Slaughterford

Once there was a man named Christopher Slaughterford.
It seemed that his servant had killed his fiancée.
None saw any motive from any but him.
He was given a joke of a trial,
And hanged in the year 1709.
He appeared to his servant, clanking his prison chains,
And then the servant hanged--
Himself.

Subsequent to these events,
The court found the servant guilty of the crime.
The ghost was never seen again, or by anyone else.
Then who was the one who told the story?

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Text Copyright © 1999 Scott Andrew Hutchins

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