by KRISTIAN GRAVENOR

When an oft-inebriated lady of the evening had her head chopped off by a jealous female acquaintance handy with a wood-axe, a life ended but a ghost was born.

Since Mary Gallagher of Griffintown was murdered by jealous rival Susan Kennedy at a house at the corner of William and Murray on June 27, 1879, the chilling presence of Gallagher's troubled ghost has traumatized young souls from the area.

Many unfortunate eyes have claimed to have seen the awful sight since, and local legend has it that Gallagher's ghost returns every seventh anniversary, with the next visit on Monday. As ritual has it, dozens of fearless souls - knowing that there's safety in numbers - overcome their jittery apprehensions and descend to the place where Gallagher was murdered.

The customary ghostwatch will be accompanied by a series of other events. It kicks off with a 5 à 7 at McKibbin's (1426 Bishop), where local author and leading chronicler of Gallagher's ghost, Alan Hustak, unveils his new book on the history of the bloody legend called The Ghost of Griffintown.

Hustak, who has been lucky enough never to witness Gallagher's horrific lost soul, has done much to remind Montrealers of the scary - and possibly dangerous - spectre. He proposes that his book launch also be employed as a time to fortify one's resolve with liquid courage in the form of appropriately named Bloody Marys.

"I have not seen the ghost of Mary Gallagher, but I figure if we drink enough Bloody Marys we might certainly see her," he says.

Next it's on to 308 Young, where Father Thomas McEntee, chaplain of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, invites all to Mass "for the repose of her soul and for others."

McEntee was born 81 years ago a few doors down from the grisly crime. In McEntee's home, one never dared mention Gallagher's name.

"Everybody always knew about the headless woman but I doubt I could have put a name to her at the time," he says. "I was a young lad. I heard about it, but it wasn't something that was ever mentioned in our home."

At 8 p.m., all those who overcome their jitters can come by to hear more about the legend at the Centre d'histoire de Montréal at 335 Place d'Youville. "There aren't many ghost legends in this town based on a real story passed down from mouth through generations," says the museum's Eric Coupal.

The museum also offers a French-language walking tour of the neighbourhood on Sunday, June 26. Call 872-3207 to reserve.

Expect former Griffintowners to be en masse, including Don Pigeon, whose sister Rita swears to have seen the black-caped headless figure pass her on the street at dusk in the mid-1940s.

Pigeon recalls that kids took parental warnings seriously. "The story of this wicked homicide kept people in line, especially young children from taking up a life of alcoholism and prostitution," he says. "As kids, we were scared. We'd go blocks away to come home instead of going by that area. Diapers would have been necessary for us."