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| (This illustration is from The IngoldsbyLegends (1848ish) and is by John Leech. It has absolutely nothing to do with this story!) |
From the pages of The Night Side of Nature, or, Ghosts and Ghost Seers (1848)
(In the chapter Troubled Spirits)
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"The account is extracted verbatim from a work published by the Bannatyne Club, and is entitled, Authentic Account of the Appearance of a Ghost in Queen Ann's County, Maryland, United States of North America, proved in the following remarkable trial, from attested notes, taken in court at the time, by one of the counsel."
It appears that Thomas Harris had made some alteration in the disposal of his property, immediately previous to his death ; and that the family disputed the will and raised up difficulties likely to be injurious to his children. William Brigs said, that he was forty- three years of age ; that Thomas Harris died in September, in the year 1790. In the March following he was riding near the place where Thomas Harris was buried, on a horse formerly belonging to Thomas Harris. After crossing a small branch, his horse began to walk on very fast. It was between the hours of eight and nine o'clock in the morning. He was alone : it was a clear day. He entered a lane adjoining to the field where Thomas Harris was buried. His horse suddenly wheeled in a pannel of the fence, looked over the fence into the field where Thomas Harris was buried and neighed very loud.
Witness then saw Thomas Harris coming towards him, in the same apparel he had last seen him in his lifetime ; he had on a sky blue coat. Just before he came to the fence, he varied to the right, and vanished ; his horse immediately took the road. Thomas Harris came within two panaels of the fence to him ; he did not see his features, nor speak to him. He was acquainted with Thomas Harris when a boy, and there had always been a great intimacy between them. He thinks the horse knew Thomas Harris, because of his neighing, pricking up his ears, and looking over the fence.
About the first of June following he was ploughing in his own field, about three miles from where Thomas Harris was buried. About dusk Thomas Harris came alongside of him, and walked with him about two hundred yards. He was dressed as when first seen. He made a halt about two steps from him. J. Bailey who was ploughing along with him, came driving up, and he lost sight of the ghost. He was much alarmed : not a word was spoken. The young man Bailey did not see him ; he did not tell Bailey of it. There was no motion of any particular part : he vanished. It preyed upon his mind so as to affect his health.
He was with Thomas Harris when he died, but had no particular conversation with him. Some time after he was lying in bed, about eleven and twelve o'clock at night, he heard Thomas Harris groan, it was like the groan he gave a few minutes before he expired : Mrs. Brigs, his wife, heard the groan. She got up and searched the house : he did not, because he knew the groan to be from Thomas Harris.
Some time after when in bed, and a great fire- light in the room, he saw a shadow on the wall. At the same time he felt a great weight upon him. Some time after, when in bed and asleep, he felt a stroke between his eyes, which blackened them both : his wife was in bed with him, and two young men were in the room. The blow awaked him, and all in the room were asleep ; is certain no person in the room struck him : the blow swelled his nose.
About the middle of August he was alone, coming from Hickey Collins', after dark, about one hour in the night, Thomas Harris appeared, dressed as he had seen him when he was going down to the meeting house branch, three miles and a half from the grave-yard of Thomas Harris. It was starlight. He extended his arms over his shoulders. Does not know how long he remained in this situation. He was much alarmed. Thomas Harris disappeared. No- thing was said. He felt no weight on his shoulders. He went back to Colonel Linsi, and got a young man to go with him. After he got home he mentioned it to the young man. He had, before this, told James Harris he had seen his brother's ghost.
In October, about twilight in the morning, he saw Thomas Harris about one hundred yards from the house of the witness ; his head was leant to one side ; same apparel as before ; his face was towards him ; he walked fast and disappeared ; there was nothing between them to obstruct the view ; he was about fifty yards from him, and alone ; he had no conception why Thomas Harris appeared to him. On the same day, about eight o'clock in the morning, he was handing up blades to John Bailey, who was stacking them ; he saw Thomas Harris come along the garden-fence, dressed, as before he vanished, and always to the East : was within fifteen feet of him ; Bailey did not see him. An hour and a half afterwards, in the same place, he again appeared, coming as before ; came up to the fence ; leaned on it within ten feet of the witness, who called to Bailey to look there (pointing towards Thomas Harris). Bailey asked what was there.
'Don't you see Harris?' Does not recollect what Bailey said. Witness advanced towards Harris. One or the other spoke as witness got over the fence, on the same pannel that Thomas Harris was leaning on. They walked off together about five hundred yards, a conversation took place as they walked ; he has not the conversation on his memory. He could not understand Thomas Harris, his voice was so low. He asked Thomas Harris a question, and he forbid him. Witness then asked, ' Why not go to your brother, instead of me ?' Thomas Harris said, ' Ask me no questions.'
Witness told him his will was doubted. Thomas Harris told him to ask his brother if he did not remember the con- versation which passed between them on the east side of the wheat stacks, the day he was taken with his death sickness; that he then declared that he wished all his property kept together by James Harris, until his children arrived at age, then the whole should be sold and divided among his children ; and, should it be immediately sold, as expressed in his will, that the property would be most wanting to his children while minors, therefore he had changed his will, and said that witness should see him again. He then told witness to turn, and disappeared. He did not speak to him with the same voice as in his life-time. He was not daunted while with Thomas Harris, but much afterwards.
Witness then went to James Harris, and told him that he had seen his brother three times that day. Related the conversation he had with him. Asked James Harris if he remembered the conversation between him and his brother, at the wheat-stack, he said he did, and told him what had passed. Said he would fulfill his brother's will. He was satisfied that witness had seen his brother, for that no other person knew the conversation. On the same evening-, returning home about an hour before sun-set, Thomas Harris appeared to him, came along- side of him. Witness told him that his brother said he would fulfill his will. No more conversation on this subject. He disappeared. He had further conversation with Thomas Harris, but not on this subject. He was always dressed in the same manner. He had never related to any person the last conversation, and never would.
Bailey, who was sworn in the cause, declared that as he and Brigs were stacking blades, as related by Brigs, he called to witness and said, ' Look there ! Do you not see Thomas Harris?' Witness said, 'No.' Brig's got over the fence, and walked some distance ; appeared by his action to be in deep conversation with some person. Witness saw no one.
The counsel was extremely anxious to hear from Mr. Brings the whole of the conversation of the ghost, and on his cross-examination took every means, without effect, to obtain it. They represented to him, as a religious man, he was bound to disclose the whole truth. He appeared agitated when applied to, declaring nothing short of life should make him reveal the whole conversation, and claiming the protection of the court, that he had declared all he knew relative to the case.
The Court overruled the question of the counsel.
Hon. James Tilgman, judge. His Excellency Robert Wright, late Governor of Maryland, and the Hon. Joseph H. Nicholson, afterwards judge of one of the courts in Maryland, were the counsel for the plaintiff.
John Scott and Richard T. Earle, Esqrs., were counsel for the defendant. "
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