Valley Girl Views: The Sunbury Spook of 1887

"But in the witching hours when ghosts and goblins walk in haunted fields through haunted streets or haunted bridges; when the gas in the street lamps flicker, and witchcraft, dire omens, and pretentious sounds fill the air, the cloaked man sallies forth, leaving to the curious town people the task of wondering what he is after."

In March of 1903, The Lewisburg Journal ran an article from New York by Prof. C.W. Leadbeater, describing the seven distinct forms of ghosts.

He seems to have missed the most common form, seen in Central Pennsylvania typically around the month of March. The 8th form could be called "Practical Joker Spooks."

While perusing old newspapers, searching the term "spook", the results most commonly occur in March. This could purely be coincidence, but it did not escape my notice that March is often a quiet month. Unlike All Hallows Eve, it's not harvest season. It was frequently before the spring thaw and planting season, and after men had been cooped up inside for winter.

Around this time, the spooks most commonly appeared.

The Sunbury Spook Of 1887

"Be it Ghost or be it Goblin, or the Devil In Disguise?"

The editor of the Northumberland Democrat, March 11 1887, set out to interview the "braves" who dared to still go out at night, who had seen the spook.

Described as "a powerful looking creature, minus the horns". According to the story, a tall man in a cloak roamed the streets at night, stopping passerby's to ask if he had a scar on his head. His face was covered with a half mask, and as he asked the question, he reached for his face, feeling for a scar. He carried a pistol, however "It appears that this particular spook hurts no one, offers no harm."

The newspaper went on to report the following sightings:

The Driver of Slaymaker & Co's team was intercepted by him at Lerch's shop on Monday night at 10 pm, frightening him so much that he creased running at 3rd street.
A lady on 4th Street was leaning out the window to close the shutters when lo! "I am thy fathers ghost" jumped up in front of her at the window.
The spook was next spotted on the new Lutheran church steps, and then at the Spruce Street School House
W.H. Hill - ‘‘About half past eight the other evening, a man with a mask over his face looked in our windows."
E. L. Brice - ‘‘I saw him twice; once he had on an ulster and was coming up| Chestnut street. The cape of the ulster was over his head.

"Some two weeks ago a whisper soft as summer air wafted through the street and alley, over the hill and flat, crept under doors, came in the windows, until at last it penetrated every nook and corner of the place. It was told in baited breath to school children, older persons shuddered, and at night quickened their pace as they speed homeward. Yes, we have it; a real ghost."

In a separate article, the Northumberland newspaper reported what many of the local citizens had to say about the spook:

S.C. Drumheller. ‘I don’t know what to think of it, but] would walk half the night to see it.”
Chief Burgess Cadwallader. ‘‘What do |.I think of the cloak man? Well I think it is the best thing out, it saves the expenses Of a police officer in keeping the streets| quiet ; will engage another if possible.”
John Auten hasn’t seen it himself, but if | he don’t keep in his own ward he’s liable, to see it some night. He thinks it is the ghost of that Indian he unearthed while digging garden,"
M. J. Beckley. ‘‘Don’t believe there is much in it; however, if there is a spook spookin’ around, I’d like for it to come up on the hill some night so I could see it.”
Constable Kauffman hasn’t run across the ghost, spook, apparition or whatever it Is in his bailiwick, and thinks there is more imagination than anything else about it.
Nat. Strain thinks Mr. ——-—— is masquerading , and he will de lucky if he isn’t caught some night and taught a lesson.
J. Walter Zeigler. ‘I don’t know anything about it, nor | don’t want to.”
Dr. Furey. ‘A carnard trying to raise an excitement.”
D. H. Koch’s idea of it. ‘‘In my opinion it is either a myth or an ‘idjit.’ ”
Harry Shean. ‘‘I don’t think there is anything in it, if there is, 1 would have met it.”
Chief Burgess Cadwallader. ‘‘What do |.I think of the cloak man? Well I think it is the best thing out, it saves the expenses Of a police officer in keeping the streets| quiet ; will engage another if possible.”
P. P. Smith. ‘Would not tell you if 1 |did know. You would publish it.”
Geo. Beckley, familiarly known as ‘‘Farmer Beck.” ‘There certainly is one. I saw it the other night, it had on white |overalls and a long black coat. I did not stay long enough to investigate its head |gear.” .
Harry Smith. ‘‘My idea is that it is ,someone dressed up to frighten people, if I ever meet him, he will have to abide by the consequences.
There was a ‘‘melancholy menace in his tones” as J. B Reed murmured, ‘‘I’d like to meet him some night.”
Wesley Auten. ‘‘It is a decided snide.”
John Gurtner. ‘It is some fool dressed up, if he is not careful he will be shot.”
Geo. Gibson says the people who think | they saw it, are victims of their imagination.
Will Bruner says ‘“‘it is some lunatic masquerading in a gossamer"
“Scotty,” ex-policeman, thinks ‘‘it is some fellow trying to frighten people merely for the sensation.”
Bill Young, says ‘‘it is evidently the Devil.”
W. P. Haupt. “I didn’t believe in spooks, but since the Grit says that I was |out after it the other night, and haven’t done anything since, there must be one. Wonder if they will find out who it is.
Frank Eisely. ‘‘I think it is Pete Burrell, he is always spooking around.”
I P. McCartney. “A lot of young fellows ought to go together and catch him.”
R. F. Whitmer. ‘I met him the other night when I was going home, we did not speak as we passed by.”
Constable Tom Gannon. ‘I know who | he is and what he is trying to do, but I won't tell.”
Dr. P. H. Renn. ‘‘The idle imagination of cowards.”
S. E. Slaymaker. ‘‘No brave man has laid his eyes on him that I have heard of.”
L. Koch. ‘I think it is a myth.”
G. S Burrows. ‘It puts me in mind of a story Col. Piatt, of Tunkhannock, tells.”There is a chap up there named Powell| Redfield, who is very fond of hunting, bu. | was never known to shoot anything. One | day the Colonel was out on a ridge back of | town, and met a fox. The fox said, ‘‘do |you know Powell Redfield.” The Col. answered ‘‘yes”. ‘‘When you see him,” said the fox, ‘tell him to come out and kiss my foot.” ‘This applies to the spook.

The Northumberland Spook - Col. Dave

The newspaper then recounted a similar sighting from Northumberland a few years prior:

"This spook scare reminds me of a spook in Northumberland some years ago. Col. Dave sat in his study reading the news and smoking his pipe, and because it was eleven o'clock at night and two of his old chums were up town having a little game, he hied himself to the bureau, secured two sheets, and cautiously sneaked a few squares up town near Forsyth's barn.

After a patient wait for some time, he noticed their approach. " Col Dave, a very tall man, "placed one sheet on a pole, and put his hat on the end. With the other sheet covering his body, with arms extended, he slowly moved from his position and in view of his approaching friends. They discovered him and Belshazzer like did their knees smite together; They rushed away in great fright, never stopping until they cross the river bridge, jumping over the toll gate in one bound."

As all Pennsylvania legends do, this one quickly grew, and by the next day it was reported that the spook had been so large that it stepped over Forsyths barn in one stride.

Col. Dave went back to his office and enjoyed the fun, not telling the people of the town what he had done until the following year.

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