"Another Ghost Story"
"THE WEEKLEY INDEPENDENT" - Potosi, Washington County, Missouri - March
21, 1878
A Joke That Did Not Turn Out To Be A Joke
A well known lady and her baby filled full of shot while she was playing ghost
Mrs. John O'Hanlon
The ghost story published in the INDEPENDENT of last week has given rise to much talk on
the subject and every haunted house and dismal byway in the county has had its horrible
sights and spiritual apparitions portrayed and repeated by those most suspicious of such
characters in our community, and the beast that had never been seen till the old man who
related his experience to us discovered it, has since been found dozens of times. One
house, more particular than others, situated a short distance from town, has been
suspected of being frequented by these unearthly beings and for several nights recently,
the evidences of falling rocks on the roof and window lights being broken at the dead
hours of night has convinced its inmates, and confirmed the belief generally that the
spirit of the old man who committed the "atrocious crime of incident", within
its walls two years ago is yet around.
The belief that old man Kasika's spirit was still a frequenter of that section from when
his own hand had freed it had been repeated around Mr. John O'Hanlons fireside from time
to time till the younger members of the family, with Stephen Campbell, a nephew, were
thorough believers themselves, and now comes the part of a "joke that was not a
joke". Last Saturday night one of the younger O'Hanlon boys with Campbell shouldered
a shotgun as a protector and started to a neighbors house on an errand, intending to
return, as they did, about eleven o'clock. Mrs. O'Hanlon, without thinking of the gun, and
what was to follow, prepared herself in a ghostly robe, and with her little two year old
girl, took a position in the yard, and the first thing that met their eyes was the large
white object behind the lumber. A demand was made by Campbell, who held the gun, to know
who was there. No answer came, save the motion of the wing like hand from the sheet, when
in an instant the gun was fired and Mrs. O'Hanlon and her little girl both fell to the
ground. They boys were horrified at what they had done, and not time was lost in coming to
town for a doctor. Almost twenty shot took effect in Mrs. O'Hanlon's face and two struck
the baby...one in the cheek and one in the temple. As the shot were very small the doctor
thinks the wound not dangerous, but evidentially had they been larger, both would have
been killed. Mrs. O'Hanlon blames herself and not the boys for the foolish act.
(This must have been Catherine Campbell, wife of John O'Hanlon and the child may have been
Mary O'Hanlon)Submitted By: Pat Ramsey
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