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Subject: Excerpt Of History
Date: Sun, 18 Apr 2004 11:35:11 EDT
"On the night of Thursday, June 30,1870 about eleven o'clock at night, the
inmates of a certain hotel in Parkhill, Ontario, were apparently enjoying
themselves carousing, singing sacred songs, and having a regular jollification,
when suddenly appeared at the bar room window a most fearful looking object
taking a look at them through the window, and more particularly at Mr. Hastings,
who generally is styled"The Deacon." The size of this unusual object was about
two feet in length, and not quite as broad, covering nearly two large panes of
glass, its body was smooth, having four arms or legs extended with long,
slender claws, and a fifth leg emanating from its body, upon which it turned
backwards and forwards on the window. Its head was rather small, but therein were
placed two fiery eyes, which stared like fiery globes at the inmates of the bar
room. One would think that the age of such unnatural visions had long ago
passed away. The consternation and awe of the beholders of this object cannot
adequately be described, particularly that of Hastings. To his horror he beheld
two flaming eyes looking at him through the window. What to do in such a crisis
he did not know, imagining that he was the object of pursuit, and feeling
himself unprepared to accompany the old gentleman he took to his heels, and bound
for the hall door, leading to the stairway, summoning all his strength and
courage, the deacon with one or two such strides as he never before in his life
had made, found himself at the top of a flight of stairs twenty feet long. But
unfortunately for the deacon, he nearly lost his coat tail in his flight, it
having come in contact with the railing. A dint of about an inch deep is said
to have been left in the post.
The incident was all the talk of Parkhill, though there are those who
profess to know that the object purposely placed at the window was much less
formidable than the excited imagination of Hastings pictured it."
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