Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1860-04-12
A Haunted Library

A Haunted Library.
The New York Post gives the story O
an aparition as seen in the Astor Library
by the Librarian, DR.. Cogswell, and as re-
lated and believed by the Doctor. Th'
Post says:
To understand the circumstances of tbi.
remarkable apparition the more fully, th.
reader should remember that DR.. Cogswell
the efficient librarian has been for SONS
time engaged in the compilation Of a com
plete catalogue Of the library. DR.. Cogs
well is an unmarried man, and occupies 9
sleeping apartment in the upper part Of The
library, the janitor residing in the base
ment. 1t is the rule of the library to dis
miss visitors at sunset, and during the eve.
ming and night no individual besides DR.
Cogswell and the ;anitor and his family re.
main in the building. Dr.. Cogswell de-
votes hours of night that should be given
to repose, to the pursuance of bis work on
the catalogue.
Some two weeks ago Doctor Cogswell
was at work as usual on the catalogue. 1t
was about eleven o'clock at night, an hay-
ing occasion to refer to some books in a
distant part of the library, be left his desk,
took his candle, and, as he had often done
before, pursued his course among the wind
ing passages towards the. desired spoil
But before reaching it, while in an alcove
in the southwest part of the older portion
of the building, he was startled by seeing
man, respectfully dressed in citizens
clothes, surveying a shelf of books. The
doctor supposed it to be robber who had
secreted himself for the purpose of ab-
stracting some of the valuable works in
the library; after stepping back behind a
partition for moment, be again moved
cautiously forward, to catch a glimpse of
the individuals face, when to his surprise
he recognised in the supposed robber the
features Of a physician (wbose name we
forbear giving) who had lived in the imme-
diate vicinity of the library, and who had
died some six weeks ago! 1t should be
borne in mind that this decease person was
a mere casual acquaintance of DR.. Cogs-
well, not an intimate friend, and since his
death DR.. Cogswell had not thought of
him.
But the apparilion was in the presence
Of a man not easily scared. The librarian,
20 far from fainting or shrieking, as might
reasonably be expected, calmly addressed
he ghost: Il
"Dr. r.--," said he "you seldom, if
'ver, visited this Library while living
Why do you trouble us now when dead 2"
Perhaps the ghost..d not like the sound |
# the human voice; any way, it gave no
nswer, but disappeared.
The next day Mr.. Cogswell thought over
he matter, attributed it to some optical
elusion, and in the evening proceeded with |
lis work as usual. Again he wished 10 re-
er 10 some books, and again visited the
alcove. There again as large
S life, was the ghost, very calmly and
lacidly surveying the shelves. Mr.. Cogs-
'ell again spoke to it:
"Dr. -" said he, "again ask you
,hy you who never visited the Library
lille living, trouble it when dead?"
Again the ghost vanished; and the un-
aunted librarian pursued his task without
terruption. The next day he examined
,e shelves before which the aparition had
cen standing, and by singular ccinci-
snce found that they were filed with
ooks devoted to defnonology, witchcraft,
agic, spiritualism, &c. Some of these
,oks are rare tones, several centuries old,
ritten in Latin, illustrated with quaint
agrams, and redolent of MYSTICISM; while {
the next shelves are their younger breth-
D, the neat spruce works of modern spir-
lalists, of Brittan, Davis, Edmons aud t
hers. The very titles on these books are c
ggestive. These are the Prophecies or {
of Michael Nostradamus,
folio published in London in 1879; Al s
masar de Conjectionibus; Kerner's Mali
N; Godwin's Lives of the Necromancers; 9
anvil on Witches and Aparitions; Cor G
lius Agrippa; Bodin's Demonomania;
lly's Astrology and others, a perusal of q
y of which would efectually murder the :
ep of person of ordinary nerve for at .
st half dozen nights. 1t was these e
lumes that appeared to attract the appa- P
ion. r
The third night Mr.. Cogswell, still de-
mined that the shade, spirit delusion or
sct of Indigestion whatever it might be d
should not interfere with mis- duties. q
ain visited the various books to which II
wished to refer to. and when occasion o
handed, did not fail to approach the $
site alcove. Thee again was the sppa- Il
on, dressed precisely as before, in gem a
mans usual costume, as natural as life, ?
with nand raised, as if about to take i'
Ena book. Mr.. Cogswell sgain spoke :, =
'Dr. -" he said boldly. "This is =
! third time have met you. Tell me p :,
any of this class of books now disturb =
~ IF they do will have them re- !,
we'd" :.
But the ungrsteful ghost, without &C - =,
owledging this accommodating spirit on ~ =,
part of its interrogation, disappeared. a. =,
II was it seen since, and the librarian has :,
'tinued his nightly researches since with h,
interruption. h h
A few days ago, at dinner party at the 70
,se of well-known wealthy gentleman, -
. Cogswell related the circumstances as =,
we recorded, as nearly as We can learn. n,
above eighteen or twenty persons were n
sent, the remarkable story of course q q
) soon spread about. A number of lit =
n, including an eminent historian and
ers, heard the recital, and though they 81