The Weekly Telegram from Eau Claire, Wisconsin • Page 2

FRIDAY, UQyZWIZZn 27, UZZ- I inni that would have dellirhted Dora. or A X7FXL, FOTtff. trasc 66 Mm pW 99 -0J i Approved and endorsed by competent judges. l' i Without doubt the Best Rural Mail Box on the market to-day. Indeed it is another Brittany both In topography and ethnology, for that weird, strange land of Wisconsin's lead region, with its cairns and pinua-cles and citadels of rock, its gloomy, torturous, cavernous vales, is inhabited by Celtic folk, and their kindred of Cornwall and a sprinkling of Galwegian Irish, The first person to see the ghost see it a generation after the murder was committed was one Dr.

Cutler of Dodgeville, cotfnty seat of Iowa county, next town beyond Ridgeway. One night as the doctor was driving homeward after a visit to a patient in the country he. was suddenly affrighted at seeing a dark figure seated on the pole between the The reins slipped from his nerveless hands, and the horses dashed away at full speed, the specter riding the pole nothing discommoded by the shaking he was getting. Up a bill, down another, and. lo.

the specter vanished! The doctor's story found little credence. He was known to love the flowing bowl, and his friends said be had taken a drop too much. It was a dream, a specter of delirium tremens, of mania a potu. But the doctor declared ho was He recalled the fact that a year previous, when he really was a little full, while passing the selfsame haunted spot he had become aware of a dark and silent stranger sitting beside him in the carriage. For a mile the stranger rode without saying a word, arid all at once he was gone.

At the time the doctor had asked no question of' his drunken wits and had considered it a strange experience and nothing more, lie was now convinced that the man beside him and the thingon the end of the pole were one andythe same and that a being not of this world, whereat the people laughed in the daytime. Butnot long afterward the reputation the doctor received a sudden andterrible vindication, as he was himself afterward to vindicate it almost as terribly. John Lewis, father of Evan Lewis, champion, wrestler of the United States, known to sports ev-' erywhere, was a prosperous farmer living in the vicinity of Ridgeway, a man of sober life. He was returning home one fall evening after spending the day assisting a friend In butchering. The night was not dark, and when he drew near the haunted spot he determined to cut across lots to reach his home.

He was approaching the stone wall at the roadside to climb It when his attention was arrested by the sight of a figure that seemed to have gathered itself together out of the just now tenantiess air and stood confronting him in a menacing attitude. He knew of no enemy, and highwaymen were unknown in that retired quarter of the state. He decided that some one must be trying to frighten hlnv and so he hailed the figure, and, no response being given, he advanced upon it Some unaccountable awe and the uncanny hugeness of the thing made Lewis decide to avoid a conflict, and, drawing his butcher's knife from his pocket, he decided to pass by, when the figure, raising its armwith a forbidding gesture, stepped athwart his path. Obeying a hasty lmpuise that was more a ghastly and soul chilling fear than it was anger, Lewis let drive his keen knife. i Next morning a neighbor found Lewis lying inside the wall in, a semiconscious condition.

Of what happened after he had struck with his knife he had but vague Impressions. lie said he had been hurled in the air as if in the vortex of a cyclone, pounded, crushed into insensibility. lie died a LEWIS DREW SIS 'KNIFE. few hours after he was carried home, asserting with his dying breath that be had come to bis end by a supernatural agency. Thus did the death of John Lewis make the first vindication of the reputation of Dr.

Cutler, and the scoffing ceased. But a second and a third time was the doctor to be vindicated. A dressmaker encountered the ghost and, pursued by It soon after died of the shock occasioned by the Intense fright seelngitheJ ghost for a third time, finally and triumphantly vindicated his word, though at the cost of his own for, dying as the result of fright he became the third of the victims of the implacable ipecter of the old military road." hosts Ttvo IKemarKabte Stories of Queer Happenings In XOisconsin. fftranjfe Phenomena That Attended the "Burial cf a Mtn-Uter Three Victim of a Specter. i 1 There arc ghost stories in groat abundance, but ghost stories related with circumstantiality as to time, place and vents sworn to by reputable and Judicious persons are not particularly common.

Wisconsin has. two remarkable ghost stories or, rather, stories of two ghosts, since neither ghost has contented itself with one manifestation. The Nashotah Theological seminary at Nashotah, a few miles from that western Newport, Oconomowoc, Is the principal stronghold of the high, church wing of the Episcopal church la the west The founder of this institution, was the Rev. William Lloyd Breck, styled In the annals of his faith pioneer of the church," a title well earned. In addition to dozens of MiMmv THE WOODS WEBB FULL 01" parishes in Wisconsin he was the founder of the system of schools at Faribault, afterward brought to such great prominence by Bishop' Whipple Seabury Theological seminary, Shattuck Military school and St Mary's Ilall and in California he founded St.

Augustine's college and St. Mnry's of the Pacific. lie died and was buried at -Benicla; the scene of his last labors, but after a few, years the church in Wisconsin asked that his body be exhumed and brought back to Kasbotah, his first love. This was done, and the occasion of the return and reburial was made memorable by a series of phenomena which it Is possible may be explained by natural causes, but which have not" "yet! been bo explained. After its arrival the casket containing the body of Dr.

Ereck lay for a' time on the ground floor of one of the buildings, and watchers sat with On the night before the reburial the watchers were Rev. Charles P. Dorset, for fifteen years rector of St' James in Chicago, now of the diocese of Texas, and Dr. Wilson, now of Chicago. Along in the hours near morning Wilson stepped out for a breath of fresh air, but in a moment came rushing back with the exclamation: "Dorset Dorset the woods are full of ghosts!" Both clergymen went out In every direction through the trees they saw figures darting hither and thither in a wild and fitful dance.

The clergymen approached, but the figures drew back before them, forming to left and right of them, and it was impossible to get within close range. In the morning when the casket was lifted the floor beneath was found to be blackened by fire, and a hole was actually burned through to the space beneath. How did this happen? No one has ever tried to offer a conjecture. This was not the end. At night the faculty of the institution sat in the office of Dr.

Gardiner, the president, discussing the strange events that perplexed them. Suddenly their discussions were abruptly terminated by a startling and tremendous racket Just putside the door, clattering and whack Ing that was deafening. Dr. Gardiner threw open the door. Not a soul in the halL lie returned to his room, but hardly had he sat down when the noises began again.

Again a sudden dash Into the hall failed to reveal any one. Nor did a search of the building reveal. that outside the faculty a living being was in it Au third time the noises began, and this time Dr. Gardiner spoke into- the hall, "If you are gentlemen be stilL" The noise stopped. Th other well authenticated Wisconsin ghost has chosen his haunt in a less urban region and among less cultivated people than the theologians of Nashotah.

4 Indeed the scene of his walkings is most artistically chosen In Che midst of a wild and savage land- i Horrible Winged Heast Ghat ylppeared In an Jotua Totvn The town of Van Meter, containing 1,000 persons, is -terribly wrought up by what is described as a horrible monster. The thing, whatever it is, put in an appearance one night about three weeks ago. G. Griffith, an Implement dealer, drove Into town at 1 o'clock a. m.

and saw what seemed to by an electric search light on Maher Gregg's store. While he gazed it sailed across to another building and then disappeared. Ills story was not believed next day. But the following night Dr. A.

C. 01-cott who sleeps In his office on the principal Btreet was awakened by a bright light shining in his face. lie grabbed a shotgun aud ran outside the building, where he saw a monster, seemingly half human and half beast with great batlike wings. A dazzling light that fairly blinded him came from a blunt hornlike protuberance in the middle of the animal's forehead, and It gave off a stupefying odor that almost overcame him. The doctor discharged his weapon and fled Into his office, barring doors and windows, and.

remained there in abject terror until morning. Peter Duun, cashier of the only bank In the town, fearing bank robbers, loaded a repeating shotgun with shells filled with buckshot aud prepared to guard his funds next night. At 2 o'clock he was blinded by the presence Of a light of great intensity. Eventually he recovered his senses sufficiently to distinguish the monster and fired through the window. The plate glass and Bash were torn out and the monster disappeared.

Next morning imprints of great three toed feet were discernible in the soft earth. Plaster casts of them were taken. night Dr. O. V.

White saw the monster climbing down a telephone using a beak much In the manner of a parrot. As it struck the ground it seemed to travel in leaps like a kangaroo, using Its huge, featherless wings to assist. It gave off no light He fired at it, and he believes he wounded It The shot was followed by an overpowering odor. Sidney Gregg, attracted by the shot, saw the monster flying away. But the climax came the following night.

The whole town was aroused by this time. Professor Martin, prln- 0LC0TT BEHELD AN APPALLING clpal of the schools, decided that from the description it was an antediluvian animal. Shortly after midnight J. L. foreman of the brick heard a peculiar sound in an abandoned coal mine, and as the men had reported a similar sound before a body of volunteers started an investigation.

Presently the monster emerged from the shaft accompanied by a smaller one. of shots were fired without effect The whole town was aroused, and a vigil was maintained the jest of the night but without result until Just at dawn, when the two monsters returned and disappeared down the shaft Strange Premonition of Death. A sound like a distant roll of drums tx a carriage driving up to the door is supposed to forerun events of Importance in several families. A well known member of the house of lords, whose family the ghostly sound of wheels is said to be a signal, of death, heard it one evening when he. was dining with a number of Turf club friends, many of whom are still Immediately the sound came to his ears he sent a servant to see what car-j riage had driven up to the door.

The, servant returned and told him that no carriage was to be seen. After a moment's silence Lord -said calmly: "Then it is my hearse." Of ciurse his friends imagined him to be joking. Who would take such a re-' mark seriously? But Lord died shortly afterward, i Is it possible that such warnings real-t ly occur in some families or does tradl-j tion work so powerfully on the Imagi-j nation of those whom it concerns as to( bring about their death? rv a' to km 11 civ UtacKbeard, the Notorious Huccaneer. Met His Fate. Lured by a "Ru-te to the cf firmed Vessel, He and HU Freebooters Were Cut to Tleces.

1 Within two tniles of Elizabeth City, N. there still stands the former home of the greatest pirate that ever infested the American coast, a man who in the early part of the eighteenth century made, himself master of the high seas and forced the world to acknowledge his naval supremacy as no THE 1 SWOBD PASSKD THROUGH BEAKD'3 B0DI. BLACK other man has ever done. This was Edward Teach, otherwise Blackbeard. When Edward Teach left Bristol, England, on his first cruise he was a mere sailor.

Morgan, the famous buccaneer and privateer, had already introduced piracy as a ''gentleman's" vocation, and until King Charles II. gave him command' of Jamaica as governor he had created widespread consternation The next king was not so friendly, and Morgan is said to have returned to his loot Teach was by this time his boon companion, and lieutenant After the death of Morgani" Teach returned to England, where he squandered his gains. With the support of one an old mariner of Morgan's fleet, Teach was enabled to fit out a vessel and go into piracy for himself. -With an excellent training in cruelty under Morgan, Teach began a career which la without a parallel. It was left for him to adopt Mongolian methods, murdering women and.chil-dren with relentless cruelty, Teach's first action on 'leaving the English coast was to follow the gulf stream straight to Carolina, where he made for the sounds.

On the upper bank of the Pasquotank be planted a colony, accessible from the sound. The house which the pirate built is now occupied by a well to do farmer. It is two Btorles high, with aj deep basement, walled in by rockswbJcb have given way to time, exposing the basement to view from the outside. Teach obtained the title of Black-beard soon after he became an independent pirate. ne made for himself a horsehair heard, which represented a fiendish and unnatural growth of nature, as a means of spreading terror among those who fell into his hands.

This beard was tied in red ribbon bows and had the desired effect Blackbeard's end was tragic. While the pirate was In winter quarters and most of his cutthroats had scattered over the Spanish main Governor Spotteswoode of Virginia sent Lieu' tenant Maynard, of the British navy with about thirty picked men to seek Blackbeard. The latter is said to have had seventeen men with him. Maynard went to the pirate's borne In a small vessel. Seeing the armed craft approach, Blackbeard, with his usual daring, went out after It After an exchange of broadsides and a battle of short duration the English vessel suddenly presented a scene of affright The men became frantic and rushed below deck, giving the ship up to the pirate.

Blackbeard was caught in a ruse and boldly grappled with his opponent's boat Mounting the "gun'als," the pirate crew dashed recklessly on the captured English vessel. At command the hatchways were thrown hack, and a swarm of expert swordsmen dashed to meet the buccaneers. A terrible battle followed. Blackbeard led his men with his usual intrepidity. At the last when victory seemed within the grasp of Black- iearoV a sword entered his.

body, a.nd he fell wounded, so that his men lost heart and were nearly all killed. 5 The head of Teach was severed from the bodyj and with this trophy mounted on the bowsprit the English lieutenant returned to Virginia. MUiB That YOUR MAIL MATTER is always protected while in RURAL MAIL BOX. I i 1 TELE ivy Eau Claire, Wisconsin Sole Agent for This Section..