Newspaper Clipping of the Day

Via Newspapers.com

The doings of a pleasingly weird ghost were reported in the “Atlanta Constitution,” December 9, 1882:

From the Dublin, Ga., Gazette.

An apparition made its appearance at Mr. John A. Harvill’s house last Tuesday night that has thrown the neighborhood into a fever of excitement, indeed so intense has the excitement become and so eager are people to be convinced of the matter that many will doubtless go to Mr. Harvill’s to see for themselves.  On the night mentioned, Mr. H. and his wife, to whom he was married only a short time ago, were sitting around the fireside, when a noise resembling that of an old squeaking cart or wagon attracted attention.  Not much heed was paid to the noise until it stopped in front of the gate, and although it had ceased to move, the noise continued without abatement.  Mr. Harvill, thinking something strangely of the state of affairs, went to the door and there stood what appeared to be a very large dog with a lamp or torch of some kind perched upon its head.  He hailed several times, thinking perhaps some of his neighbors were only playing a trick upon him, but on receiving no reply from his several demands shot at it several times; but to his utter astonishment and amazement, there stood the specter as steadfast as the rock of Gibraltar.  Like the bard, he thought ‘twas the weakness of his eyes that shaped the monstrous apparition.  By this time, attracted by the reports of his gun, some of the neighbors of Harvill had assembled and a determination was agreed upon to make an attack.  Having agreed upon the nature of the attack, torches were procured and the advance began, but to the astonishment of all, when they approached with the light, the ghost began its onward march, accompanied by the same squeaking noise.  While this story was being told our reporter, a gentleman who lives in the neighborhood of Harvill says that he has seen the same object but that there was no noise with it.

As a side note, I have come across a number of other old news items from the “Dublin Gazette,” and they are inevitably extremely brief and extremely bizarre.