Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1864-02-12
Daily Gmpire.


From the New York News, Feh uary 0th.I
The days when the shades Of departed spir-
itswere allowed TO visit this mfrtal world,
and TO ease their troubles by unidding a tale
which narrowed up the inmost sole OF the lis
tener, and "made each particular hat to stand
on end ike qulls upon the frettul ph heupine, u
We supposed had passed away with err Dutch
progenitors, 50 graphically dascribey hy that
most erudite aud yeritable of all hAurians,
Diodrich Knickerbocker, Esq. II thiS belief
xere true Of the Island Of Manhattan, Where
now our goodly city stands, Il is not go VI our
over th6ti nsighbors in the HJarsieA' for
there, even now, the grave gives up its sheet
cd dead, and ,ghosts do squeak and jiBVer
as they did IN the streets of Rome the "hglit
lthesgteal Julius fell X.
The thriving village of South Orange, n
Essex County, has been the latest scene on
ghostly operations, and IL nottrue, it's hoax
so well played and so elaborately got up, as
70 staftle the whole community fsom It's pro-
lpriety and 10 make talk, such as that most
respected individual, the oldest iuhahitant
inever dreamed Of during his long aud event
/ iul career We tell the tale as ii vast told 10
US, by one whose trnlh IS not TO be- doubted
\ foe be believes, what be says to be trne as the
Gospel he hears eaeh succeeding SundIy, eve
| ry word Of which 10 holds that be who doubts
! Is, 'or sill be. "a This beliefis SO strongly
idifIused throughout the whole section, that
Four reporter found not single doubter. in
/ thAt whole region,
The location Of the ''nmrder will ont scene
| is less than three miles from the village The
dwelling where the ghostly visitor made the
darkness visible s an old fashioned frame
lhouse, onthe road leading down the Pasaae
RiveErsuFsunnded by cedars almost as old4nd
quite as somber nstheslwslling ITSELF Tradi
/ ton states that tho building was Of Rnte-Rey
dictionary orig n, built before The coloniss
threw off their yoke, and inhabited BY sub
ljecis as loyal to King George Rs, Il living,
they would be to his successor Abraham The
First, and in God name, we hope, the last
Stained and weather-besten, its dark, unpRint-
4 ed sides, fornearly alI the paint which once
Igave il briekdast red is gone, the grounds
| which surrounded it sadly neglected, but few
urchins ever dared 10 their afternoon rambles
after berries and bird nests to let the deeln-
ting sun catch them within view OF this now
ldismalhome Of the once well to do old Revo-
IIutisnsry Tory a
Many years after the death OF the first pro.
l prietor, the old house and grounds passed in
10 tho possession Of Mrs Walel, whose hus
4 band, on his deeease left among his personal
4
1 giving them not only freedom but entailing
upon tho estate the burden of support during
their natural lives AT tho time Of the thrill
ing scene wa are about to relate, Mrs Watel
aud all the sIaVes, save only the youngest, had
paid the great debt Of nature and for a time
the old homestead was left in all its ghosllike
grandeur and decay 10 the mercy Of the winds
aud tho maraudiRg expeditions Of tho urohins
Of the neighbOrhood, guarded alone by the
faithful negress, who amid all It's gloom still
remained, for it was the only home she had
ever known Some two months since, Mr..
HAlmer, a sturdy Teuton, as brave and phieg.
matte a. ever Toutoh was with his wife, de-
scsndant OF the same hardy and fearless race
took the homestead, With the neumbrAnce oi
4 the old slave, andacommenced preparations 10
improve it. Bntit seems he got more than
he bargained for,
Wearied with moving and Gxing up his new
abode, the couple retired, but not to Sleep
that blessing was denied them The witch
ing hour of twelve brought no rest to their
heavy eyes; when, just MS the last vibration
isf the old Dutch clock announced that the
AGAR Of midnight had passed and been buried
with the centuries which preceded it, strange
aud unusual noise was heard in the unfur-
nished room over head. At times il appeared
rs il devils we're holding high carnival thOreI
aaon rush like that Of many waters would
be heard, aud then stiffness as profound and
| as dsep as that which is supposed TO follow the
wreck of InAtter and the crush Of words after
the last note from Gabriels trumpet pro-
claims the end OF time and Of man. Thus
did Il eontnne until the first CLEAN Of the
| morning san dispelled the noise and confu-
sion which reigned 10 the chamber above and
restored tbs Old Tory's homestead to It's ma
taTsl quiet ugu
Strange to sag, the negress had heard
nanRht ofthis; her slsep bad been, like that
Of the seven sleepera, as deep aud as profound
as If famed by summer zsphyrs while reclin-
ing upon q bed Of poppies--a bed, be il known.
that Will bring sleep to the brightest eyeiid
that ever looked love or anger 70 mortal man.
The morning dRwned fair aud mild as that
(which nshers in a May morning. The Tenton
land his teutonic wife, rose with rnelul cOun-
l4enanees from their unblesssd slumbers, yet
determined to unravsl the mystery-to solve
1.-The nights problem, and the nights horrors
X 10 their very depth After an anxious con-
isullalion they visited tho chamber above--a
I huge room, without ceiling. and with rade
aoar beuhath, running the entire length Of
4 the dwelling, lighted by = single window, tho
glass Of which had long since been broken.
4 Their ssAreh was long and Anxioas, but no
hiding place Tor nocturnal visitor could be
\ fOund, and the twnin, made one in kin and in
assh by the bymenial sacrament determif ed
to be one 10 a midnight watch for the cause
Of the strange noises they had heard Passing
along, tbs woman saw dark stain near the
center Of the rooA upon the ioor--a s'ain
which eaemed 10 have eaten iuiO the dark