Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1861-04-30

tel how poor or how low. | looked at the
heavens above me, and they seemed to be
! gathering for a storm. / glanced over the
cliff at the boiling, furious waters beneath
me, and the sight caused me to shudder in
despair. l dsmounted from my horse, and
took the bride in my hand, and cautiously
| feeling my way, proceeded slowly.
How far l had travelled in this way j
! cannot tell, but a sudden turn of the road
brought to view light, and l hasteEed
forward to find small stone house stuck
in nook in the mountain. | raped at
the door, and an old man made his appear
ance, and demanded my business. / in
formed him desired to stay until morning,
and then proceed on my journey.
81 have but one ROOM" said he, "and
that is haunted; if you like to risk it you
can STOP"
:" | will risk anything, rather than go on
in this darkness. replied aud then the
Thought Of ahaunted room fairly disgosted
me.
My horse waa taken care of, and l was
furnished very good supper, and then
seated myself to converse with the old man.
! He informed me the place at one time was
kept by man by the name of Kahn. q no
| toriously bad character. That the place
became so obnoxious that the authorities
were about to arrest Kahn and he fed. 1t
was also rumored that he had murdered
pedlar, but no positive proof could be pros
| duced against him.
With mJ head filed with these stories,
l was shown to the haunted room, in which
no individual had been able to pass the
entire night. 1t was cherries apartment,
| and made me feel strange, and an unknown
terror came over me. | thought if there
was place in the world where a ghost
| would make its appearance, it would be in
a room like this. If, before l entered it, |
| secuted the idea of ghosts and spirit seeing,
my opinion was now changed, and felt a
strong belief that should see something
! before morning.
After setting perhapsa half hour in med
| itation, entered the bed. 1t was cold and
damp, and l felt chilly, and drew the
! clothes close about my head. In spite of
me they would move down, leaving my
shoulders bare. 1t did not at first seem as
if they were drawn away by force, but still
they would move toward the foot of the bed.
This discovery made me feel rather pecul-
lar, and chilling fear was fast getting the
better of me. / felt inclined to investigate
the phenomena, but had not the courage
even to glance toward the foot of the bed
turned myself upon my face, and resolved
to leave the clothes alone, and if they de-
sired to play such foolish pranks, not to be
annoyed by it.
| fell asleep with THIS determination, hut
how long | slept could not tell, but when
l awOke, the bed-clothes had been entirely
pulled off me. Then l was in reality
alarmed. | thought of robbers, of assas-
ms, of ghosts and hobgoblins. | lay still
| few moments, considering whether |
should replace the bedclUthes, or lay there
in the cold, chilly room, in that uncom-
Portable position merely to please some
foolish ghost. My anger was aroused, my
courage was up, and springing up in the
bed seized the clothes, but with my eyes
shut, and drew them over me. No sooner.
however, were they comfortably fixed about
my neck and shoulders than they began to
be drawn toward the foot, as if some, per-.
son was dragging them from the bed
felt alarmed. l lay perfectly quiet, afraid
to put out my hand to seize the retreating
bedclothes. But down they kept moving
until they were passing off my feet, and as
| they passed OFT the end of my big toe, felt
a sort of relief. For few moments | lay
quiet, scarcely able to draw my breath, and
my heart humping against my ribs with
room, and sitting up in bed, I beheld
fearful sight. The room was illuminated,
bot from whence the light came | could
not tell. But before large mirror stood
tieshless skeleton, with smoking cap uuon
its head, just such a one as my brother had
worn, and cloak, l thought the Identical
cloak that had belonged to him, thrown
over its marrOwless bones. 1t was admir-
ing itself in the mirror, turning first from
one side, then to the other, with its eyeless
sOckless turned upon the glass.
AT first it scared me, but second thought
suggested thatit was hoax, and snatching
up my pistol | fred at it. The smoke
cleared away, but there stood the ghost,
taking no notice whatever of my hostile
demonstration. 1t moved away from the
glass, and as it did so, saw few words
in writing glowing on the floor At a
glance l read, g | am your brothers. spirit.
| rest in the old well at the corner of the
house." My excited nerves could stand
no more. felt my head going round, and
fell senseless to the floor.
When returned TO state Of conscious
ness, was in another apartment with sew
eral persons around me. The sun was
shining through the window. and it seemed
! to me had just awakened from dream.
At first l had a slight recollection of the
scenes of the night before, and as strained
my memory, it all came back clear and
vivid. After breakfast walked out of the
house, and examined the premises. found
the old well, and it was nearly filled up
with rubbish.
| inquired of the old man who had in
habited the house before him, and how long
he had lived there. lie said it was but a
few weeks since he came to the house, ana
that he had not passed one comfortable
night in it. That stone quarry had been
opened near the house, and he had been
employed to board the hands who were to
work if, but none of them would sleep in
the house, they all believed that it was
haunted.
Il tell you," said he, using his own
words, " that several years ago, bad man
by the name Of Kahn, lived here, and it was
believed he murdered several persons, one
peddler, IN particular"
"a peddler !" that corresponded with nv
brother, for he was peddler. How long
has that been ?" asked.
Well. l suppose eight or nine years
ago."
Would you know him now if you would
see Kahn? ?"
On, yes ne had mark right down the
end of his nose, as if it had been cut in too.
He was rather large man, and Iimped
little"
"Do you know where he is now ?" |
asked
Il rather think he lives in the town Just
beyond the narrows, or at least did live
there the last l heard Of him."
did not tell the old man my reason for
inquiring, nor did explain further about
the transaction of the night than that had
been terrible frightened, and imagined
some one was in the room, and l shot a,
toe supposed person. mounted my horse,
and roda rapidlv tn tho tnyrn