The ghost in black

The ghost in black as related in an old news paper article: The ghost
in black sometimes appeared in the daytime. He was the most
discussed subject in that back-in-the-bush Northern Tasmanian
settlement where he put in his appearance about the year 1890.. A
married man and the remainder of his family, and a married son and
his family, occupied houses within a stone’s throw of each other. The
particularly haunted people were the mother and her daughter-in-law.
The two men were at work on a sheep station fifteen miles away.
They were able to be home only at week-ends. One night the
younger woman, who was alone in her cottage except for her two
small children, was aroused from sleep by a weird pattering sound on
her bedroom window. She listened, her heart beating wildly. After
what seemed hours the pattering ceased, followed by sounds as of
creeping foot steps around the house. Not for a moment were they
silent. She could follow them all the way round till slowly, without
hurry, without pause, they once more reached her window.
A few moments of nerve-wracking silence. Then a wail, scarcely
audible, becoming gradually louder and lender till it ended in an awful
shriek. The young woman lay trembling, almost too frightened to
breathe, till she heard the little gate of her front garden open and
shut, then, summoning all her courage, she rose, and creeping to the
window, raised the blind just a little. She saw in the bright moon light,
walking across the paddock to wards her mother-in-law’s house, a tall
figure in a long black cloak. The figure disappeared behind the house.
The poor woman, terrified for the safety of her relatives, but afraid to
call out to give warning, waited. After a few minutes the wail and the
shriek repeated, followed by a commotion among the people inside,
and the dark figure came into view running for the wattle scrub one
hundred yards away. He disappeared, and all was quiet again. Taking
her two small children from their cot and wrapping them in a blanket,
the young woman carried them across to her mother-in-law’s house,
where she spent the rest of the night. While they were’ at breakfast a
slight sound was heard coming from a hut close to the back door that
was used for a storeroom and pantry. Going to the door, the older
woman was just in time to see their midnight visit or dodge round the
hut in the direction of the bush carrying a pot of jam. With fear and
trembling the two women went into the hut; and there, lying on the
table, was a scrap of brown paper on which was written – ‘if young
misses will come with me I will not hurt any body but if she doesn’t I
will kill you both. The children were at once sent round to the
neighbours asking for protection and in a few hours all the men and
most of the women and children for two miles around were collected,
bringing with them all the firearms the place afforded – one breechloading double-barrelled gun, considerable variety in single and
double muzzle-loading guns, one muzzle-loading pistol of ancient
design, and two small revolvers After considerable discussion a
search was made of all buildings, hollow logs and stumps and scrub
for a radius of half a mile or more. Not a trace of the unwelcome
visitor could be found. A guard
consisting of two men and one gun and one revolver was arranged
for the coming night, and the rest of the party went home. Nothing
happened during the night nor the next day, nor for three days. The
guard was changed each day. Then, as the two men of the family
came home for the week-end, the guards handed over its
responsibility to them. Nothing happened during the Saturday and
Sunday and thinking the intruder had gone, the two men went back
on Sunday night to their work. But as a precaution the younger
woman was instructed in the use of a shot-gun, which she kept
loaded and ready. On the following Friday morning the young woman,
rising early, opened her back door and saw the black ghost moving
slowly towards her. Without giving herself time to think about it ran
into the backyard with the gun cocking it. The ghost, seeing the
weapon, rushed for the post. and-rail fence at the back. He sprang for
the top rail and rolled over it as his pursuer fired. He fell heavily, but
sprang to his feet at once and so disappeared into the bush. Again
messengers were sent round, and again the whole neighbourhood;
armed, assembled in force. But after searching the place where the
ghost fell and the surrounding bush and finding no trace of blood nor
of any, thing else that would indicate where he had been, the men
returned home leaving a guard or two a shearer armed with a
shotgun, and a little blacksmith armed with a revolver. Toward
evening the older woman, who was
outside, called out excitedly ‘’There he is; he ran into the hut!’
Immediately the guard turned out, The little blacksmith, whose
courage was out of all proportion to his size, advanced toward the
door of the hut with his revolver at the ready.
“Come out if you’re a man,” shouted, “and we’ll have shot of you “
There was no reply. Again the little blacksmith shouted his challenge:
“Come out if you’re man, and we’ll have shot for shot!” The shearer
joined him. Together they waited for five minutes to give the ghost an
opportunity of accepting the challenge. Then, after a whispered
consultation, they opened the door, cautiously peered inside, and as
cautiously entered, the blacksmith leading. There was no one. They
searched
around for a possible outlet; the chimney was too small, and the one
window would not open. Next afternoon the guard
was relieved by the home-coming of the two men. The young
woman reported seeing the black ghost next day and her
father-in-law rushed around with his revolver at the ready, calling for
instant surrender. But the ghost failed to show himself. The locals
doubted the women’s account, saying they made it up because they
hated living in the bush and wanted out. Sounds like the kind of thing
a man would say.