. Calhoun told him that what
he saw was purely imaginary. and
cautioned him NOT to say ANYTHING
and 20 To sleep. but his companion
''as SO excited that he did not slcep
gain that night.
II breakfast they found that the
young man had not returned. and af-
'r bidnHs the family goodbye they
mounted their horses TO continue
their journey. Just before starting
man dashed up, to the door on
horseback with the horrifyine news
that the young man had stopped at
bar-room on the road and got into
n alteration with some drunken
r'wdy. and the trouble ended In his
hrving his throat cut exactly as seen
" the bcdfcllow OF Mr. Calhoun, and
y was also disclosed that the killing
occurred exactly ut the hour the
ectrc appeared at his fathers
f"nSc To u visitor
In antebcllum days. nearly every
'ettlemcnt had its haunted house or
pot l remember when hoy hear
ing several of these stories connected
with nc!ghboring places both In the
over and upcountry.
In the carly 40's. near. RockvaIc.
the home OF Judge Richard CAN'T. In
'reenviile County, was u large two
story wooden residence, sitting back
, snort distance from the public road.
known ms the Marley Place" II Is
said that this old house was haunted
and the story was Implicitly believed.
The story runs that moro than one
murder had been committed In the
house. a traveller was murdered In