500 
the money. A time was appointed to meet in an upper room 
of a public house in Philadelphia, by night, and the inkeeper 
was let into the secret by Forrest. By the night appointed 
they had prepared, by a closet, a communication with a room 
above their sitting-room, so as to lower down by a pulley the 
invoked ghost, who was represented by a young man entirely 
sewed up in a close white dress, on which were painted black- 
eyed sockets, mouth, and bare ribs, with dashes of black between 
them, the outside and inside of the legs and thighs blacked, so 
as to make white bones conspicuous there. About twelve per- 
sons met in all, seated around a table. Ambruster shuffled and 
read out cards, onAvhich were inscribed the names of the New- 
Testament saints, telling them he should bring Hendricks to 
encompass the table, visible or invisible he could not tefl. At 
the words, ' John Hendricks, du verfiuchter, cum her aus,^* the 
pulley was heard to reel, the closet door to fly open, and John 
Hendricks, with ghastly appearance, to stand forth. The 
w^hole were dismayed and fled, save Forrest the brave. After 
this, Ambruster, on whom they all depended, declared that he 
had by spell got permission to take up the money. A day was 
therefore appointed to visit the Jersey shore, and to dig there 
by night. The parchment said it lay between two great stones. 
Forrest therefore prepared two black men, to be entirely na- 
ked, except white petticoat-breeches ; and these were to jump 
each on the stone whenever they came to the pot, which had 
been previously put there. These frightened off' the company 
for a little. When they next essayed, they were assailed by 
cats tied two and two, to whose tails were spiral papers of 
gunpowder, which illuminated and whizzed while the cats 
wauled. The pot was at length got up, and brought in 
great triumph to Philadelphia wharf : but, O sad disaster ! 
while helping it out of the boat, Forrest, who managed it, 
and was handing i: up to the tailor, trod upon the gunnel and 
filled the boat, and holding on to the pot, dragged the tailor into 
the river — it was lost ! For years afterward they reproach- 
ed Forrest for that loss, and declared he had got the chest 
by himself, and was enriched thereby. He favored the con- 
ceit, until at last they actually sued him on a writ of treasure 
trove ; but their lawyer was persuaded to give it up as idle. 
Some years afterward, Mr. Forrest wrote a very humorous 
play, which contained many incidents of this kind of supersti- 
tion. It gave such offence to the parties represented, that it 
could not be exhibited on the stage. I remember some lines 
* Come out, thou accursed. 
