The Headless Horseless man comes to Manor Twp.
New Era
December 23, 1884
MYSTERY AND MEANNESS
A Headless and A Heartless Man.
The story of a Headless Spectre, As Told and Believed In by Certain People

About half a mile distant from Pittsburg school house, in Manor township, is a section of country where at long intervals appears a something which truly rivals the horrible spectre which so badly terrorized the redoubtable school teacher of Sleepy Hollow, Ichabod Crane, one of Washington Irving’s Sketch Book heroes. The ghost of that take swept along on horseback, while the Lancaster county spectre, probably less proud or wealthy, stalks majestically along on foot, carrying its head in one of its hands. It was first seen one night many years ago by the Rev. Daniel Witmer, still a resident of Manor township, and M. H. Kauffman, the latter being in the company of two ladies at the time. All were returning from attendance at a religious meeting which had been held that evening in the Pittsburg school house, where the Rev. Witmer had preached. A short distance away from the fence which divided the fields belonging to farms owned now by Jacob Habecker and Joseph Brenneman, the reverend gentleman separated from Mr. Kauffman and the ladies and started homeward on a near cut across the fields. He had only gone about a hundred yards from his late companions, carrying in his hand a lantern, for the night was dark, when Mr. Kauffman and his lady friends saw him approached by what they supposed to be another man, who also carried a lantern. The two walked on together and finally disappeared from the view of Mr. Kauffman and his companions. The following day the former met the minister, whose look was serious and gloomy. When asked who his companion of the night previous had been he recounted this startling piece of information: “After leaving you last night, I started across the fields and had gone but a short distance when I saw the approach of what I supposed to be a man carrying a lantern. It came directly towards me, and when near enough I was almost paralyzed with horror to perceive that no head crowned the body. The object was a moving body without a head, but when it came quite close to me my terror was increased still further by seeing the head carried in one of its hands. The fearful object took its place by my side and accompanied me to my very door. How I managed to retain consciousness and reach home I don’t know. It was the most fearful experience I even had, and I hope I may never have the like again.

Since the time referred to this same object, whatever it may be, has been seen several times again, the last time being within the year. We hazard no opinion as to what the illusion may be, but simply give the story as related by Mr. Kauffman, and corroborated by others of the vicinity. Of cause there is some natural cause for this spectral appearance - and that some peculiar illusion has been seen is evident from the character of those seeing it - but it would be difficult to make some people of the neighborhood believe that it was anything else than a supernatural object.