Read Online 7 Never Haunt a Historian by Edie Claire - Free Book Online Page A

Pennsylvania Volunteers, a regiment recruited from the Philadelphia area. Archie has always been fascinated with the man’s history, and I admit to developing more than a passing interest myself. You see, Mr. Carr’s regiment played a pivotal role in the Battle of Gettysburg.”
    Leigh knew from the tenor of that statement that she was supposed to be impressed, and she endeavored, by facial expression, to oblige. In reality, she had retained from her school days only the most rudimentary knowledge of the Civil War, which fell well short of specifics on any particular battle. That Gettysburg had gone badly for the South, she knew from Gone With the Wind. Beyond that, she didn’t plan to stick her neck out.
    “I’ve helped Archie with his research, as I rather enjoy genealogy,” Harvey continued. “Not that the two men are related, but the same methods apply. We learned that after Theodore was mustered out of the army, he married and moved to the Harrisburg area, where he purchased a modest parcel of farmland. The couple had two children that survived infancy, a boy and girl. The girl married young; the boy never married. In 1905, shortly after Theodore’s wife died, he sold that farm and bought Frog Hill. He moved here with his son, who was by then an adult, and the two men worked the farm together until Theodore died, twenty years later.”
    Leigh nodded. She suspected she had heard much of this before, from Archie himself, but at the time she’d had no reason to pay attention. “And how did he die?”
    Harvey’s clear blue eyes studied hers. “A much-asked question. His death certificate says ‘cause unknown.’ That’s a little unusual, even if he was eighty-two years old and no autopsy was performed. But there was an interesting footnote on the same line of the certificate that said, ‘dementia.’ None of which proves anything in particular; but as I told Archie, it does support the prevailing oral legend, passed down amongst various neighbors over the years.”
    “Which was?” Leigh prompted.
    Harvey cocked his head thoughtfully to the side. “All we know for certain, from the local newspaper reports at the time, is that Theodore had a habit of ‘wandering’ and had been missing for two days before his son located his body in the creek. The police speculated that Theodore either fell in and drowned or had a heart attack and fell in afterwards; there was no mention of an investigation for foul play. But according to the local scuttlebutt, Theodore had suffered a slow mental decline for years, such that by the time of his death he had become excessively paranoid, refusing to allow anyone onto the property. Even neighbors he knew well were threatened if they attempted to ‘trespass.’ His behavior cut both men off from the community; and his son, who apparently was never well liked in the first place, was criticized for allowing the menace to continue. Theodore’s death offered the critics additional fodder—speculations of neglect, or perhaps even patricide.”
    Leigh suppressed a shiver. “Missing for two days? It doesn’t sound like the son was looking very hard, if his father was right there in the creek. I’m surprised the police didn’t investigate, at least for neglect.”
    Harvey shrugged. “You have to remember, Frog Hill Farm was considerably larger then; the Carr’s parcel extended some distance upstream. It extended downstream too, past your own house. And we don’t know exactly where Theodore was found or at what point during those two days he fell in.”
    “I suppose,” Leigh said uncertainly, trying hard not to imagine Theodor Carr’s body floating in the creek behind her house.
    “Regardless of whether the police suspected foul play,” Harvey continued, “the local rumor mill remained abuzz about the incident for years. Theodore’s son eventually suffered dementia himself, and was admitted to a nursing home. Thereafter, the farm was occupied by a long string of short-term