‘It’s mine! I want it! I must have it!’ moans the Rawlinsville Ghost of Barney Short

For Martic Township teacher Oley Robinson, Friday, February 1, 1884, began as a seemingly ordinary day. She rose before the sun, preparing for another day of instruction at Indian Rock Schoolhouse.

Shortly before 7 am, while traveling on Susquehannock Drive south of Rawlinsville, about 1.5 miles from the school, she came upon a gruesome sight that would forever change the fabric of the local community. There, in the wheel track on the right side of the road, was a dead body. The corpse lay near a large chestnut tree, face down, with a dark red scarf wrapped around its neck. The man’s head had been crushed, with his brain protruding from a gaping wound in his skull.

The surrounding snow, curiously undisturbed, suggested a sinister, premeditated act.

The victim was soon identified as Bernard Short, known for his lively Lamb Tavern on South Queen Street (where Southern Market is today), a popular spot among locals and travelers alike. His death sent shockwaves through the community, with everyone from local residents to law enforcement grappling with the brutality of the crime. The police, determined to uncover the truth, quickly began piecing together Short’s last moments.

They traced his steps from leaving the Lamb Tavern at 5:20 pm via horse-drawn sleigh on the evening of January 31 to his passage through Rawlinsville between 7 and 8 pm. However, what should have been a routine 14-mile journey home turned deadly just a short distance from Liberty Square.

Initial theories proposed an accidental death caused by a horse’s kick, but this was met with skepticism from the local community, who suspected foul play. An autopsy conducted by three doctors supported this notion, revealing that Short had been struck multiple times with a hatchet-like weapon. The absence of a struggle and lack of footprints in the snow led detectives to theorize that the killer had ambushed Short, using the cover of the horse tracks to conceal their approach and escape.

The murderer also took possession of the team, driving two miles away before abandoning the sleigh when he considered it safe.

Once it became evident that Short was a victim of foul play, the police became convinced that motives of revenge or plunder incited his murder.

The investigation took a significant turn when two suspects emerged: Thomas and Adam Behney, a father and son duo known to have had a dispute with Short over a horse purchase.

Witnesses, including Clinton Miller and his brother, reported seeing two men near the future crime scene shortly before the time of Short’s death. As Miller rode past, he called out to the pair, but neither answered nor looked up.

While it was too dark to see the men’s features, Miller thought their general size and appearance matched that of Thomas and Adam Behney.

While investigating the crime scene, Constable Shenk and Albert Hagen found further incriminating evidence when they located nearby tracks leading directly towards the Behney residence.

The motive seemed rooted in a bitter altercation earlier that year over a $125 ($4,039 today) horse transaction, a substantial sum at the time. Witnesses testified to overhearing Thomas Behney express violent intentions towards Short, fueling suspicions of his involvement in the murder.

John Charles testified hearing Behney say, “There’s Short. I could knock his brains out.” Other people heard Behney make similar remarks about hurting Short, such as Jacob Clark. Clark swore under oath that he heard Behney say that if Barney Short didn’t keep a sharp lookout, he stood a chance of having his head knocked off with a stone.

The son, Adam, while in tears, privately admitted to Constable Shenk that his father, Thomas, had killed Short with a small axe. Although under oath during the trial, the son denied making such a statement.

Despite the mounting evidence, Thomas Behney’s trial ended in an acquittal, much to the dismay and disbelief of the community. The jury, swayed by the lack of direct evidence placing Behney at the scene, found themselves unable to convict. This verdict left a lingering sense of injustice, a wound that would not heal in the hearts of Rawlinsville’s residents.

That should have been the end of Short’s story, but it wasn’t.

As the murder trial played out in court that August, creating sensational headlines, Short’s sleigh was sold at public auction to a neighboring farmer. When winter arrived, the farmer lent it out.

Almost a year to the day after Short’s gruesome murder, a chilling phenomenon began to unfold. The very sleigh that Short had been driving on the night of his murder became the center of a series of ghostly encounters.

One night, a group that had borrowed the sleigh was returning from Quarryville. Standing in the middle of the road, they saw a strange and unusual sight—a deadly pale apparition with outstretched arms. The spirit wore heavy dark clothing, a dark red wool scarf about the neck, and a cap. As the sleigh approached the apparition, the ghoul said, “It’s mine! I want it! I must have it!”

The frightened horse threw back his ears and lurched forward, shying to one side of the road. Just as the sleigh reached the spot where the ghost stood, the spirit vanished, again saying, “It’s mine! I want it! I must have it!”

The driver did not know Short, but acquaintances of the murdered man said his description matched the deceased. The driver didn’t know whether the ghost wanted the sleigh or justice.

After that, anyone who used the sleigh saw the red-scarved apparition who always said the same thing: “It’s mine! I want it! I must have it!”

The sleigh, once a symbol of rural life, became an object of fear and superstition. It was soon abandoned, as no one dared to use it, even when offered without charge. Even without the sleigh, the haunting continued, with sightings of the heavy-coated, red-scarved ghost now near the chestnut tree where Short met his untimely death. His mournful words, “It’s mine! I want it! I must have it!” echoed through the community, a haunting reminder of the unsolved murder.

Some believed that Short’s spirit could not rest until his murder was avenged, while others speculated that his attachment to the sleigh reflected a deeper, more personal anguish.

Over the decades, the ghost of Barney Short and his haunting presence on Susquehannock Drive became a legend, stirring both fear and empathy among the residents of Rawlinsville and Liberty Square in a tale that blends tragedy, mystery, and the supernatural.

Read More

Uncharted Lancaster’s Ghosts, Monsters, and Tales of Adventure takes readers on a spine-tingling journey through Lancaster County’s haunted history, eerie legends, and hidden treasures. From ghostly apparitions to outlaw loot, these 64 true local stories blend real history with gripping folklore.

Uncharted Lancaster Podcast

Go even deeper with the Uncharted Lancaster Podcast as it examines the Martic Murder and the Ghost of Liberty Square.

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Resources

• Martic News
• The Lancaster Examiner 27 Feb 1884, Wed ·Page 3
• Lancaster Intelligencer 06 Feb 1884, Wed ·Page 6
• Reading Times 09 Feb 1885, Mon ·Page 4
• The Lititz Express 13 Feb 1885, Fri ·Page A1
• Harrisburg Daily Independent 10 Feb 1885, Tue ·Page 1
• The Morning Call 09 Feb 1885, Mon ·Page 1
• Bernard Short – findagrave
• The Taverns of Early Lancaster and the Later-Day Hotels