Imaginations
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Ghost
      at
      Goblin
      Hollow
     
     
      Researched
      by
      David
      Weale
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Murder
      of
      Ann
      Beaton
      which
      took
      place
      in
      May
     
     
      1859,
      in
      what
      is
      now
      called
      Lyndale.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Ann
      Beaton,
      an
      unwed
      mother
      of
      41,
      lived
      with
      her
     
     
      brother
      Murdock,
      on
      the
      Murray
      Harbour
      Road.
     
     
      She
      left
      her
      home
      on
      the
      12th
      of
      May
      and
      did
      not
     
     
      return.
      She
      was
      found
      by
      her
      brother,
      two
      days
     
     
      later,
      in
      a
      field
      at
      the
      back
      of
      her
      farm.
      Her
      body
     
     
      was
      badly
      mangled,
      apparently
      killed
      by
      a
      hoe
      which
     
     
      belonged
      to
      one
      of
      the
      settlers.
      Augus
      Matheson,
     
     
      his
      wife
      and
      son
      were
      arrested
      and
      sent
      to
     
     
      Charlottetown
      prison.
      According
      to
      an
      old
      Irish
     
     
      superstition
      -
      blood
      would
      flow
      from
      the
      wounds
     
     
      whenever
      the
      murderer
      placed
      his
      hands
      on
      the
     
     
      body,
      and
      at
      the
      in
      quest
      every
      adult,
      including
      the
     
     
      Matheson
      family,
      placed
      his
      or
      her
      hands
      on
      the
     
     
      body,
      but
      no
      blood
      appeared.
      The
      murder
      was
     
     
      never
      solved,
      but
      one
      woman
      was
      always
      suspected,
     
     
      because
      she
      refused
      the
      test.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      For
      years
      afterwards,
      the
      people
      of
      the
      area
      were
     
     
      very
      uneasy
      because
      they
      believed
      that
      the
      murderer
     
     
      was
      still
      living
      among
      them.
      The
      woman
      refused
      to
     
     
      go
      out
      at
      night,
      and
      even
      the
      men
      would
      not
     
     
      wander
      after
      dark
      unless
      accompanied.
      Strange
     
     
      things
      were
      said
      to
      have
      happened.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      A
      couple
      from
      Lyndale
      report
      on
      having
      been
     
     
      thrown
      from
      their
      wagon
      as
      they
      were
      passing
     
     
      through
      the
      hollow
      one
      night.
      They
      believed
     
    

    
     
      had
      it
      not
      been
      for
      the
      Bible
      which
      they
      had
      in
     
     
      their
      possession,
      they
      would
      have
      been
      doomed.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Children
      avoided
      the
      area,
      when
      going
      for
      the
      cows
     
     
      because
      of
      the
      strange
      voices
      they
      claimed
      they
     
     
      heard.
      Glowing
      lights
      were
      reported
      to
      have
      been
     
     
      seen
      at
      various
      times
      in
      the
      hollow.
      Apparently
      on
     
     
      the
      night
      that
      Ann
      Beaton
      was
      murdered,
      strange
     
     
      sounds
      were
      heard
      at
      the
      Blacksmith’s
      which
      was
     
     
      not
      far
      from
      the
      Beaton
      farm.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Beaton
      family
      moved
      from
      Lyndale
      shortly
      after
     
     
      the
      murder
      and
     
    

    
     
      nothing
      more
      was.
      heard
      about
      them
      nor
      of
      Ann’s
     
     
      child.
      Although
      no
     
    

    
     
      one
      was
      arrested
      for
      the
      murder,
      it
      is
      believed
      that
     
     
      Ann
      Beaton
      was
     
    

    
     
      murdered
      by
      a
      jealous
      wife.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      UPEI
      X-Press
     
    
   
   
    
     
      October
      25,
      1990