Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1865-11-09

effort 10 obtain an explanation OF the phe-
nomena utterly failed. And the father. like
the son, after few weeks struggle against
the nightly annoyance, found his nervous
system unable to cope with the constant
strain upon it, and left the chateau, deter
mined never again to enter its walls.
The next expedient was to rent it to those
whom The fame Of its ghostly reputation had
not reached. But this was unavailing, ex-
cent for a brief season. No tenant would
remain beyond a week or ten days. This
nlan. therefore, was abandoned in despair
the principal rooms were closed and the
building remained for years untenanted, ex-
cept by one OF two unwilling dependents
Finally the proprietor, deeming all change
hopeless, and finding that The keeping up Of
the chateau was mere useless expense,
resolved to destroy it. The dead had fairly
driven out the living. He had it pulled
down and a few low, ruined walls alone
remained to mark the place where it stood.
Still, even within these deserted ruins, the
same sounds of nightly revelry were declared
to have been heard by those who were bold
enough TO approach them at the midnight
hour. When this was reported to the pro-
prietor, he determined, if possible, TO outroot
this last remnant Of disturbance. Accord
ingly, he caused to be erected, out of the
remaining materials of the chateau and on
the spot where it had stood, small chapel,
now to be found there, mute witness Of the
story have here told.
The chapel was completed in 1874. Even
while the rites attending it's conservation
were in progress, strange and unwonted
noises disturbed the congregation; but from
that time on they ceased and the chapel has
since been entirely free from any such.
A relative of the proprietor, young Off
Ger in the Prussian army, was present at the
conservation, himself witnessed the noises
in question, and had previously heard from
the parties themselves, al the former occur
rences He it was who related the circum-
stances to my informant, the Baron Won
P, a gentleman Of q grave and earnest
character, whose manner, in repeating them
to me, evinced sincerity and conviction. But
tits not merely upon his authority that the
details of the narrative rest. They are, it
would seem, of public notoriety in Pomera-
MIA and hundreds Of persons in the neigh
borhood, as my informant declared, can yet
be found 10 testify, from personal observa-
tion to the general accuracy of the above
marathon
The most salient point in this story is the
practical and business part Of 1.-THE actual
pulling down Of the chateau, as a last resort,
to get rid Of the disturbance Mere fancy
is not wont to lead to such result as that.
The owner Of piece Of valuable property is
not Likely to destroy it for imaginary cause.
Interest is q marvellous quickener of the
wits, and may be supposed to have left no
stone nnturned, before asserting 10 such 8
sacrifice
inquired of the gentleman to whom / am
indebted for the above narrative if there
were no skeptical surmises in regard to the
origin Of the disturbance. lie replied, that
he had heard but one--namely, that the adj
minstrator of the deceased Barons estate
might, from motives of interest and to have
the field to himself, have resorted to q trick
to scare the owners from the premises.
il is beyond doubt that such devices have
been successfully employed ere now for SIM
liar purpose. An example may be found in
the story Of the monks of St. Bruno, and the
shrewd device they employed to obtain from
King Louis the Saint the grant Of one of his
ancestral palaces. twas IN this wise.
Having heard his confessor speak in high
terms Of the goodness and learning Of the
monks Of St. Bruno, the King expressed q
desire to found community Of them near
Paris. Bernard de la Tour, the superior,
sent SIX OF the brethren, and Louis assigned
to then, as residence, a handsome dwelling
iii the y,lage Of Chantilly- 1t so happened,
that from their windows they had a fine view
OF the old palace of Vauvert, originally
erected Cor a royal residence by King Rob-
ert, but which had been deserted for years.
The worthy monks, obliyious Of the Tenth
Commandment may have thought the place
would suit them but ashamed, probably, to
make formal demand Of it from the King,
they seem to have set their wits to work to
procure it by stratagem.
at ali events, the palace Of Vauvert, which
had never labored under any imputation
against its character until they became is
Eeighbors, began almost Immediately after
wards to acquire bad name. Frightful
shrieks were heard to proceed thence at
night. Blue, red, and green lights were seen
to glimmer from its easements, and then
suddenly disappear. The clanking of chains
succeeded, together with the howlings of
persons as in great pain. Then CHASTITY
spectre, in pea green, with long, white beard
and serpent's tail, appeared at the principal
windows, shaking his fist at passers-by. This
went on for months.
The King, to whom these wonders were
duly reported, deplored the scandal, and sent
commissioners to look into the affair. To
these the six monks Of Chantilly, indignant
that the Devil should play such pranks before
their very faces, suggested thar, if they
| could but have the palace as residence, they
would undertake speedily to cure it Of all
ghostly intrusion. A deed, with the royal
sign manual, conveyed Vauvert TO the monks
of ST. Bruno. It bears the date of 1850
From that time all disturbances ceased-the
green ghost, according to the creed of the
pious, being laid to rest forever under the
waters of the Red Seat
Some will surmise that the story of the
castle of Putkammer is but modified version
of that Of the palace Of Vauvert. One who
was not on the spot to witness the phenom-
ena and personally to verify all the details,
cannot nationally deny the possibility of such
q hypothesis. Yet find little parallel be-
tween the cases, and difficulties, apparently
insuperable, in the way Of accepting such
solution of the mystery.
The French palace was deserted, and moth
ing was easier than to play off there, unchal-
I lenged, such commonplace tricks as the
showing of colored lights, the clanking of
chains, shrieks, groans, and bowling spec
tire with beard and tail-all in accordance
with the prejudices of that age; nor do we
read that any one was bold enough to pene-
trate, during the night, into the scene Of the
disturbance; nor had the Kings commits
sioners any personal motive 10 urge thar-
ough research; nor had pious sovereign,
the owner of dozen palaces, any strong
inducement to refuse the cesson of one Of
these. already untenanted and useless, to
certain holy men, the objects of his vener-
, alton.
Very different in every respect. is the af-