The Wolfman Of Versailles, Indiana.

 

An old tale is told here in Indiana of a man named Silas Shimmerhorn.  He was a deserter from General Morgan’s Confederate Raiders.  After Silas deserted, he hid outside Versailles in the hills, valleys, and woods because he knew if he was caught by either side his days would of living would be numbered.  For a while, Silas wandered around sleeping under the stars until he stumbled upon a cave, which is known today as the Bat Cave. (No, it isn't the cave of Batman but rodent like bats)

We all can imagine Silas living a solitary and difficult life.  At first Silas hunted game with the rifle he kept from his time as a soldier his ammunition started to dwindle.  Cyrus made himself a bow and a set of arrows from tree branches.  He began to hunt with the bow and arrows.

It was around this time Silas made some strange friends on his hunts, large pack of wolves.  Silas wasn't scared like a normal human being.  As a matter of fact, Silas befriended the wolves with pieces of the game he killed.  It didn't take any time at all for the wolves to adopt Silas into their pack.  Silas and letting his hair, mustache, and beard growing long.  He ran wild with the wolf pack through the fields and hunting with them.

This is where the trouble again for the nearby farmers.  Silas and the wolves were ransacking the chicken houses, slaughtering cattle.  It doesn't take a vivid imagination to understand how horrified the farmers were find their animals dead.

Rumors began to spread of the wild man with the pack of wolves being seen in the woods.  Some farmers reported seeing an odd stranger watching them.  If they approached the stranger, he fled.  The farmers described him as wearing no shirt or shoes, and wearing ragged gray uniform pants with long hair and beard.

The residents of Versailles started to set traps to catch the Wolfman.  The traps were wasted effort.  The Wolfman, Silas, proved too invasive for the traps.  However the tracker from the town made some headway in tracing Silas and wolves to the bat cave.  Unfortunately, they didn't catch Silas but they were confronted by a bunch of snarling wolves.  Trackers made a hasty retreat.

It has been said after hearing some of the stories of the Wolfman of Versailles, some of Silas’ old army buddies went north in search of him.  They hope to persuade Silas to return with them but to no avail. The only thing they got was a howling wolves in their ears.

This also said eventually, some brave farmers ventured into the bat cave.  The only things they found were the remains of the pine straw bed and eating utensils.

Today the area Silas roamed and hunted is Versailles State Park.  Campers have reported hearing wolves howl at night only to learn there are no wolves in the park.  A cave enthusiast has reported seeing Silas and his pack of wolves and the bat cave.  A park ranger had seen them too the incident wasn't reported. 

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Haunted Indiana vol. 1

by Mark Marimen

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Old Politics, Or Whose Ghost Is It Anyway? Part Two

 

The second part of this article takes us back to the year 1872 and two men named Joseph Brook and Elisha Baxter.  Both were corrupted.  Dead men voted.  Living men voted more than once.  Ballots will birch.  Voters threatened at gunpoint or towed to vote for the gun holders candidate.  In the end, Baxter one because he had more voting territory. Brook was infuriated of this because I had read the same territories and a previous position.  Brook filed a complaint against Baxter.

The following two years, Baxter seemed to put corruption behind him.  He made good on promises.  The most important of these bills was re-enfranchised all the men who lost the vote because they supported the confederacy.

Brook saw this act as the end of the Republican domination of the state of Arkansas and decided to take action.  Brook staged a revolt with the support of his Republican peers.  A Republican judge ruled that Baxter could not hold office because of Brook’s complaint from two years past.  Brook became governor, was sworn in, gathered a militia, and had Baxter thrown out of the building.  A cannon was placed in front of the building to make sure Baxter didn't return.

Baxter didn't return instead he set up shop a few blocks down from the assembly building.  Brook might have had the support of judiciary and a large militia but Baxter didn't give up and formed his own army.

Two hundred men died in the small battles took place over a month between the two fractions.  President Ulysses S.  Grant interceded a restored Baxter back to his position in the end.

Brook survived a coup and avoided jail time for it but it didn't keep him out of politics either.  Brook served Arkansas as postmaster general until we died. Brook never forgave himself for his failure in claiming the position he most coveted.  Others believed it is Brook is the one haunting the Arkansas assembly building.

I guess in the end it doesn't matter who's ghost haunts the Arkansas assembly building.  The debate will go on until he is figured out.  What matters is these two dramas are never repeated.

First part of article

Old Politics Or Whose Ghost Is It Anyway- Part One

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Old Politics Or Whose Ghost Is It Anyway? Part One

 

The building that housed Arkansas State assembly is now the subject of great debate in the city of Little Rock, Arkansas.  The debate isn't on whether the building is haunted not because it is.  The debate is on whose ghost is doing the haunting.  There are some that believe the status of a Speaker of the House, who killed another representative in 1837.  Others believed the ghosts is of a man, who almost succeeded in taking over the governorship in 1872.  The question has never been answered. 

Perhaps, you, the  reader can figure it out.

The first part of this ghostlore concerns to representatives, Colonel John Wilson and Major J.J. Anthony.

One day in 1837, Colonel Wilson presided the assembly emotion was brought up for a bill that would allow hunters to collect a bounty of hides by Representative Amos Kuyendall.  Everyone agreed that the bill was a good idea.  The debate on the bill was how exactly the cash poor magistrates would pay the bounty.  Several ideas were brought up and shot down.  One representative suggested the hunters be given certificates instead of cash.

Major J.J. Anthony say that at this point and loudly stated his solution. “We don't need certificates.  All we have to do is have the hides signed by the president of the Real Estate Bank.”

Many of the representatives baffled by Major Anthony's statement or assumed he was drunk.  The only person in the assembly at knew with the major was talking about was Colonel Wilson, who was the president of the Real Estate Bank.  The Colonel and Major had an adversarial relationship.  The Colonel the value of the bank notes in circulation with his signature on them was being called into question.  In other words, Major Anthony was saying wolf hide with Colonel Wilson’s signature on it would be comparable to a legal tender from U.S. bank.

Colonel Wilson as the Major to explain himself.

No response came from Major Anthony. He just stood there.

Colonel Wilson been told Major Anthony to sit down and to get the floor to someone else.

Major Anthony's response was the opening up his coat and putting his hands on his hips.  On Major Anthony's belt a scabbard with the 12 inch Bowie knife in it.  Major Anthony was silently challenging Colonel Wilson.

Colonel Wilson take the challenge and the two representatives as began to fight.  The fight only lasted a half minute Encarta wilson's life would be forever changed.  Colonel Wilson avoided execution when the jury decided he committed an excusable homicide.  Colonel Wilson was kicked out of the assembly.  He never held office again.

Many believed that it is Colonel Wilson's spirit, whose gloom is still felt in the old building.

Second Part Of Article

Old Politics, Or Whose Ghost Is It Anyway- Part Two

 

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The Ghost Riders of Neches River

 

     Farmers and cowboys were sworn enemies during the beginning of the range days. It was no wonder eight Texas cowboys herding 3000 head of cattle got mad when they saw a fence as far as the eye could see blocking their progress to Abilene, Kansas. It didn't help these eight cowboys deposition being sore and tired either.

     For a while, the cowboys muttered among themselves getting anger and anger. They started to dwell on the punishment they could inflict on the farmer.

     So when the farmer came out of his house near Neches River with a shotgun, the eight cowboys saw their chance to inflict punishment. The cowboys took their positions around the herd of cattle, quickly sent the cattle into a stampede.

     The farmer scurried about and ran towards his house. He made it inside and warned his wife and two children then ran back out of the house. The farmer shot at the raging cattle, heading towards him to give his family time to get away. He had emptied the two barrels of the shotgun before is trampled to death. The cattle stampeded through the house killing the farmer's wife and two kids.

     Not one of the eight Texas cowboys showed remorse for their heinous misdeed. As a matter of fact, the eight cowboys bragged about the incident to their compadres, laughing about it, and toasting their nasty deed to others in Abilene. They were hailed as heroes for a month among their confederates.

     But once the Texas cowboys crossed over into their home state, they were showed no mercy. They had dreams of angry bulls with burning eyes, saw the ghosts of the family they murdered. These rough and tough cowboys were turned to whimpering cowards and unable to work anymore on cattle drives. Of course, none of them lived long after their return to Texas. The cause of their death varied among the eight from gunfights to suicide. One had drunk himself to death. The last of the eight died in 1875.

     A strange thing happened after the last cowboy died of the eight. Ghost riders started to appear on the Neches River. "They came just as the sun was sinking low on the horizon, when the immense Texan sky was a scarlet-streaked dome and the Neches ran red like a river of blood to the southeast...The ground beneath began to rumble, and the whole landscape started to shake. Up above, on the southern horizon, a group of what looked to be thick red clouds suddenly appeared, moving north at great speed. In the span of a few seconds, the clouds were overhead and were no longer clouds but a herd of angry cattle, driven forward by 12 masked cowboys. They roared over the Neches River in a terrible rush, the whole landscape shaking in their wake. And then, in the next instant, they were gone. They vanished suddenly in the dim evening sky, leaving not a trace of their passing."*

     If you are wondering why I put this Texas folklore on a blog talking about actors, music, TV series, etc. it is because this folklore pertains to music. The ghost riders of Neches River was immortalized in 1915 by country singer Stan Jones in his classic song "Ghost Riders in the Sky".

     If you never heard the song, your in for a treat. Here is my favorite video of the song. It is sung by Johnny Cash. Enjoy.

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*I found this story in 'Ghost Stories of the Old West' by Dan Asfar. The story is on pages 78-83. The words in quotes are the words of the author of the book. There was no way I was going to mess with the beautiful words that described the scene he wrote of the ghost riders. The rest I put in my words.

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