Year: 1876

Untimely fate from GhOstly Arpa-


ritiOn.


A correspondent Of the New York San
writing from Lebanon, Pa, says The
strangest of all ghost stories is creating a
terrible excitement in this section of Penn
sylvania. Miss Kate Leininger, aged IS. a
beautiful and accomplished young lady, has
been dragged to death and her body horri-
bly, mutilated d; and her untimely fate is
attributed to a terrible gkostly apparition
that frightened her horse on public road,
on their way to this qniet village in the
night.


Miss Leininger is the daughter of citi-
zen of this place. She invited a friend to
accompany her to country fair about five
miles from the village. The lady who wen,
with her was Miss Ada Hoffman, also from
this village. Their conveyance, consistingoi
one of the family horses and an open phae
ton, was got ready, and young brother of
Miss Hoffman went with them to drive
The journey to the fair in the twilight was
delightful, as the drive was among some of
the finest scerery in the State. They ar
rived at the small village of Schaefferstown
at O'Clock, and enjoyed a very pleasant
evening with their acquaintances at the fes
tival. The two young ladies were recogni
zed as the representative bellies of that sec
tion, being courted and tlattered for their
many qualities and accomplishments. The
weather was warm, and they were dressed
in white cambric robes. Little did they
think when they left home that before they
retureed one Of those robes would be a
shroud of blood and one of their bodies
lifeless, horribls mapgled corpse.


1t was after II o'clock before the young
ladies told their attendant they desired to
leave. The night had grown very dark, ,and
as the road was as dangerous at midnight
as it was grand in the twilight, the friends
of the young ladies importuned and begged
them to remain until morning. This they
refused stating that they desired to 60 home
that night, and that they were not afraid to
travel over the road, as they had frequent
ly done so before. They left their friends
and proceeded on their way homeward.
They had gone about mile along small
stream known as Mill Creek, when the
young driver says that he saw strange un.
earthly looking object in white, ahead Of
him in the road. He knew that he was
near ravine, known for long number OF
years as Ghost Hollow. All Of a sudden
the white object came nearer and frightened
the horse. The boy driver is about four
teen years of age, and he insists that the
fearful thing jumped upon the horses back
which set the animal to running at 3right
full pace. Over the road the horse plunged
in the black night, and the young ladies
screamed with fright. Within three-quar-
ters of mile of this village they reached a
small bridge spanning Mill Creek The
horse dashed madly to one side and struck
d stone heap, partly demolishing the car
riage. The animal was intensely frighten-
ed and began to rear and plunge. The dri-
yer leaped out and carried the reins with
him. The horse darted ahead over the
rocks and Miss Hoffman, seeing that her
brother, the driver, had jumped, cried that
she, too, was going to jump if she lost her
life Miss Leninger said, "No, for Hea-
ven's sake, keep your seat" There was
short struggle, and Miss Hoffman, who is
stout, well-built person, was master OF
the situati on and she jumped The wheels
caught her dress and, carrying her around
several times ,she dropped on the rocks nearly
seDseless She shrieked tearfully when she
was first caught, and this added to the
fright of Miss Leiringer, who was still in
her carriage. The horses dashed ahead
and Miss Leininger heard the noise of run
ming waters, She then determined to leap.
She made the effort, and jumped from the
front of the carriage instead of the back
Her foot caught in the running gear near
the forward spring, and she could not dis
engage herself. Her body touched the
ground. The horses plunged rldly on,
| and the unfortunate young lady screamed
| in vain for help. There were not many
houses near that road, and the people were
! all in bed and sleeping soundly. The


horse dragged the bleeding, mangled, life
| less young women at least half mile,
going directly to his home, and when he
reached there he walked slowly, while the
| lifeless corpse Of the young daughter of the
household was being dragged on the
ground.
The father of the young woman sat at
| home waiting for his dear one to arrive.
| He heard the horse and he went to the
| front door to see. 1t was too dark to dis
| tinguish his own animal. Finally, neigh
| Dor, also returning from the same fair, saw
the horse and caught him. He had Ian


tern, and looking under the carriage he


discovered the mangled body of the beauti-


ful young lady Of the adjoining farm. The
two households were aroused, and when


the men had come together the gashed and


bleeding corpse was removed with diff,


Guilty. The sight was horrible one. The


back part of her head and back were rub


bed fiat and the flesh was off to the bone


Her beautiful black hair lay in ringlets


clotted with blood along the road. The


highway appeared as though log had beer


dragged over it. The surviving young lady


is now lying at the point of death. So j.


the mother of the dead. The driver still


insists that horrible ghost like form Of


shadow frightened the horse.