Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State: The Ghost of Judge Lane

Mt. Vernon, Ohio (ca 1880)

On the evening of February 19, 1881, a "prominent and truthful" citizen of Mt. Vernon, Ohio was on his way home when he heard what sounded like the loud shriek of a woman coming from the direction of a recently unoccupied house. The home in question, sometimes described as a 'shanty,' had been the residence of Samuel "Judge" Lane.

Judge Lane was an interesting character around town. A formerly enslaved man of African descent, his fellow Black citizens saw him as a prophet, and bestowed upon him the name of "Judge." The man was of a very advanced age, although no one was really sure just how old he was. He claimed to have been the personal manservant of General Mercer during the Revolutionary War. As General Mercer was killed in 1777 during the Battle of Princeton, this would have made Lane well over 100 years old at the time of his death. In fact, he claimed to be about 123 years old....if not older.

However old he actually was, he couldn't live forever. In early February, he was found lying on the floor of his shanty in terrible shape. His lower limbs were completely frozen. Lane died shortly after and was buried in an unmarked grave at Mound View Cemetery in Mt. Vernon. It would seem that his spirit wasn't quite ready to go yet.

A few days after Lane's death, that prominent citizen was walking nearby and heard an ungodly shriek coming from the shanty. The man, who claimed to be as brave as any sane man, believed tramps had broken into the property, and decided to investigate. What he found was definitely not squatters taking shelter from the cold.

As he approached the shack, he noticed it was brightly lit from within, and the door was standing wide open. Accompanied by another unknown noise, the man observed the image of old Judge illuminated in the doorway. He was supporting himself on crutches and had both legs amputated at the knees. Understandably, the man fled in terror at the sight. Apparently, 123 years on this earth was simply not long enough for Samuel 'Judge' Lane.

Mark Sebastian Jordan has published a wonderful deep-dive into Samuel 'Judge' Lane's possible history, which can be found at the Knox Pages website, listed below.

Sources and Further Reading:

"The adventures of Mount Vernon’s ‘Judge’ Lane, who died at the age of 200… or 123 … or maybe just 90." By Mark Sebastian Jordan. 03 May 2025. Knox Pages Website

Find-a-Grave Entry for Samuel Lane