The Mystery of Ghost Farm

UNK Schmull/Schmoll > Henry Smull (my 3rd great grandfather's brother) > Henry "Harry" Smull > Jasper Guerney Smull

Switching over to a little of the SMULL side. This would be my paternal grandmother's, mother's

side of the family. Old Grandma Kate was quite a pip I hear. Her people came from Germany originally, but settled first in Eastern Pennsylvania and then set up shop for generations in Miles, Centre County, Pennsylvania.  Right in the center of the state, imagine that. It was a heavily-German area and the residents spoke German and lived as they might have in Germany. Strongly Lutheran, this particular branch of the family was Methodist, thanks, I'm sure to Jasper's mother, Olive Elizabeth "Lizzie" Rauchau.

Jasper Guerney Smull was born 04 Mar 1901 in Centre County. "Guerney" as he was then known, hired out to Mr. Wallace Walker as a farm hand some years before this incident. Mr. Walker had a wife named Malissa "Laura" Walker. Since before 1920, the two had also shared their home with  a summer boarder named Velma Burd Miller. Velma boarded with them except for the time of her brief marriage in the 1920s.

All was not happy in the Walker home, it would seem. Laura had quite enough of said Mr Walker and wanted to drive Mr. Walker off the property. So, she devised a plan that would send Wallace skittering away, thus ensuring the land would fall to her. The outcome of her mad plan hit the AP news wire and was published nationwide.

Hold Farmhand as "Ghost" Who Scared Farmer

Mystery Thought Based on Desire of Wife for Property

Bellefonte, Aug 27, 1927 - A farmhand today is in jail at Bellfonte charged with being
the "ghost" who for years has terrorized W J Walker, farmer, of near Madisonburg. Two alleged accomplices also are detained.

Gurney Smull, the farmhand, in alleged confession, said that he had been hired by Mrs Walker to drive Walker from his home so that the property would fall into her hands.

Corporal T. E. Willer, of the State HighwayPatrol, and Sheriff Robert Taylor caused arrest of the trio after he had spent a night at the Walker farm at the request of the terror-stricken farmer.

Bed linen was snatched from the two sleeping officers in the farmhouse, They saw a white-clad figure slip away. Signs written in a red fluid were found posted in the house the first day, telling  all occupants to flee.

Smull was suspected because his stature tallied with that of the ghost. Under a grilling, he is said to have given a signed confession. Mrs Walker was arrested as well as Miss Velma Miller, a summer boarder, who was also taken into custody. The three are under bond."

The three cohorts in crime must have not been the sharpest knives in the drawer to have tried to pull one over on the local constabulary. Why not wait until they left to start their ghostly shennanigans again?

Wallace Walker must have been an incredibly forgiving soul, because the wife, boarder and hired man continued to live there with him until at least the time of the 1930 census, nearly three years after he'd been frightened nearly to death by the ghostly apparition of Jasper Guerney Smull.

Mrs Walker ended up spending the rest of her days with Mr Walker,who lingered on until 1949. Jasper eventually moved on and became a hired man to another farmer. He remained single, and died in 1987.