THE WESTERN KANSAS WORLD — JULY 15, 1893
They Burned the Vampire
To most people the word “vampire” only brings up visions of noxious South American swamps, whose banks teem with venomous creatures, legless and otherwise, nightly visited by myriads of large, leathery-winged bats, which are reputed to have an insatiable taste for human blood. To the ancients it meant something far different. There was a time when all Europe believed the vampire to be a blood-sucking ghost of a defunct human being. The most celebrated of these blood-chilling vampire stories is that of Arnold Paul.
During life he had resided near Madnerga, Hungary. Within thirty days after his burial four persons near the place of interment had died, each with the marks of a vampire (small bluish incisions in the throat). Another person had been awakened in the night and recognizing Paul’s ghost in the room, cried: “Avaunt, vampire! In Jesus’ name!” whereupon the apparition instantly vanished.
When this story was told the town prefects held a meeting and determined to open Paul’s grave. This was accordingly done. There was blood on the lips of the corpse, also upon his hands. The ambassador or Louis XV., who was present at the disinterment, declared the proof positive, and Arnold Paul’s remains were hoisted to the surface, burned to ashes and the ashes scattered to the four winds.
It is need less to add that Paul’s vampire ceased to vex the good people of Madnerga.—St. Louis Republic.
From—Western Kansas World. (WaKeeney, Kan.), 15 July 1893. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.
