Year: 1873

From the Bowling Green (Kyl Democrat, Oc.


tober 20.


The idea that mankind do not carry
their grudges beyond the grave seems to
have received a severe shock by recent
occurrence near Rumsey. neighboring
village of ours, located on Green River,
counties. The story, as told by credi-
BILE resident Of the neighborhood. is to
the effect that some. years ago an old
gentlemen died in that neighborhood
and willed certain Of his property to his
relatives. He gave his wife life inter-
est in his real estate which was to go
after her death to his nephew, who was
also to have the rest Of his personal prop
erty not especially devised to others.
Unexpectedly to his wife, this amounted
to more than was evidently intended; for
he chose to claim and get possession of
even that property which she had con-
sidered and treated as her own. The
avarice of her nephew so irritated her
that she declared he should never enjoy
the property after her death, and that
she should live SO long that his expecta-
tions and hopes should be long unreal
lL0I. llCI tchuSlby VI hVh o"h Noy wan
such that many of them declared they
believed she would either live forever or
haunt the nephew after her death. For
years there were chickering's and bitter
ness between the aunt and nephew. and
no opportunity was lost by either to
annoy the other, and when the
nephew was an old man the aunt
died, apparently of natural decay (;
went out like an exhausted taper.
Just before she died she gave directions
to her attendants about the manner in
which her remains should be prepared
for the grave, and among other things
she strictly enjoined on them to put no
flowers about her corpse, to use no
shroud, but to clothe her corpse in n
black dress and have no useless para
phernalia or pomp in connection with
her funeral Her orders were strictly
obeyed, except that after she was placed
in her coffin young lady, who had not
heard of her antipathy TO flowers, placed
a small bunch on her breast. She had
hardly laid the floral testimonial OF her
respect out of her hand when the corpse
began to move, and in few moments the
old woman sat up in her coffin and threw
the flowers at the young lady, who,
frightened half out of her senses, ran
screaming from the room, while all those
who behed the spectacle were shocked
beyond measure, but the old lady, being
apparently satisfied when the offensive
ornaments were got rid of, quietly lay
down again and was buried in due time.


As soon as the funeral was over, the
nephew entered and took possession Of
his inheritance, moving his family into
the old house, which was much better
building than the one he had occupied.
He was cougratulatng himself on his
good fortune, while setting things to
rights, but on the first night of his arri.
val he found that the old lady intended
to keep her threat of haunting him. He
was not made of the metal that feai
ghosts, and he allowed no trifie to dis
turb him; but about midnight he was
awakened by the screaming of his chill,
dren, who had been awakened by ths
we'll known step of his aunt, as If walk
ing about the room, and one of them de-
clared she saw the ghost Of her aunt, and
heard her footsteps Gathering up the
stairs. The father, although anxious tc
comfort his children, had to acknowl
edge he teo had heard the steps, bu
secuted the idea OF ghost, and went tC
bed. The next night the step was heart
by all, and strange, whitish ligh
floated through the house, and wal
recognized by some of the members o
the family as having the form OF wo
man, clad not in white as ghosts arr
generally seen, but in the black dress il
which the relentless aunt had been bur
| led.