THE ARIZONA SILVER BELT — DECEMBER 22, 1883
AN APPARITION ◇ The Strange Creature Creating an
Excitement near Mexico, Mo.
The neighborhood of Hopewell church, near Mexico. Mo., is much excited over the appearance in the locality of a strange creature, which is thought by the credulous to be a ghost, and which is a puzzle at least to the most skeptical. The apparition is simply that of a lean monster man, between eight and ten feet in height, wearing a long cloak, and going about with his head bowed in an abstracted way, but occasionally glaring at those it meets with small, glittering eyes said to resemble those of a cat, or some wild beast. The negroes believe the apparition to be a ghost, the white people do not know what to say. There appears little doubt, whatever the creature may be, that it has actually been seen a number of times. The school at Hopewell Church is about abandoned because of fear of the monster, and even sturdy farmers go about armed, in apprehension of it.
John Creary, a well known old resident, declares that recently as he was returning from Mexico, to his home, he had a good view of the queer being, who was about fifty yards ahead of him, walking in a leisurely way along the middle of the big road, in mud almost knee deep, his head still lowered and his long black cloak flowing in the breeze. All at once, and in the twinkling of an eye, he disappeared in the thick woods as mysteriously as he came upon the scene. Mr. Creary says for the first time in his life, although
