A Yellow House and a Black Cat: Shepherd University

Since 1926, the Entler-Weltzheimer House has been a part of the Shepherd College (now University) campus. Better known as the 'Yellow House,' this structure is believed to be one of the oldest in the old city of Shepherdstown, being built as early as the mid to late 1700's, according to some sources. However, it's likely the house is slightly younger. The site of the home was once the location of an old fort, dating back to the French and Indian War. A man named  Adam Myers built a home on the property around 1802, then sold the lot  in 1815 to Frederick and Mary Catherine Weltzheimer, who operated the Weltzheimer Tavern on North Princess Street. It is believed that this is when the couple built what is today known as the Yellow House. When Mary Catherine passed away in 1823, she willed the home to her daughter, Elizabeth, who had married Daniel Entler of the Entler Hotel family. 

The home stayed in possession of the Entler Family for many years. Some members of the family would call the house their home, but it was rented out to boarders as well. 

After becoming a part of the college campus, the home was used for many things, including a stint as the Phi Sigma Chi Sorority house in the 1940's/1950's, a home economics cottage, a nursery, and even the residence of the head of maintenance. Today, it is being preserved as a piece of living history...and perhaps not-so-living history as well. 

In 1910 a local cobbler named George Yontz was living alone in the home in which he rented...alone, save for a black cat named Ham. When George was found deceased that December, it was allegedly believed by the townspeople that George had likely been murdered for his money. The fact that his obituary, published in the Shepherdstown Register, doesn't mention murder, and his death certificate lists his cause of death as heart failure, is obviously not a good indicator of George's demise, but in any event, he was gone, leaving his cat, Ham, behind.

Shortly thereafter, a member of the Entler family moved into the home after her house had been destroyed by fire. Details differ between the two main tellings of the story, the first found in a school newspaper article from 1954, and the second in book, Haunted Valley, by James Gay Jones, as well as modern re-tellings. In some instances, Ham is the cat at the focal point of the story, while in others, another black cat, belonging to the new family living in the home is the one being tormented. Tormented? By what?

Many believe that visitors to the old Yellow House can still hear George's shoe-making tools tapping and clanking away, but the most frightening display of his ghost's existence happens every year on the anniversary of George's death. It is said that the cat, being lured up to the attic by mysterious sounds, will ferociously fight, scratch, and hiss at something behind the closed door. In one version, the family cat lasted only one encounter, running down the stairs and out the door, never to return. However, in versions where Ham is the star, each year until his passing he fought this invisible foe on the anniversary of George's death. But who was the cat fighting? Presumably, he had a good relationship with his master when he was alive; was it simply him being in spirit form that frightened the poor feline? And why was George coming back, anyway? Perhaps he was there to find vengeance for a murder that may or may not have happened...or perhaps he was trying to give a sign that he DID have money stashed away, hidden in the attic above. Another thing to think about is...was it George's ghost coming back? Perhaps Ham was protecting Miss Entler against some sort of malevolent force that took George, returning on the same night each year. 

Whatever the details of the story, the fact remains that the Yellow House has had a long reputation of being haunted by an entity that cats apparently are not fond of! This makes it just one of MANY haunted locations throughout Shepherdstown and the whole eastern panhandle area. 

Below, I've included a video narration of the James Gay Jones version of the tale as well as a transcription from the school newspaper article. You can compare the two tales and decide for yourself what, if anything, is haunting the Yellow House!

Video of My Narration of James Gay Jones' story, as told in Haunted Valley:

1954 Shepherd College Picket Article by Georgia Lee Engle:

RESTLESS SPIRIT ROAMS CAMPUS, HAUNTS OLD HIGH STREET COTTAGE

By Georgia Lee Engle

Everyone knows that there is no such thing as a ghost.

Still, Shepherd students shouldn't be surprised in the least to see a ghost wandering around a certain southeast corner of the campus near a certain building, some night this week. As a matter of fact, they should be especially watchful.

Already the leaves have turned black and brown, and are falling noiselessly on the ground, while a strange, eerie wind swirls through the atmosphere around the building. At night the moon draws weird figures through the trees and scatters them onto walls, for near this house there is no street light.

It is a plain yellow house with a green roof, and it sits high on a hill on east High Street next to Snyder Hall. 

In the daytime it appears to be a normal house, but...

This house has become a legend in Shepherdstown. It is famous. For many years it has been the scene of a mystery never solved, where a ghostly creature roves to pit some evil revenge upon its enemies.

Many years ago, in fact back in 1910, a cobbler named George Yontz lived alone here, with only a black cat named Ham to keep him company. At that time, however, the cottage was a log cabin, and it is believed by many to have been the first log cabin built in Shepherdstown. It also occupied part of the site where the old Fort Shepherd stood during the French and Indian War.

It was a bleak, gray morning, December 4, when passing villagers found the body of the old cobbler lying a few feet from his cabin. Immediately, they felt that he had been slain, for it was common knowledge that he had amassed a great deal of money, and that it was hidden somewhere within the cabin. Despite the efforts of treasure-hunters, this money was never found.

It was only a few days after the cobbler's funeral that a family moved into the cabin. The family pet was a sleek black cat. And, it was only a few nights later, while the family sat quietly and unsuspectingly around the small fireplace, that a strange sound was heard coming from the empty, damp attic above.

It was a tap-tap-tap....

The children stopped playing, their laughter froze in their throats. The mother stopped sewing. They were electrified. It was the tapping of a cobbler working on a pair of shoes. Was it the departed one?

Over in the corner, the black cat unraveled himself from under a stool, arched its back, and with a snarl skittered up the steps to the eerie attic to sate its curiosity.

But a few seconds later, and what seemed like hours to the family, the cat bounded down the steps shrieking, and crashed through the nearest window. It disappeared into the black stillness outside. It was never seen again.

But this is only one version of the legend. Another is that shortly after the funeral of the old cobbler, a Miss Net Entler moved into the cottage. Not knowing what else to do, she decided to adopt the cat, along with the rest of the possessions the cobbler had left behind.

That year, on the first anniversary of the cobbler's death, the cat began to act strangely. Early in the morning he began to prowl restlessly about the small room downstairs, keeping his eyes glued on the attic door. By the time night came, the cat had begun scratching wildly and fiercely on the attic door.

Finally, Miss Entler opened the door to the attic. From the attic came horrible sounds, the sounds of a terrific battle, in fact. The cat disappeared into the attic.

Within an hour the sounds ceased. The cat slipped tirelessly down the steps and dropped silently onto the floor.

This was repeated every year on the anniversary of the death, up until the time of the cat's death. The yearly battled continued in full force, until the cottage became College property in 1917, according to legend. 

Many families have since lived in the house. Of course it has been changed from a cabin to a clapboard cottage. Recently the Phi Sigma Chi sorority used the cottage as a sorority house. At present, it is the home of Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Arnold. Mr. Arnold is supervisor of buildings and grounds at Shepherd.

Many years have passed since the first family moved from the cottage. But, the tap-tap has been heard many times in recent years, especially at the witching hour on Halloween. 

Sources:

The Yellow House: Quietly One of Shepherdstown's Oldest Homes, by Shepherdstown Visitor's Center. 4 December 2018.

Kayla Piechowiak on behalf of Historic Shepherdstown Commission , George McKinney, and Teresa McLauglin. "Yellow House aka the Entler-Weltzheimer House." Clio: Your Guide to History. June 9, 2017. Accessed April 3, 2024. https://theclio.com/entry/22003

Engle, Georgia Lee. “Restless spirit roams campus, haunts High Street Cottage.” Shepherd College Picket. 28 October 1954. Internet Archive Link

Powell, Lewis IV. "None of the Town is Spared a Ghost Story--Shepherdstown, WV." The Southern Spirit Guide. 2 October 2014

Jones, James Gay. "Ham and the Attic Ghost." Haunted Valley and More Folk Tales of Appalachia. McClain Printing Co (1979). Amazon Link

Shepherdstown Register
8 December 1910

April Showers Bring May...FROGS?

Tiny frogs are easier to be transported by 
air currents and deposited during rainstorms!
Photo Source

In a normal world, the old saying goes as follows: "April showers bring May flowers!" But, Theresa's Haunted History is NOT a place for the normal. Here, we cover all things ranging from the paranormal to the more mundane abnormal, and today, we're covering some abnormal weather. 

Usually when it rains, the only thing falling from the sky is, well...water. But, in rare cases, other strange things may descend from the clouds, including but not limited to fish, frogs, and even indistinguishable MEAT. Called 'Fortean Falls,' these strange weather phenomena were a favorite of Charles Fort, the king of documenting weird stuff. (Article on Fortean Falls by David Darling)

Over the years, West Virginia has experienced quite a few instances where FROGS fell from the sky. Through a quick search, I was able to document five separate incidents between 1871 and 1964. Three of these Fortean Falls occurred in the month of June, with one happening in May and the other happening in July. Let's take a look...

Huntington Area (1898): A Guyan citizen reported to the Huntington Advertiser that there was a frog fall, resulting in so many frogs that it was impossible to walk without stepping on one. 

The Weekly Register (Pt. Pleasant, WV)
22 June 1898

Hancock County (1964): Dwarf frogs, believed to have been swept up by air currents, rained down during a rain storm in the Weirton area, with many citizens experiencing the strange phenomenon. 

The Weirton Daily Times
15 June 1964

Moundsville (1871):  Tiny frogs, again so thick that you couldn't walk, fell during a rain storm in Moundsville. 

The Wheeling Daily Register
22 June 1871

Fairmont/Morgantown (1906): The local citizenry was discussing a recent frog fall...but apparently the Parkersburg Sentinel had a snarky explanation for them!

The Fairmont West Virginian
9 July 1906

Lake Shawnee Area (1926): Lake Shawnee may be known for its haunted reputation and being the site of a tragic massacre of early settlers...and now its known for a rain of frogs! 

The Independent Herald (Hinton, WV)
13 May 1926

Theresa Travels...to Helvetia, WV for Fasnacht 2024!

I have always wanted to attend Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Heck, I just always wanted to visit New Orleans at any time of the year, as it was a Bucket List item for me. I was able to finally cross that one off  late last year. And, while we do plan on returning to the Crescent City at some point, it was a little too soon to go back for Mardi Gras. So, I compromised...and managed to knock ANOTHER Bucket List item off in the process: Fasnacht in Helvetia, WV!

Helvetia is a really unique little community nestled in the mountains of Randolph County. It was founded in 1869 by a group of Swiss/German immigrants. These immigrants, part of a society called the Grütliverein, were living in Brooklyn, NY after the Civil War and had made a decision to move together to a new part of the country when the time was right.  

When a newspaper notice advertising cheap plots of land in the newly formed state of West Virginia popped up on their radar, a committee of men boarded a train and headed down south to explore. The train could only take them as far as Clarksburg.  However, the extremely cheap price of the land won over the extreme ruggedness and isolation of the plot, and by 1871, 32 people called Helvetia home.  

 While the town was a busy and fairly prosperous little hamlet, it never reached a population of much over 300 people. And, well into the 21st century, it remains an extremely isolated community. That isolation has had some interesting advantages, however. It has allowed the community to largely preserve much of its Swiss and German heritage. One such tradition it has managed to keep alive is a pre-Lenten celebration, similar to Mardi Gras, called Fasnacht!

Fasnacht is quite the fun and unique little festival. It is a both a celebration with fatty foods, lively music, and good-old fashioned partying (with lots of alcohol, we observed, lol) before Lent begins, as well as a farewell to Old Man Winter, as participants don homemade masks to scare him away, and then burn his effigy in a massive bonfire. 

Old Man Winter
awaits his fate.

That's a pretty wild ride, especially for such a small, isolated mountain community. But, for at least one day...the Saturday before Ash Wednesday...that little town isn't so isolated. In fact, the number of people descending upon Helvetia to help celebrate Fasnacht is well over the town's peak population of 300+.  The push to bring in outside tourism to Fasnacht dates back to the 1960's, but definitely had a surge when Fallout 76 came out, actually featuring the festival in the game. 

 For Fasnacht 2024, we managed to buy our tickets online just hours before the pre-sale tickets sold out. A set number of pre-sale tickets are sold online, followed by a limited amount of tickets that are sold day-of. However, what is important to note, is that buying a ticket/wristband only means that you get a free little baked good, and entry to certain buildings. Most activities and even entry to different buildings were free and open to the public. 

Mari Llywd!

The festival officially began at 3:00pm, but my husband wanted to sleep in, so we didn't arrive in town until about 2 pm. That was a big mistake, as everyone else wanted to get their early, and with good reason. We had to park about 3/4 of mile outside of town on the side of the road. By the time we walked into town, I was in so much pain that I really couldn't do much more that day. It didn't help that it was SOOO crowded. Don't get me wrong, I am so happy that people from all over the United States and beyond appreciate our West Virginia history and culture. I'm sure it's a great economic boom to the people in the area, and overall, it is just a really fun time. But, we couldn't really do much. We couldn't get a good look at the museum, store, or archives because it was just shoulder to shoulder people, many of whom were really invested in getting their own pictures and video. I wanted to take the historic walking tour, but again, I was in so much pain by that point, I couldn't. 

I held out, though, because I really wanted to see the masks and the Lampion Parade, and the Burning of Old Man Winter. When it was time for the mask judging, everyone was supposed to circle out, but people jumped directly in front of us, so I couldn't see anything. We did get a nice view of part of the Lampion Parade, but again, someone jumped directly in front of me, blocking my view. So, we decided to just hop on into the parade and head down to the community center where the bonfire was set up. We didn't make it halfway there before we heard the cheering and yelling, denoting that they had already thrown Old Man Winter onto the fire. As we arrived, people were shoulder to shoulder all across the roadway. I could see the top of the fire, but that was it. Since it was so crowded, and I was tired, we just went home without staying for the dance. 

I can't say I had a bad time, but I just didn't have a GOOD time, either. We should have gotten there earlier, and it was no one's fault but my own that I was in so much pain that day. I will say, however, that one could easily tell who was a local and who was not. I won't go as far as to say that anyone was maliciously rude, but there certainly were more than a few young out-of-staters who had too much to drink and thought it would be cool to pretend to be a hillbilly for a day. 

It was fun, however, seeing all the artistry involved. There were some fantastic homemade masks and costumes. Lots of West Virginia monsters were represented, as well as plenty of Fallout 76 inspired masks. There was even a guy dressed up as the Welsh Mari Llywd.  The music was fun to listen to, and it was just really awesome to see the town itself, much of it unchanged in over 100 years. When it comes down to it, I'm glad I checked this celebration off the Bucket List...but it will probably be the last Fasnacht that I celebrate in Helvetia. I would, however, like to visit the town during any other time of year, so that I can get a good look at everything, explore at my own pace, and have dinner at the Hutte House restaurant! However, if I would go back....

Lampion Parade

Things I'd Do Differently:

1. I'd absolutely take the time to create a mask. I just didn't have the energy this year, but it was so fun seeing everyone else's creation that I'll definitely make it a priority next time to join in.

2. Get there EARLY...like super early. I cannot physically go through that parking situation again, plus, I'd like to get a chance to eat at the Hutte House.

3. NOT buy a wristband, especially in advance. The wristband was required to enter certain buildings, but during the day, no one was checking, and we didn't stay around for the dance at the community center, so it really didn't do us any good. 

4. Run down to the community center BEFORE the parade. We totally missed the burning of Old Man Winter because we were in the back of the parade. When we did arrive, we couldn't get anywhere near the fire pit anyway. 

To learn more about Helvetia and Fasnacht:

Official Town Website

Wikipedia

Helvetia: The Swiss of West Virginia, a video by the Augusta Heritage Center

The Rake and Other Ghouls: St. Albans Paranormal Discussion Group (January 2024)

The St. Albans Paranormal Discussion Group kicked off its third year of spooky fellowship on Wednesday, January 31st at the St. Albans Historical Society. We had a very special presenter that evening: Barry Miller! Along with Angie Breeden, Barry Miller was instrumental in the creation of the Paranormal Discussion Group, and is super-knowledgeable about a variety of paranormal topics. For his talk, he chose the topic of the Rake.

So what is the Rake? Although largely accepted as being a Creepy Pasta creation, with popular 'photos' of the creature taken straight from pop culture, the Rake is a well-known and well-feared entity for many people out there who have claimed to actually have experienced one. Pale crawler, hairless man-dog, tall and thin like Slenderman without the tentacles: these descriptions and others make up the horrifying visuals of these odd beings.

Barry went over many famous sightings and stories, complete with handouts which was a really cool touch. With mediation by Tony Breeden, Barry's talk was followed-up with additional information and more discussion on just why people may be seeing these strange creatures that were admittedly a work of fiction. Sleep paralysis, ghouls, alien abduction, tulpas/thought forms...all these topics merged to create a lively discussion about the Rake.

This first meeting of the Paranormal Discussion Group was PACKED, and everyone had a wonderful time learning about and discussing this unique topic. Seasoned members, along with a few new faces were in attendance, and it was just really cool to see so many people from so many viewpoints respectfully come together over a shared interest and discuss it in a safe, supportive environment. At the beginning of the meeting, there was also time for members to share any upcoming projects or announcements, which is another really cool aspect of the group---it really is for everyone. There is no charge to attend, there's a wide variety of paranormal topics spread out over the year with a wide variety of presenters, and everyone is welcome. I really look forward to these monthly meetings, and am eagerly awaiting February's presentation of meditation by Adam Good!

If you'd like to attend a meeting of the St. Albans Paranormal Discussion Group, we'd love to have you join us! We meet on the last Wednesday of each month at the St. Albans Historical Society Building (404 Fourth Avenue, St. Albans, WV). Meetings start at 6pm and tend to run between  one and two hours long on average. Please follow the group on Facebook for more updates and the 2024 schedule of speakers. Stay spooky! 

The Diakka

Andrew Jackson Davis
Source

As a paranormal investigator, I follow the creed that 'if you're a jerk in life, you're going to be a jerk in death.' More succinctly put, one's personality follows them in death. Dying doesn't automatically make you a good person, nor  does it necessarily give you a measurable uptick in wisdom.

Hudson Tuttle, a 19th century Spiritualist from Ohio, had this to say: "As the spirit enters the spirit world just as it leaves this [world], there must be an innumerable host of low, undeveloped, uneducated, or in other words, evil spirits."

While I don't agree that these spirits are 'evil,' I do agree that they often get that reputation. There are many locations where we investigate that have garnered a reputation of being home to a malevolent, or in some cases, demonic haunting. Sometimes these entities come across as malevolent and/or demonic, not because they actually ARE some type of evil non-human entity, but because they just aren't very nice. They may curse and growl at us, both through disembodied voice and through spirit boxes. They may tell us to leave, or even try to interactive physically through scratches or shoves.

Aside from the mean spirits of those who were mean in life, occasionally, you'll have a spirit that acts out in an improper way, much like a frustrated child throwing a temper tantrum. I believe that these spirits are desperately trying whatever works to communicate with us, and thus, they too fall under this category of low, undeveloped, and uneducated spirits. 

Andrew Jackson Davis, another 19th century Spiritualist known as the Poughkeepsie Seer, had a name for these entities. He called them 'Diakka,' and blamed them for the fraud and trickery often witnessed during seances. In modern times, could these Diakka still be practicing their trickery on paranormal investigators? We often get alleged communication with entities that just doesn't make sense, or have other experiences that just seem like someone is messing with us. 

These Spiritualists of the late 1800s/early 1900s believed that the Diakka resided on their own plane or sphere, much like being on probation and that the best way to avoid their influence is to live a pure life...since they liked to seek out those they felt were weak or had minds that most resembled their own. 

You can read Davis' book, The Diakka, for FREE via the Internet Archive! LINK HERE

The West Virginia Yayho

Paris Hammons c. 1920
b. 1856 d. 1926
Source: WV History on View

Sasquatch. Bigfoot. Wild Man. Hairy Man. Hearing any of these names generally evokes the same image of a tall, large, hairy bipedal humanoid type creature roaming the woods. Although here in the eastern United States, we tend to settle on the name of Bigfoot, the mountain people of West Virginia have historically had their own moniker for this classic cryptid.

If you've ever heard the term yahoo or yayho in reference to a Bigfoot-like creature in the Mountain State, you may have wondered where that name came from. The name most likely is inspired from the distinct howl that the creature makes, echoing over the valleys and sending shivers up the spines of those who hear it. And, one of the earliest witnesses of the yayho in West Virginia is a family known as the first family of traditional WV music!

The Hammons Family came to West Virginia just prior to the Civil War, with many of its members settling in Pocahontas and surrounding counties. And, since that time, the family has been synonymous  with West Virginia/Appalachian music. In the early 1970's, a local musician and WVU graduate student, Dwight Diller, befriended several of the elderly members of the Hammons clan and interviewed them. These interviews became the basis of a documentary two-disc LP and booklet project published by the Library of Congress with the help of Alan Jabbour and Carl Fleischhauer. 

Although the focus of the interviews skewed towards the family's musical genealogy,  plenty of other tales were also shared, including some of a supernatural bent. And, one of those stories involved encounters with a strange and mysterious beast in Pocahontas County!

Two of the Hammons brothers interviewed were Burl and Sherman, who shared a tale about their father Paris and a particular bear hunting expedition. Paris, Paris' father, and a man named Wilburn Baldwin were among those who set out one fall day for a multi-day bear hunt near the head of the Cherry River. They had planned to stay about 2-3 days, but decided to extend their trip another couple of days. The problem was that they had only brought enough food to last them enough for their original plan. So, one of the men volunteered to head into Hillsboro to pick up supplies. He was expected back the next evening, and made plans for the rest of the group to meet him at the designated time and place.

Cherry River
Source: Tim Kiser
Wikipedia

The time agreed upon came and went. It was already after dark and getting darker. Suddenly, the men heard hollering. The hollering came closer and closer, and at first the men thought their friend may be calling out. But, it was Uncle Pete who realized that the hollering was NOT coming from any man, but some sort of beast. Not long after, they did hear their buddy's voice and found that he had dropped all the supplies, including his gun, and had shimmied up a tree, claiming that something big was after him. This thing even tried jumping up at him from below the tree.  The next day tracks were found in the area that appeared like a man's footprints...but definitely not any normal man. 

This wasn't the only time the family would encounter evidence of this strange beast, which they described as huge and hairy and able to jump 25-30 feet. And, while history would remember the Hammons for their wonderful contributions to traditional Appalachian music, especially fiddling, I'll personally remember them for being early witnesses to the Bigfoot phenomena here in West Virginia. Interestingly, the area of Pocahontas County where the bear hunting incident occurred is still to this day one of the places with the most Bigfoot reports in West Virginia....

You can read about the encounter in the booklet, The Hammons Family: A Study of a West Virginia Family's Traditions, available for free download HERE.  

The Greenbrier Ghost: Mary Heaster's Testimony

Zona Heaster Shue
The Greenbrier Ghost

Since many already know the basic story of Zona Heaster Shue, the Greenbrier Ghost, I'll only give a brief introduction.  On January 23, 1897 the body of Zona Heaster Shue was found lying on the floor of the home she shared with her husband, Edward/Erasmus 'Trout' Shue. After a hasty medical examination and burial, and the odd behavior of Trout, the small WV community had its suspicions...especially Mary Heaster, Zona's mother. Mary prayed to God to show her what had really happened to her daughter. Zona's ghost came to her mother in a series of dreams, finally revealing that Trout had attacked her after she failed to cook meat for dinner. 

The body was exhumed, spurred largely on the fact that even the medical examiner admitted that Trout did not permit him to get close enough to Zona to do a thorough exam, but had noticed some bruising around her neck. A new exam revealed that Zona's neck had been broken and her windpipe crushed. Trout was charged with the murder and brought to trial that summer. The following is an excerpt of Mary's testimony, as published in the Greenbrier Independent on July 1, 1897: 

Mary Robinson Heaster
Zona's Mother

Mrs. Mary J. Heaster, Mother of Mrs. Shue, Sees Her Daughter in Visions

The following very remarkable testimony was given by Mrs. Heaster on the pending trial of E.S. Shue for the murder of his wife, her daughter, and led to the inquest and postmortem examination, which resulted in Shue's arrest and trial. It was brought out by counsel for the accused:

Question--I have heard that you had some dream or vision which led to this postmortem examination?

Answer--They saw enough theirselves [sic] without me telling them. It was no dream-she came back and told me that he was mad that she didn't have no meat cooked for supper. But she said she had plenty, and said that she had butter and apple-butter, apples and named over two or three kinds of jellies, pears and cherries and raspberry jelly, and she says I had plenty; and she says don't you think that he was mad and just took down all my nice things and packed them away and just ruined them. And she told me where I could look down back of Aunt Martha Jones', in the meadow, in a rocky place; that I could look in a cellar behind some loose plank and see. It was a square log house, and it was hewed up to the square, and she said for me to look right at the right-hand side of the door as you go in. Well, I saw the place just exactly as she told me, and I saw blood right there where she told me; and she told me something about that meat every night she came, just as she did the first night. She cames [sic] four times and four nights; but the second night she told me that her neck was squeezed off at the first joint and it was just as she told me.

Q--Now, Mrs. Heaster, this sad affair was very particularly impressed upon your mind, and there was not a moment during your waking hours that you did not dwell upon it?

A--No, sir; and there is not yet, either. 

Q--And was this not a dream founded upon your distressed condition of mind?

A--No, Sir. It was no dream, for I was as wide awake as I ever was.

Q--Then if not a dream or dreams, what do you call it?

A--I prayed to the Lord that she might come back and tell me what had happened; and I prayed that she might come herself and tell on him.

Q--Do you think that you actually saw her in flesh and blood?

A--Yes, sir, I do. I told them the very dress that she was killed in, and when she went to leave me she turned her head completely around and looked at me like she wanted me to know all about it. And the very next time she came back to me she told me all about it. The first time she came, she seemed that she did not want to tell me as much about it as she did afterwards. The last night she was there she told me that she did everything she could do, and I am satisfied that she did do all that, too.

Q--Now, Mrs. Heaster, don't you know that these visions, as you term them or describe them, were nothing more or less than four dreams founded upon your distress?

A--No, I don't know it. The Lord sent her to me to tell it. I was the only friend that she knew she could tell and and put any confidence in; I was the nearest one to her. He gave me a ring that he pretended she wanted me to have; but I don't know what dead woman he might have taken it off of. I wanted her own ring and he would not let me have it.

Q--Mrs. Heaster, are you positively sure that these are not four dreams?

A--Yes, sir. It was not a dream. I don't dream when I am wide awake, to be sure; and I know I saw her right there with me. 

Q--Are you not considerably superstitious?

A--No, sir, I'm not. I was never that way before and am not now.

Q--Do you believe the scriptures?

A--Yes, sir. I have no reason not to believe it.

Q--And do you believe the scriptures contain the words of God and his Son?

A--Yes, sir I do. Don't you believe it?

Q--Now, I would like if I could, to get you to say these were four dreams and not four visions or appearances of your daughter in flesh and blood.

A--I am not going to say that; for I am not going to lie.

Q--Then you insist that she actually appeared in flesh and blood to you upon four different occasions?

A--Yes, sir.

Q--Did she not have any other conversation with you other than upon the matter of her death?

A--Yes, sir, some other little things. Some things I have forgotten--just a few words. I just wanted the particulars about her death, and I got them.

Q--When she came, did you touch her?

A--Yes, sir. I got up on my elbows and reached out a little further, as I wanted to see if people came in their coffins, and I sat up and leaned on my elbows and there was a light in the house. It was not a lamp light. I wanted to see if there was a coffin, but there was not. She was just like she was when she left this world. It was just after I went to bed, and I wanted her to come and talk to me, and she did. This was before the inquest and I told my neighbors. They said she was exactly as I told them she was. 

Q--Have you ever seen the premises where your daughter lived?

A--No, sir, I had not; but I found them just exactly as she told me it was, and I never laid eyes on that house until since her death. She told me this before I knew anything of the buildings at all.

Q--How long was it after this when you had these interviews with your daughter until you did see buildings?

A--It was a month or more after the examination. It has been a little over a month since I saw her.