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The Edgefield Ghost Fifty
Years Ago.
Messrs. Editors: There being an
old copy of the "Edgefield Ghost,"
found in some waste papers, it has
brought,fresh to memory the strange
circumstance. I am now the oldest
living witness that I know of. I am
the oldest child and Son of the family,
and it was at the time in my eight
eenth year.
Strange as it was, it is no less
strange than true. There never has
been any explanation of the myste
rious circumstance upon a rational
principle.
It could be heard at intervals for
twelve months, but during two weeks
in May 1S29, it could be heard when
ever called for. There has never been
anything of the- kind heard about
the place by any person, that I am
aware of, since October, 1829.
, I send you an account of it repub
lished from the Carolinian some years
ago, and if you think proper to pub
lish again, you can do so.
Yours respectfully,
S. C. Burnett,
Abbeville County,
Phoenix Post Office.
April 24th, 1879.
(The above communication was
addressed , to the Edgefield Advertis
er.)
(From the Carolinian, Saturday,
July ll, 1820.)
The Edgefield Ghost.
The following statement of facts
in relation to a matter which has
produced much inquiry and specula
tion in this district, may be depend
ed upon by the public, as having
been carefully compiled by a gentle
man of piety and of strong and well
cultivated mind. We are not disposed
to believe that a breach has been
made in the laws of nature, without
any useful purpose, but we have not
yet heard any satisfactory explana
tion of the circumstances upon ra
tional principles.-Editors Carolin
ian.
Messrs. Editors: As public curi
osity has been greatly excited and
many tales more or less true, have
gone. out concerning the mysterious
and invisible being, that has been
heard at Mr. Isaac Burnett's in this
district for some time, it seems prop
er -that the public should be in pos
session of the facts relative to this
extraordinary circumstance. The
voice was first heard in October last,
imitating various noises, such as that
of the spinning wheel, reel, ducks,
!hen, etc. It was first heard by Mr.
Burnett about twenty yards from the
house which ted him to suppose it
was one of his neighbor's children
hiding in the weeds and trying to
frighten his children. It was after
ward heard in the loft of the house
and Mr. B. supposing it to be a bird,
sent a boy up to drive it out, but
nothing could be seen. It thus contin
ued to perplex the minds of the fam
ily for some time, until, at length,
one of the children said he believed
that thing could talk and commenced
asking questions, which it answered
by whistling very much like a parrot.
This circumstance getting out, many
persons came to hear it. Mr. John
Shepherd, a pious and worthy citizen,
fvho lives in the neighborhood, con
versed with it in the presence of a
lumber of witnesses. To ascertain
ie extent of its knowledge, he asked
carious questions about most per
sons in the neighborhood, and their
:ircnmstances, which it answered
jorrectly. It told his name and the
iumher of children he had; also, the
lames of most of the persons present,
?e. asked what it came there for. It
replied, "Because it had no other
?lace to go to." It was asked if it
rame to do the family any harm, it
?aid no-it loved the famliy. It was
tsk?d finally ff it loved Jesus Christ,
o which it made no reply, nor ans
wered any question which Mr. Shep
lerd asked.- The evening after, it ans
wered others, but would not answer
dm. For the first three months it
tras heard only once a month, but
l?ierwards much oftener. It had
>een heard at various times, both in
?E flay and night, but more frequent
yirin the day. Search has been re
peatedly made by the family and oth
irs, but nothing found from which
he voice could proceed. There is no
flflce of concealment about the house.
it-?B? small house with but one room,
ilfaffit of boards laid across the joists,
md a piazza on one side. The house
S not underpinned, so that you can
iee from one end to the other, under
neath. For some time the voice ap
peared generally to proceed from the
garther end of the house, opposite
the ??ne-place and the upper part of
fche:ioft. If any one, except the chil
dren,-while it was talking, or if any
one would steal around the house
ever so softly to that end on the out
sideof the .house when it was dark,
and whilst others were talking to it,
jt would instantly stop; and when
they returned, it would commence
again. This experiment was trie
evening when a number of p<
were there, so that both the
and piazza were full. Some one
the piazza, without the know
of those in the house, who were
:ng to it, went around on the 01
to see if they could discover anj
when it instantly stopped. It has
known to whistle most any
dither sacred or profane, whicl
one would tell it.
Mr. and Mrs. Burnett appear
simple-hearted, upright and an
persons, serious in their disposi
and as far from encouraging
trick about them to make spo
any one. No one in the neighbor
who knows them, believes that
know anything about the mi
They have evidently been much
turbed and alarmed on accour
it, but having so far experience
harm from it, they have resol
maintained their ground. It mani
a great partiality for a little da
ter of the family, who is about el
years of age. This so alarms her
she generally gets sick whenever
talks to it, and she has been kr
to quit the house precipitately, \
she heard it alone in the house,
long since, however, she quoted 1
a passage of Scripture, whic
pious friend pointed out and adv
her to memorize for the purp
1 Tim. 1:15,) and it bade her
her jaw, but she persisted in quo
the passage until it hushed, and
not spoken to her since.
Since so many persons wenl
hear it, it has become very shy
is seldom heard when many per*
are about, or when any person i:
the house except the smaller child;
They have never been able to as
tain who, or what it is, or the ob,
of its visit. It has told its name
peatedly, but cannot be understc
It will not answer any serious i
gious questions. When asked wh(
er it was a man or a woman, it s
it was the foolishest question it e
heard, and appeared to laugh.
The Rev. Mr. Hodges visited
family several times, at their
quest, without hearing anythi
However, on the 25th of May Mr.
being in the neighborhood and c?
ing at the house of Mr. N.; Mrs.
informed Mr. Hodges, she had y
been to Mr. Burnett's and heard 1
.voice-Mr. H. immediately rode oi
in company with Mr. John Shephe:
Mr. S. went up to the house first,
get the children in the house to ti
to it, and after it commenced, up
a signal given, Mr. H. went up to t
house and seated himself on the ph
za. A little boy eight or jaine yes
of age stood just inside of the do
to ask .questions which were suggei
ed to him by the company. It imiti
ed various noises in a whistle, su'
as the crowing of a cock, the clue
ing of a hen, noise of a partridg
etc., and enswered a variety of sir
pie questions. There were but fe
answers that Mr. H. could unde
stand, but were interpreted to hi
j by the family, who were accustom*
I to hear it, he could then trace oi
I some resemblance. Some words, hov
ever, were pronounced very plaii
such as kitten, yes, no, goose-quil
etc. The family say, that it generali
spoke much more distinctly and coul
be much better understood than o
this occasion. Mr. Shepherd says th
same. It was understood, howevei
to say it knew Mr. H., pronounce)
his name tolerably distinct, said i
got acquainted with him there, an<
that it did not like him. When Mr. H
spoke and said, "I have not come tc
drive you away," it was understooc
to reply "Do if you dare,"- During th?
conversation with it, which lasted
about an hour, no person was present
except Mr. Burnett's wifev Mr- Shep
herd and Mr. Hodges, wittie the small
children. The oldest was the little
girl above mentioned, who was in the
yard with the little children. No one
was inside of the house except the Et
tie boy who asked the questions- The
reason why he was put there to ask
questions was, because for some tine
it had ceased to speak to aay but the
children. There were also in the
kitchen a negro woman, and an idiot
girl, spinning and weaning, who
could not have heard what passed in
the house. The two older sons were
absent at work in the farm. Mr. S.
and .Mr. H. after the conversation
ended, examined the house and found
nothing. During the time of conver
sation it was asked to sing a song
it said it did not know any. Mr. H.
whistled a sacred tune, but it said
that wouldn't do. It then whistled
Yankee Doodle very distinctly.
When Mr. H. first heard of the
circumstance he very naturally was
led to suspect that it proceeded from
some one in the neighborhood, or
family who possessed the arjt of ven
triloquism. But against that opinion
lie the following objections, viz: 1st.
It is certain that it is no on^, not of
the family, as no such person ha3
been thereabouts at times when it
was heard, and no person could be
there always, without being seen es
pecially in the day, time. 2nd. Mr.
Burnett and wife, whose word will
be taken by all who know them, state
that no individual of the family, who
could possibly be suspected of such
a thing, is always present at such
times. They state positively, it has
been heard when the negro j the ser
vant about the house) was in the
field at work. It has been heard when
the two older sons, who were nearly
grown, were absent, as was the fact
when Mr. H. heard it. It has been
heard when all the other children
were at school, except the two young
est, one of which is about three years
old, the other an infant. The idiot
girl has not the intelligence which
this invisible being manifests, accord
ing to the testimony of all who have
heard it.
Furthermore, even supposing any
of the children possessed this faculty
and had the disposition to carry on
the deception, for so long a time to
the evident disquietude and distress
of the family, is it a rational suppo
sition, that this could be donewithout
being suspected by the parents? Or
would not the individual be disposed
to try its pranks at school, or among
other children to frighten them, as
well as at home? There is another cir
cumstance which contradicts this sup
position. About two months ago Mr.
Burnett, at the suggestion of some
one, put a testament in the place
whence the voice appeared to pro
ceed. It instantly left the place, came
down into the house, and said it was
going away. It replied it was abliged
to go, it could stay there no longer,
and bade them farewell, it was then
absent about two weeks, during which
time it was heard at Mr. Rogers', Mr.
Dicks' and Mr. Nickoll's, in the same
neighborhood, as they believe. They
had heard it at Burnett's and believ
ed it to be the same, but did not con
verse with it. When it returned it was
asked and said it had been to those
places. None of Mr. Burnett's family
were ' at those places when it was
heard. Since its return it has ocpu
pied no particular part of the house,
but is heard in various parts. It is
now seldom heard, as Mr. B. does not
allow the children to talk to it-they
do not pay much attention to it.
These are the most material cir
cumstances connected with this
strange affair, for the confirmation of
which, and for further information,"
the public is referred to Mr. J. Shep
herd, Dr. E. Andrews, and Mr. G.
Slappy, who live in the neighborhood,
and who have all heard it. Mr. Bur
nett lives about twelve miles below
Cambridge, and about three miles
west of the road leading to Hamburg,
near Mr. Wiley Berry's.
Q.
Seek Protection From Night
Riders.
Chattanooga, Tenn., Feb. 27.
Renewed activities of night riders
around Bridgeport and other Ala
bama towns resulted in an appeal to
day to federal authorities for pro
tectionby residents who have been
attacked in their homes. The jail at
Scottsboro is under special guard of
state law enforcement officers as a
precaution against mob violence as
an aftermath of night riding in that i
section the past week.
According to reliable information
reaching here today the farmers in
the Bridgeport and Stevenson sec
tions are keyed up to a high pitch of
excitement over developments of the
past few days. Jodie Beavers and
John Brown, two farmers arrived
Saturday by state law enforcement|
officers sent to Jackson county by
Governor Kilby, are confined in the
jail at Scottsboro. Brown is suffer
ing from a wound alleged by the offi
cers to h?ve beensustained in the
course of a raid on the home, of Har
ry McGowan Thursday night by a
bamd of 15 or 20 night riders. Both
Beavers and Brown, it is said, have
been indentified by McGowan as mern
hers of the gang of alleged night rid
ers who attacked his home. Both men
deny having participated in the raid.
Information reaching Chattanooga
today stated that night, riders in
Jackson county, Alabama, have drag
ged men from their homes and whip
ped them unnrercifully and others
have been warned to join the ten
ant's union or take the consequences.
Members of the union, while denying |
any part in the outrages, are charged j
with either taking part or inspiring
these attacks. It is alleged that the
night riders are attempting to en
force the principles of the tenants'
union, the raids being on homes or
tenants who have refused to join.
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THE FARMERS BANK
OF EDGEFIELD, S. C.
Capital and Surplus Profits - - - $190,000.00
Total Resources Over.$800,000.00
SAFETY AND SERVICE IS WHAT WE
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IT S NOT WHAT
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Cocrnrht 1909, hr C. E. Zimmerman Co. ?No. 66
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BANK OF EDGEFIELD
OFFICERS: J. C. Sheppard, President; A. S. Tompkins, vice-President;
E. J. Minis, Cashier; J. H. Allen, Assistant Cashier.
DIRECTORS: J. C. Sheppard, Thos. H. Rainsford, John Rainsford,
M. C. Parker, A. S. Tompkins, J. G. Holland, E. J. Mime, J. H. Allen.
