Story of the Headless Horseman
By Bev Fisher
Redington Nebraska was a roaring little cattle town at one time.
“The people from Bayard would often go there for picnics and ball games. Cow pokes used to sit on the counters in the town’s general store, swinging their legs as they told one yarn after another. Many scratched their marks on the front counter. It is said that some of the boys from Redington used to ride into Bayard on Saturday nights and whoop it up a bit and occasionally their six shooters would bark and waken the population of Bayard”
Quote from an old newspaper.
Photo is of Nora Palmer Dunlap’s home in Redington. A ghoulish tale travels down through time from Redington, Nebraska —
According to a newspaper account, on the night of September 30, 1883, a man named Charles Adams was brutally murdered in a cabin a mile south of the town. For reasons known only to the killer, his head was severed from the body. The suspected motive in the crime was the theft of a large sum of money said to be owned by the victim.
No murderer was ever found, and the cabin where the crime occurred quickly became a local “haunted house.” As with every haunted house come the stories surrounding it. For instance, it was said that on the anniversary of the murder, Adams would appear riding a white horse. Oh yes, and he would be headless, as well. Whether real or imagined, several local residents are said to have actually seen this event, keeping the tales alive and well.
Miss Maud deVault was a popular young schoolmistress living in Redington at about this time and was familiar with the stories. On the anniversary night of September 30, 1893 or thereabouts, and in a bold act of courage and curiosity, she and other members of the community walked to the cabin and awaited the darkness. At nine o’clock, Miss deVault and the others prepared to see the headless Charles Adams.
The biggest surprise came when he actually appeared. Or at least something that looked like a headless horseman. As the horse and white-sheeted ghost rider galloped into a quickly panicking crowd, a very calm schoolmistress stepped forward, withdrew a concealed handgun from her coat and fired into the air twice.
In the gathered darkness and above the din of a spooked crowd, all that could be heard was the shriek of a frightened horse running away into the night. Then someone saw the flutter of a white sheet gently float to the earth. As it turned out, one of the local young residents of the town had decided to play a practical joke on the unsuspecting ghost-hunters. He wrapped a bed sheet around himself and his horse and hid behind the house. He was to charge the horse past the crowd and away into the darkness. No one had anticipated the schoolmistress packing a weapon. No one was hurt in this incident, but it was surely talked about for many years afterward.
Redington enjoyed a good business right up until the railroad came through the area in 1900 (which diverted most business to Bridgeport).
Before that however, many mysterious, romantic and even thrilling stories come out of the past about Redington, illicit stills (moonshine if you will), dashing cowboys. In 1888 there was a postoffice and a little store conducted by a man named Vanolinda.
A little later, Mr. Gillman and Jake Safford built a store in Redington, John Perkins followed with another store, the town had at one time 3 general stores, and The Modern Woodmen also had a building there.
Leave a Reply